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North Devon in 100 Objects: 99. Earth to Earth – Sam Spoons’ Bench

North Devon in 100 Objects: 99. Earth to Earth – Sam Spoons’ Bench

The bench now installed in the museum garden was originally constructed by Martin Ash in his garden at Fremington.  Made of salvaged bricks,…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 100. The COVID Quilt

North Devon in 100 Objects: 100. The COVID Quilt

Our final object brings our collections right up to date.  The North Devon COVID Quilt has been made by local sewers using scraps…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 98. Phyllis White’s Screen

North Devon in 100 Objects: 98. Phyllis White’s Screen

This beautiful silk screen depicts Barnstaple Fair, which still upholds many of its traditions, including the ceremonial opening by the Mayor.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 97. A Shapland and Petter Desk

North Devon in 100 Objects: 97. A Shapland and Petter Desk

This beautiful desk was made over 100 years ago by Shapland and Petter of Barnstaple in their state of the art factory, part…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 96. Mr and Mrs Rendle

North Devon in 100 Objects: 96. Mr and Mrs Rendle

These rather primitive paintings are a bit of a mystery. 18th century in style, they are not the work of the kind of…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 95. A Pilgrim’s Ampulla

North Devon in 100 Objects: 95. A Pilgrim’s Ampulla

Pilgrim’s ampullae are small leaden flasks which were bought by early medieval pilgrims visiting a saint’s shrine. In the ampulla they carried away…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 94. The Hore Collection

North Devon in 100 Objects: 94. The Hore Collection

Residing in a beautifully made purpose-built cabinet is one of the museum’s treasures.  This is the personal herbarium of the Rev. William Strong…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 93. Taz’s Tiles

North Devon in 100 Objects: 93. Taz’s Tiles

Barnstaple’s long association with pottery did not end when Brannam’s shut down. Ceramics are still made, both by enthusiastic amateurs and professional artists. …

North Devon in 100 Objects: 92. Hilda Smerdon’s Dress

North Devon in 100 Objects: 92. Hilda Smerdon’s Dress

This lilac silk dress belonged to Hilda Smerdon.  It reflects the romanticism of the Edwardian period, delicate in its design with embroidered floral…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 91. Somweir Junction

North Devon in 100 Objects: 91. Somweir Junction

The scale model of a railway station and sidings is based on Barnstaple Junction railway station (the present Barnstaple station) as it would…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 90. The Harvest Jug

North Devon in 100 Objects: 90. The Harvest Jug

This spectacular jug celebrates the peak of traditional North Devon pottery making.  It was mended with metal staples at some time in the…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 89. A Barnstaple Penny

North Devon in 100 Objects: 89. A Barnstaple Penny

This 11th century silver penny was produced by the Barnstaple mint during the reign of Cnut (AD 1017-1035) – otherwise known as King…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 88. The Sign of the Three Tuns

North Devon in 100 Objects: 88. The Sign of the Three Tuns

These three miniature barrels or tuns suspended one above the other are a pub sign that used to hang outside the Three Tuns…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 87. Marion Abbott’s Teddy Bear

North Devon in 100 Objects: 87. Marion Abbott’s Teddy Bear

This teddy bear was won at Barnstaple Fair in North Walk in September 1934 by Edwin Whale.  His wife Ethel was expecting and…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 86. Lines from the Grammar School

North Devon in 100 Objects: 86. Lines from the Grammar School

Until the new Park School was built in 1910, Barnstaple Grammar school was housed in the tiny 14th Century St Anne’s Chapel in…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 85. The Otter

North Devon in 100 Objects: 85. The Otter

The otter has become an icon for North Devon. Firstly, because this charismatic creature is more common here than in many other parts of…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 84. The Appledore Frock

North Devon in 100 Objects: 84. The Appledore Frock

In the coastal communities up and down Britain fishermen wore “ganseys” knitted for them by their womenfolk (although some men were knitters too).…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 83. The CH Brannam Fire Bucket

North Devon in 100 Objects: 83. The CH Brannam Fire Bucket

This fire bucket forms part of our C.H. Brannam collection.  As well as the company’s museum collection and archives we have four enormous…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 82. Ernest Soares’ Election Card

