Somerset's main county museum is housed in the great hall of the town's 12th-century castle. The highlight is the Frome Hoard, an enormous haul of 52,500 Roman coins that was discovered in a Somerset field in 2010. Also look out for the beautiful Low Ham Mosaic (which depicts the story of Dido and Aeneas and was found in a nearby Roman villa), and the specially commissioned Tree of Somerset, an oak sculpture depicting local historical events.
Other museum exhibits include those relating to the Bloody Assizes, a series of trials held at the castle in the wake of the Monmouth Rebellion against James II. Presided over by the infamously taciturn lawman Judge Jeffreys, it resulted in the bloodthirsty execution of over 300 rebels, 144 of whom were displayed around Taunton's streets as a warning of the consequences of treason.
The museum is also home to the Somerset Military Museum, which houses a collection of vintage weapons, uniforms, flags and other ephemera relating to the county's various military regiments.
