Bringing Barnstaple’s history to life
Hidden in more than 1,500 boxes are the clues to Barnstaple’s archaeological story. Thousands of pottery fragments, records, slides and plans are waiting to be rediscovered. Through Potted History, the Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon and its dedicated and brilliant volunteers are sorting, cataloguing, and researching excavated material from the 1970s and 1980s, unlocking an archive rich with discoveries.
From medieval and 17th-century kiln material to remarkable pottery assemblages, the project is shining a light on North Devon’s celebrated ceramic tradition, once traded as far as Ireland and the early American colonies. Thanks to our volunteers, these collections are becoming a source of research, inspiration, and learning for everyone.
We’re currently trying to discover how much people know about the project and the kinds of activities people would like to see. We’d love your help – if you can spare a few minutes to complete a quick survey, please click here.
Potted History is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, the project is currently in a pilot phase, in which methodologies, workflows and resource frameworks are being tested and refined in preparation for a proposed three-year programme covering all 18 sites.