North Devon in 100 Objects: 82. Ernest Soares’ Election Card

This card was produced as part of the 1906 election campaign of Ernest Joseph Soares, probably Barnstaple’s first ethnic minority MP.  He was…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 81. The Huguenot Table Carpet

North Devon in 100 Objects: 81. The Huguenot Table Carpet

This table carpet was created in 1761 and is attributed to Jean Ulrich Passavant, a Huguenot from Strasbourg.  It depicts the Barnstaple coat…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 80. The West Down Inscribed Stone

North Devon in 100 Objects: 80. The West Down Inscribed Stone

This stone was found in 2104 by a teenager, Jack Lawrence, lying in a cottage garden in West Down.  It bears a single…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 79. Percy Pooley’s Little Car

North Devon in 100 Objects: 79. Percy Pooley’s Little Car

This little car is the creation of Percy Pooley, who ran a bicycle shop in Newport, Barnstaple.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 78. A Barnstaple Grammar School Cap

North Devon in 100 Objects: 78. A Barnstaple Grammar School Cap

This reminder of mid-20th Century school days in Barnstaple is a Barnstaple Grammar School cap worn by a boy who was at the…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 77. Francis Carruthers Gould’s Sketchbook

North Devon in 100 Objects: 77. Francis Carruthers Gould’s Sketchbook

These sketches are the work of a young Francis Carruthers Gould, born in Barnstaple, who became the first regular political cartoonist on a…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 76. Barnstaple from Sticklepath

North Devon in 100 Objects: 76. Barnstaple from Sticklepath

A favourite item from the Athenaeum collections and one that rewards close examination is this 18th Century oil painting of Barnstaple, Pilton and…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 75. Roman Pottery from Brayford

North Devon in 100 Objects: 75. Roman Pottery from Brayford

Roman pottery came to light at Brayford in the early 2000s. For years people digging their gardens had turned up lumps of heavy,…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 74. Peggy Lines’ Coronation Coach

North Devon in 100 Objects: 74. Peggy Lines’ Coronation Coach

The little coach is the star piece of the Peggy Lines model collection.  It is a replica of the royal family’s Gold State…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 73. The Shapland and Petter Hooter

North Devon in 100 Objects: 73. The Shapland and Petter Hooter

The Shapland and Petter works hooter was familiar to Barumites thoughout the 20th century for its loud cry that sounded every working day…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 72. A Sketch by WR Lethaby

North Devon in 100 Objects: 72. A Sketch by WR Lethaby

William Richard Lethaby (1857-1931) may be the most significant individual Barnstaple has ever produced. He was a leading designer, educator, conservationist and historian…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 71. John Gay’s Chair

North Devon in 100 Objects: 71. John Gay’s Chair

This leather chair with hinged writing-ledge and inkwell is a 19th century copy of a chair believed to have been used by John…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 70. Footprints from Westward Ho!

North Devon in 100 Objects: 70. Footprints from Westward Ho!

This block of consolidated clay preserves ancient hoofprints from Northam Burrows.  In winter 2008 storms damaged the pebble ridge causing it to retreat…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 69. John Squire’s Pannier Basket

North Devon in 100 Objects: 69. John Squire’s Pannier Basket

In 2005 Barnstaple Pannier Market celebrated its 150th anniversary.  The enormous building was designed by Borough Surveyor R.D. Gould.  Together with Butchers Row,…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 68. The Otter Hunter

North Devon in 100 Objects: 68. The Otter Hunter

When in use in the early 20th century, this otter hunting uniform would have been frequently drenched in mud and water, from hours…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 67. A William Baron Puzzle Jug

North Devon in 100 Objects: 67. A William Baron Puzzle Jug

Puzzle jugs were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and made in great numbers in North Devon up to the 1930s, usually…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 66. Tom Faggus’s Gun

North Devon in 100 Objects: 66. Tom Faggus’s Gun

This 18th century gun is reputed to have belonged to Tom Faggus, North Devon’s local highwayman. The gun, which is 167 cm (about…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 65. Clara Peters’ Watercolours

