The Somerset Military Museum is part of The Rifles Museums Network, which is made up of many museums, spread across the country, that tell the various parts of the story of The Rifles and its many antecedent regiments.

The Somerset Light Infantry is the second oldest RIFLES antecedent, originally raised by Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon, in 1685 as the Earl of Huntingdon’s Regiment of Foot.

The museum contains a fantastic selection of displays and objects, including weapons, uniforms, and paintings. It also contains a section dedicated to The Rifles, the modern successors of the SOM LI.

The Assistant Curator’s favourite objects were a painting of a sortie during the Siege of Jellalabad (1841-42), the Regimental Colours of the SOM LI and a selection of uniforms from the numerous rifle volunteer units of Somerset.