CAN you guess where this week’s Mystery Photograph was taken?

Each week, the Journal invites readers to test their local knowledge by identifying a historic location from days gone by.

Last week’s Mystery Photograph was taken at Wallace's Cycle Shop on Fortescue Road, Radstock.

A huge congratulations to Mr James Swift, who got this somewhat tricky one correct this week. He said: “I think it’s Wallace’s Garage on Fortescue Road in Radstock, run by two brothers, one standing with the bike and the other in the doorway.”

Radstock’s history stretches back to the Iron Age, but its significance increased when the Fosse Way, a Roman road, passed through the area. Over time the town evolved slowly, but it was the discovery of coal in 1763 that really transformed Radstock into an industrial centre.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries Radstock became a hub of coal-mining activity. At its peak in 1901, there were dozens of collieries around the town producing large quantities of coal. The geology of the area made mining difficult — seams were narrow and extraction costly — but the mines remained central to the local economy for many years. By the mid‑20th century, many of these collieries had closed, and the final deep mines shut down in 1973.

Railways and canals were also key to Radstock’s development. The town was served by both the Somerset & Dorset Railway and the Great Western Railway, which helped transport coal and goods. The old Somerset Coal Canal and tramways were also part of this network before being replaced by rail. Notably, in 1876 a serious rail accident occurred on the Somerset & Dorset line near Radstock, resulting in significant loss of life.

Today, Radstock’s mining heritage is preserved in its Radstock Museum, housed in a restored Victorian market hall. The museum offers reconstructed scenes of a miner’s cottage, a schoolroom and even a recreated coal mine, helping visitors understand the challenging conditions of the past.