North Devon in 100 Objects: 65. Clara Peters’ Watercolours

Shortly before her death in 1939 Clara Elizabeth Peters presented her extensive collection of watercolour paintings of local plants and flowers to the…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 64. Buck Taylor’s Type Case

North Devon in 100 Objects: 64. Buck Taylor’s Type Case

These drawers of type belonged to W.J.”Buck” Taylor, who ran a small printing business in Pilton Street until his death in 1992.  Letterpress…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 63. The Bromley’s Sign

North Devon in 100 Objects: 63. The Bromley’s Sign

Bromley’s, the name of the museum tea room, pays homage to a long-standing, successful and popular business which was at the heart of…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 62. A Lauder and Smith Brick

North Devon in 100 Objects: 62. A Lauder and Smith Brick

This Lauder and Smith brick represents the life and work of Alexander Lauder (1836-1921), architect, potter, teacher, Methodist and Mayor of Barnstaple.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 61. Wooden Water Pipes

North Devon in 100 Objects: 61. Wooden Water Pipes

These unprepossessing lengths of wood are remnants of Barnstaple’s first piped water supply from the late 17th century. They were dug up around…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 60. The Brockenbarrow Urn

North Devon in 100 Objects: 60. The Brockenbarrow Urn

This undecorated vessel once held cremated human remains from the second or early first millennium BC. It was recovered in 1906 from a…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 59. A Festival Programme

North Devon in 100 Objects: 59. A Festival Programme

This programme represents a highlight in North Devon’s cultural history.  From 1953 until 1958 the Taw & Torridge Festival Society promoted a wide-ranging…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 58. A Barnstaple Cookery Book

North Devon in 100 Objects: 58. A Barnstaple Cookery Book

Recipe books are so intimate: what other books fall open at the pages most used, with stains and marks where food has splattered,…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 57. The Fishley Beaker

North Devon in 100 Objects: 57. The Fishley Beaker

This cheery beaker was made by Edwin Beer Fishley at the Fremington Pottery.  The Fishley family are well known for their continuation of…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 56. A Dissenter’s Portrait

North Devon in 100 Objects: 56. A Dissenter’s Portrait

During the Civil War the town of Barnstaple supported Parliament rather than the king, in contrast to more rural areas. In 1662, after…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 55. The Leatherback Turtle

North Devon in 100 Objects: 55. The Leatherback Turtle

The leatherback turtle is the largest of the sea turtles, generally around 2m long and weighing around 600kg. They are named for the…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 54. The Liberty Bodice

North Devon in 100 Objects: 54. The Liberty Bodice

This is a garment that older members of the community will remember from early childhood, possibly without much joy.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 53. Herbert Algar’s Diary

North Devon in 100 Objects: 53. Herbert Algar’s Diary

These First World War dairies were found in an attic in Plymouth.  They were written by Herbert Cecil Algar, a Trooper in the…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 52. The Cloam Oven

North Devon in 100 Objects: 52. The Cloam Oven

Most old farmhouses in North Devon would once have been equipped with cloam ovens like this one.  Made of local clay, they were…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 51. A Civil War Bandolier

North Devon in 100 Objects: 51. A Civil War Bandolier

Bandoliers are a type of pocketed belt designed to hold ammunition. These 17th-century examples may have been used by North Devon soldiers fighting…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 50. The Holworthy Pot

North Devon in 100 Objects: 50. The Holworthy Pot

Last used over 3,000 years ago, this is the Holworthy pot which was excavated in 2005 from a Bronze Age settlement at Holworthy…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 49. Frank Kidwell’s Prang

North Devon in 100 Objects: 49. Frank Kidwell’s Prang

Franks prang is a broom-type implement that, instead of bristles, features eight barbed steel prongs. Once a fish is stepped upon, the fish…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 48. Rev Squire’s Christmas Decorations

North Devon in 100 Objects: 48. Rev Squire’s Christmas Decorations

These decorations are made of glass and painted in the traditional shapes that we still see on our Christmas trees today.  They were…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 47. Dragons in the Pottery Gallery

