About Us
Find out how a family brand became a global story. A remarkable journey with over 100,000 objects to explore from fossils to factory machines covering 200 years of shoemaking history.
About Shoemakers Museum
Shoemakers Museum is a new visitor experience opening to the public in September 2025. Celebrating 200 years of shoemaking history through the eyes of the shoemakers, telling the stories behind Clarks shoes in the place where it all began in Street, Somerset.
Discover a remarkable collection of over 100,000 objects, highlights of which will be on display in the museum’s four galleries: Welcome to Street, Making shoes, Selling and buying, and Fossils.
Most people will have a memory of their favourite shoes and Shoemakers Museum is a new destination for visitors to meet the makers and celebrate and share their stories.
Discover the history of Clarks shoes
Somerset was once the largest producer of footwear in Britain and the Quaker family business Clarks was at the forefront. The first Brown Petersberg slippers were created in Street in 1825. Over the decades C&J Clark factories grew in number and the footwear they produced became a feature of British culture from our first fitted shoes and daily work wear to the Northern Soul dancefloors of the 1960s and Britpop scene of the 90’s. Production moved outside of the UK as UK industry declined, however the headquarters remain in Street. Today the collections of the Alfred Gillett Trust tell a unique 200 year history of the Street-based business and its global impact.
History of Clarks in Street
The Alfred Gillett Trust
The Alfred Gillett Trust is a registered charity that cares for the Clark’s family collections and Quaker archives. In 2021 the Trust purchased the Clarks Shoes corporate collections of the creating a unique archive of British business history. After many years of preparation planning permission was granted for a museum in 2023. Shoemakers Museum has been created and will open to the public in September 2025 making these unique collections public.
Book yout ticket
Be among the first to visit Shoemakers Museum and book your ticket today. The museum opens 18 September and will be open daily 10-5pm.
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What's new
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Join us for Heritage Open days 2025
Two free to attend talks celebrating the opening of Shoemakers Museum
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Shoemakers Museum Opens 18th September 2025
Step inside 200 years of shoemaking history. Be one of the first to visit Somerset’s newest museum – Shoemakers Museum which opens to the public 18 September 2025
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Crowdfunder – Shoemakers Museum
Shoemakers Museum opens its doors on 18 September. Your donations are welcome to help us complete our landscaping and improve our offer.
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Join our fabulous front of house team
We’re recruiting! Join our fabulous team and help create a warm welcome for our visitors
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On permanent display
Visit the permanent exhibition
Support us
Can you help put the finishing touches to Shoemakers Museum? From developing our education services to creating our gardens and grounds your donation will help create an experience to remember.
Shoemakers Crowdfunder