Somerset’s Clarks Village has unveiled a remarkable new attraction: the Shoemakers Museum. Officially opening today, this bold and beautifully designed cultural landmark sits at the heart of Street’s popular outlet shopping village.
Created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Clarks, the museum explores the art and evolution of shoemaking. It goes beyond footwear as a product, delving into its role as a reflection of British culture, global influences, and local pride.
The museum features four immersive galleries tracing Clarks’ journey—from its Quaker roots in Somerset to international runways and iconic subcultures. Visitors can admire everything from sheepskin slippers and desert boots to Britpop stagewear and classic school shoes, alongside rare archival materials, promotional films, and prototype models. Together, these exhibits bring 200 years of innovation, nostalgia, and design vividly to life.
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But Shoemakers Museum is more than just a collection of objects. “This is a museum about people – their craft, their community, and the shoes that mark life’s milestones,” says Rosie Martin, Director of the museum. Whether visitors remember their first pair of Clarks or are learning the story anew, the museum invites connection, creativity, and shared memories.
Built by Somerset, for Somerset, the museum’s creation tells a story of local ingenuity. The architectural vision, led by Bristol-based Purcell, masterfully blends a 16th-century manor house, a 17th-century barn, and a striking new brick corbelled extension crafted with bricks from Gloucester-based Northcot Brick. This unique structure invites visitors to step through time.
Nearby Radstock’s Vobster Architectural contributed bespoke stonework—from grand cast stone columns to delicate copings—forming the building’s elegant backbone and reflecting the precision of Street’s shoemaking heritage.
Inside, the exhibition design by award-winning Nissen Richards Studio immerses visitors in history, featuring recreated Clarks shopfronts from the 1950s and 1980s, voices of former factory workers, and tactile encounters with iconic shoes that shaped British identity.
Mann Williams provided sustainability-first structural engineering with a timber superstructure, carefully preserving and reinforcing the historic site, even reusing original foundations to minimize environmental impact. The build was expertly managed by Melksham-based Rigg Construction, which balanced heritage conservation with visitor comfort, including a stylish on-site café. Quantity surveying was supported by Currie & Brown and Greenway Associates, while Resolution Interiors outfitted the museum shop and Realm delivered the gallery spaces, all enhancing a seamless visitor experience.
A remarkable surprise lies beneath the galleries—a significant collection of marine reptile fossils uncovered in the rock layer below the Clarks factories. Originally collected by Alfred Gillett, a Clarks family member and amateur paleontologist, this fossil trove links Somerset’s story to the vast timeline of geological history, adding unexpected depth to the museum’s narrative.
Combining fashion, family heritage, fossils, and forward-looking design, Shoemakers Museum stands out as a vibrant addition to the UK’s cultural scene.
“The museum honors the Clark family legacy while serving as a platform for future generations to explore creativity, community, and cultural identity,” says Cato Pedder, Chair of the Alfred Gillett Trust. “It’s more than just a shoe museum—it’s a living tribute to the community, powered by those who built it, from Quaker founders and factory workers to today’s contractors, historians, and volunteers.”
Visitors can enjoy a curated retail space featuring unique gifts inspired by the collection, a café sourcing produce within 35 miles, and a lively calendar of events, workshops, and tours for all ages.
Shoemakers Museum is located at The Grange, Clarks Village, Street, Somerset BA16 0BQ, open daily from 10am to 5pm.