North Devon in 100 Objects: 47. Dragons in the Pottery Gallery

The late 19th century was a golden age of Art Pottery in Barnstaple.   Our collections include many highly decorated items, both useful and…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 46. The Buckland Brewer Tiles

North Devon in 100 Objects: 46. The Buckland Brewer Tiles

You can still see tiles like this built into the floors of some North Devon churches.  This one was removed from Buckland Brewer…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 45. The Straight-Tusked Elephant

North Devon in 100 Objects: 45. The Straight-Tusked Elephant

The tusk is of the extinct straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus.  These creatures stood some 4 metres tall, weighing as much as 11 or…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 44. A Pedigree Perambulator

North Devon in 100 Objects: 44. A Pedigree Perambulator

This 1940s black and cream perambulator was rescued from recycling and passed to the museum in 2006. It was originally supplied by “Arch…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 43. Bertie Burrington’s Archive

North Devon in 100 Objects: 43. Bertie Burrington’s Archive

These documents record the life of an ordinary, but remarkable North Devon man, who overcame a difficult start to create a happy family…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 42. A Fragment of Holy Trinity Church

North Devon in 100 Objects: 42. A Fragment of Holy Trinity Church

This piece of stone came from the pinnacle of Holy Trinity church tower, which was struck by lightning on Whit Sunday, 1890. At…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 41. John Webber’s Token

North Devon in 100 Objects: 41. John Webber’s Token

This tiny copper alloy token has many stories to tell, of economics, manufacturing and local history.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 40. North Devon’s Oldest Pottery

North Devon in 100 Objects: 40. North Devon’s Oldest Pottery

In 1864 the geologist Townshend Hall was alerted to a concentration of prehistoric flint material at a spot on Baggy Point called Freshwater…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 39. A Painting by Brian Chugg

North Devon in 100 Objects: 39. A Painting by Brian Chugg

This painting is entitled “Composite of Beach Defences I” and was painted by Brian Chugg from sketches made just after the Second World…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 38. Matron’s Autograph Book

North Devon in 100 Objects: 38. Matron’s Autograph Book

This autograph book belonged to Jane Appleton, the fourth and final matron of the Barnstaple Red Cross Hospital in the First World War.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 37. The Yeomanry Music

North Devon in 100 Objects: 37. The Yeomanry Music

This hand-written sheet music was created in 1852 by the Thomas and John Marshall, the sons of the owner and manager of the…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 36. The Barnstaple Pottery Kiln

North Devon in 100 Objects: 36. The Barnstaple Pottery Kiln

The largest artefact in the Museum, and the most evocative of life in seventeenth century Barnstaple, is the pottery kiln excavated in 1987…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 35. Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?

North Devon in 100 Objects: 35. Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?

We often bring this rather beautiful object out as a “Mystery Object” when giving talks to local societies or for visiting groups.  What…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 34. The Land Army Embroidery

North Devon in 100 Objects: 34. The Land Army Embroidery

This embroidered tablecloth records the names and celebrates the work of women at the Braunton Bulb Farm during the Second World War.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 33. The Surf Board

North Devon in 100 Objects: 33. The Surf Board

This surfboard was made by Chapter Surfboards of Braunton in the 1980s, when surfing in North Devon was really taking off.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 32. A Yeomanry Table Napkin

North Devon in 100 Objects: 32. A Yeomanry Table Napkin

The Royal Devon Yeomanry Regimental Collection includes a set of illustrated silk table napkins made by Thomas Marshall in 1850 for the Officers’…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 31. The Abbott Overmantel

North Devon in 100 Objects: 31. The Abbott Overmantel

This plaster overmantel was created around 1620, by John Abbott the Elder, of Frithelstock, a member of the celebrated North Devon family of…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 30. Queen Victoria’s Slippers

North Devon in 100 Objects: 30. Queen Victoria’s Slippers

There are a number of pairs of Queen Victoria’s slippers in museums. It is said that she wore each pair only once, and…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 29. Neolithic Stone Axes

North Devon in 100 Objects: 29. Neolithic Stone Axes

The stone objects seen here are axe heads from the ‘New Stone Age’ or Neolithic period found near Clovelly. 

North Devon in 100 Objects: 28. Prisoner of War Furniture

North Devon in 100 Objects: 28. Prisoner of War Furniture

This set of dolls’ furniture was made for 10 year old Gloria Butler and her sister Pamela during the Second World War. 

North Devon in 100 Objects: 27. The Barnstaple Steam Fire Pump

North Devon in 100 Objects: 27. The Barnstaple Steam Fire Pump

The splendid piece of engineering that is the Barnstaple Steam Fire Pump was a product of the 19th century London engineering company Shand…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 26. The Phrenological Head

North Devon in 100 Objects: 26. The Phrenological Head

This ceramic head has been part of our collection for 175 years - longer than almost any other object.  It was given to…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 25. Barnstaple’s Silver Spoons

North Devon in 100 Objects: 25. Barnstaple’s Silver Spoons

The first Barnstaple-made silver spoons appeared in the 16th Century. At that time Barnstaple was a market town, wool centre and port, whose merchants…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 24. The Buzzard

North Devon in 100 Objects: 24. The Buzzard

A buzzard is a large bird of prey which you often see in the sky in North Devon. Buzzards spread their wings to…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 23. The Wellington Bomber Gun Turret

North Devon in 100 Objects: 23. The Wellington Bomber Gun Turret

This is the rear turret of Vickers Wellington serial number Z.8721, which crashed into the cliffs at Beckland Bay, near Hartland Point, on…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 22. The Elliott Ralli Car

North Devon in 100 Objects: 22. The Elliott Ralli Car

This little cart is a Ralli Car, made by Elliotts of Bideford around the turn of the 20th century.  Carts like this would…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 21. Some Leyden Jars

North Devon in 100 Objects: 21. Some Leyden Jars

These glass jars, lined inside and out with zinc foil, were found lined up in a large wooden box, connected by metal wires. 

North Devon in 100 Objects: 20. The Landkey Parish Table

North Devon in 100 Objects: 20. The Landkey Parish Table

The Landkey parish table is a recent acquisition which, with the help of local enthusiasts, was saved from being auctioned in London. 

North Devon in 100 Objects: 19. Combe Martin Silver Ore

North Devon in 100 Objects: 19. Combe Martin Silver Ore

This large sample of galena or lead sulphide almost certainly comes from the last successful reworking of the Combe Martin lead mines in…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 18. The Evacuee’s Doll

North Devon in 100 Objects: 18. The Evacuee’s Doll

This doll, dressed in pink, represents the experiences of one war-time child who was evacuated from London to the peace of North Devon.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 17. The Huxtable Plough

North Devon in 100 Objects: 17. The Huxtable Plough

In 1877 John patented his Huxtable Reversible Plough. This plough has two mould boards mounted one above the other, so when the plough…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 16. A Hair from an Elephant’s Tail

North Devon in 100 Objects: 16. A Hair from an Elephant’s Tail

This elephant hair was posted to Henry Desborough of Pilton, probably around 1860.  It found its way into the collections of the North…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 15. The Barnstaple Balloting Pots

North Devon in 100 Objects: 15. The Barnstaple Balloting Pots

These two pots were once used to elect the Mayor and Aldermen of Barnstaple Borough.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 14. The Partridge Collection

North Devon in 100 Objects: 14. The Partridge Collection

An important part of our large geology collection is known as the “Partridge Collection”. In researching this we have come across the astonishing…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 13. Michael Baylis’s Escape Kit

North Devon in 100 Objects: 13. Michael Baylis’s Escape Kit

This peculiar collection of objects is a Second World War Escape kit issued to Lieutenant Michael Baylis of the Royal Devon Yeomanry.

North Devon in 100 Objects: 12. The Bowden’s Indian Balm Sign

North Devon in 100 Objects: 12. The Bowden’s Indian Balm Sign

This splendid sign advertises Bowden’s Indian Balm, a cure-all ointment that was made and sold at the end of Butchers Row in Barnstaple…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 11. View from the River by F.R.Lee

North Devon in 100 Objects: 11. View from the River by F.R.Lee

This small painting, created in 1821, is the work of Frederick Richard Lee, the only Royal Academician from Barnstaple.  It shows the town…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 10. The Instow Communion Cup

North Devon in 100 Objects: 10. The Instow Communion Cup

In the museum we look after a number of church communion cups dating from the late 16th century. 

North Devon in 100 Objects: 9. Peggy James’s Sampler

North Devon in 100 Objects: 9. Peggy James’s Sampler

This sampler was donated in 2019 and we are lucky to know much more about its maker and its history. Margaret (or Peggy)…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 8. Flints from North Devon

North Devon in 100 Objects: 8. Flints from North Devon

Tools, blades and arrowheads fashioned in flint or chert (a more granular material) are found in the soil across North Devon. The flints…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 7. The Seekers’ Photograph Album

North Devon in 100 Objects: 7. The Seekers’ Photograph Album

This little photo album records the North Devon walking holiday of an unknown couple during the early part of the Second World War…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 6. Beryl Foster’s Christening Gown

North Devon in 100 Objects: 6. Beryl Foster’s Christening Gown

This portrait depicts William Frederick Rock, Barnstaple’s greatest benefactor.  We usually think of him as an old man with a flowing beard, but…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 5. A Portrait of a Young Man

North Devon in 100 Objects: 5. A Portrait of a Young Man

This portrait depicts William Frederick Rock, Barnstaple’s greatest benefactor.  We usually think of him as an old man with a flowing beard, but…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 4. The Tawstock Lady

North Devon in 100 Objects: 4. The Tawstock Lady

Originally lying in a niche in the chancel of the Church of St Peter at Tawstock, this plain wooden effigy of a lady…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 3. Rocks of North Devon

North Devon in 100 Objects: 3. Rocks of North Devon

These two specimens of rocks and minerals from the Natural History gallery are worth a close look.  The first is Wavellite, a relatively…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 2. The Naval Surgeon’s Coat

North Devon in 100 Objects: 2. The Naval Surgeon’s Coat

This navy blue frock coat belonged to Dr Simon Gage Britton. The buttons of the coat are decorated with snakes climbing a staff,…

North Devon in 100 Objects: 1. A Manual of Devotion

North Devon in 100 Objects: 1. A Manual of Devotion

The first in our 100 Objects series was written by the late David Butt, one of the founding members of the museum Development…

The Seekers: The South West Coast Path during Wartime.

The Seekers: The South West Coast Path during Wartime.

The 1940's photo album documenting a couple's walking holiday along the South West Coast Path during wartime.

Best Wishes To Matron: Jane Appleton’s WW1 autograph book.

Best Wishes To Matron: Jane Appleton’s WW1 autograph book.

Jane Appleton's autograph album crammed with tokens of appreciation from the recovering soldiers of WW1.

Unnatural Women: The High Life of Rosemary Rees.

Unnatural Women: The High Life of Rosemary Rees.

The high life of Rosemary Rees (Lady du Cros), one of the first pioneering female WWII pilots.

From Pickle to Parish: The Surgeon’s Coat of Simon Britton

From Pickle to Parish: The Surgeon’s Coat of Simon Britton

A doctor's journey from the Battle of Trafalgar to conflicts in Barnstaple.

God touched their Hearts: The Huguenots of Barnstaple

God touched their Hearts: The Huguenots of Barnstaple

How the Huguenot table rug tells a story of compassion, integration and a new age of textiles.

Dressed for Chill: The Appledore Gansey

Dressed for Chill: The Appledore Gansey

A knitter's look at the rich history and folklore of the Appledore gansey or fishermen's 'frock'.

From Spoons to Bricks: Martin Ash’s bench

From Spoons to Bricks: Martin Ash’s bench

A bench constructed from locally made bricks has become the museum garden’s intriguing new centrepiece.

6000 Flowers: The Story of the North Devon Sugarcraft Guild

6000 Flowers: The Story of the North Devon Sugarcraft Guild

The Barnstaple in Bloom sugarpaste model and the creation of the North Devon Sugarcraft Guild.

Hamleys and the Gold State Coach: The Peggy Lines Collection

Hamleys and the Gold State Coach: The Peggy Lines Collection

Part of the Peggy Lines Collection, this wonderful coach forms part of 400 toys donated to the museum.