The Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon

The Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon A centre for curiosity | A house of stories | A place for learning
Admission FREE The history of the museum building. Connecting wires run all over the building.

The most prominent building on the Square was built for William Thorne, in 1872. ( Thorne was a quarry owner and operator of the horse-drawn railway to Fremington Quay.) His new house was constructed of brick with decorative stone details. It is said that Thorne never actually lived in the house. The house was a sizeable building, with a grand staircase and 15 servants' bells in the back corridor.

The house was bought by William Rock (Barnstaple benefactor) in 1887, to house the North Devon Athenaeum, a free library and Museum. It was opened to the public the following year. The Athenaeum inherited the collections of the Barnstaple Literary and Scientific Institution - founded by William Rock in 1845 and continued to accumulate a wide variety of objects, papers and books. From 1956, the Athenaeum shared the building with the local branch of the County Library Service. Local people remember coming to the Athenaeum to do their homework. In 1988, North Devon District Council bought the building. The Athenaeum, its collection of documents and the County Library moved to purpose-built premises in Tuly Street. Many of the Athenaeum's objects remain in the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon. These include the rocks and minerals in the first gallery, local paintings and part of the pottery collection.

Revisiting landscapes through the seasons 🍂Alfred Munnings returned to the same spots on Exmoor again and again, capturi...
05/09/2026

Revisiting landscapes through the seasons 🍂

Alfred Munnings returned to the same spots on Exmoor again and again, capturing them as the seasons changed and as new colours, textures and movements came to life.

As summer begins to slip away, his autumn landscapes offer a beautiful reminder of what the season has to give: golden grasses, russet tones and the changing character of the landscape.

Why not take a moment to look around you and see what autumn is bringing to Exmoor?

Our exhibition, Sir Alfred Munnings: Exmoor Through the Seasons is free and open until 10 October.

📷 An extensive landscape with a road © The Munnings Art Museum
📷 An Autumn Exmoor Landscape © The Munnings Art Museum
📷 Brightworthy Ford, Withypool, Exmoor [detail] © The Munnings Art Museum
📷 Brightworthy Ford, Withypool, Exmoor [detail] © The Munnings Art Museum

Did you know about the Museum's riverside tearoom?!We're open Monday to Saturday, 10am-4.30pm, with seating inside and o...
04/09/2026

Did you know about the Museum's riverside tearoom?!

We're open Monday to Saturday, 10am-4.30pm, with seating inside and out.

🍰 Home-baked cakes and scones
🥪 Soups and sandwiches
🫖 Teas, coffees and juices
🍦 Ice cream

Veggie, vegan and gluten-free options are available.

--

This is Steve. Steve says take back to school in your stride, it's going to be fine.'Steve the chilling seal' by North D...
04/09/2026

This is Steve. Steve says take back to school in your stride, it's going to be fine.

'Steve the chilling seal' by North Devon ceramicist Kate Rees. £45 in the museum shop 🦭

Free September talks at the Museum!We’re delighted to be hosting three fascinating talks at the Museum this September, a...
03/09/2026

Free September talks at the Museum!

We’re delighted to be hosting three fascinating talks at the Museum this September, all inspired by our current exhibition, Sir Alfred Munnings: Exmoor Through the Seasons.

Talks are free to attend but places are limited, so advance booking is recommended - see link below 👇

📅 Saturday 5 September | 2–3.30pm
Lady Munnings’ Black Knight and Other Great Dogs of Exmoor
A talk by Graeme Horn (Exmoor Society Archive & Exmoor Magazine)

📅 Saturday 12 September | 2–3.30pm
Hope Bourne’s Reflections on Exmoor Through the Seasons
A talk by Lisa Eden (The Exmoor Society)

📅 Saturday 26 September | 2–3.30pm
Alfred Munnings and Exmoor Places
A talk by Rob Wilson-North (Exmoor National Park Authority)

👉 Book your free tickets here:
https://www.ticketsource.com/museum-of-barnstaple

🌿 Handcrafted swatch books of wild walks on Exmoor 🌿We were delighted to welcome storyteller-artist Sophie Cobb to the M...
02/09/2026

🌿 Handcrafted swatch books of wild walks on Exmoor 🌿

We were delighted to welcome storyteller-artist Sophie Cobb to the Museum yesterday, where she shared stories about her wild walks on Exmoor.

Taking inspiration from Sophie’s stories, families were invited to create these beautiful swatch books, capturing the words, images and ideas that particularly spoke to them. 📖🍃

A huge thank you to Sophie Cobb for sharing her stories and creativity with us, and to all the families who came along and took part. And if you couldn't make it, why not make your own at home and share pictures of your books with us? 💚

The session was part of our Curious Creators programme - a programme of free art and craft activities for families, taking place on Wednesdays during the school holidays throughout the year.

We’re already planning our October half-term session, so keep an eye on our website and social media for details! 👀

--

// Back to school As families get ready for a new school term, why not try your hand at a little arithmetic from bygone ...
01/09/2026

// Back to school

As families get ready for a new school term, why not try your hand at a little arithmetic from bygone days?!

This week at the Museum, we’ve been reminiscing about how much school - from lessons and arithmetic to school uniforms and those often-dreaded PE kits - has changed, even within our own lifetimes.

Take a look at a couple of our school uniform exhibits from Barnstaple schools over the years…

📷 Barnstaple Bluecoat School uniform, exact date unknown

The Bluecoat schools were charity schools for children from poorer families. The name came from the distinctive blue uniforms worn by pupils, the first Bluecoat school being Christ’s Hospital in London.

Barnstaple Bluecoat School opened in 1760 and was originally situated over the North Gate.

📷 Barnstaple Grammar School blazer and velvet caps, c.1920s

In 1910, the boys’ Grammar School moved from St Anne’s Chapel to a new building in Newport. The fee-paying school opened with 53 boys and 52 girls and was the first secondary school built by Devon County Council.

Although it was a mixed school (something of a rarity), boys and girls had separate entrances and playgrounds for many years.

As for the uniforms themselves, junior boys wore short grey trousers until the age of 15, knee-length socks with two gold bands, and a tie that had to be worn at all times. The uniform remained relatively unchanged until 1960, when the brown blazer and cap became black. Then, in 1964, sixth formers were finally allowed to dispense with their caps. 🎓

The school became comprehensive in 1973 and is now The Park Community School.

What do you remember about your own school uniform? Did you love it or hate it? 👇

We’d love to hear your memories!

--
Park Community School

// Women’s Land Army 🌾The Women’s Land Army played a vital role during the Second World War, as women from all walks of ...
31/08/2026

// Women’s Land Army 🌾

The Women’s Land Army played a vital role during the Second World War, as women from all walks of life were recruited to replace farm workers who had gone off to war.

Miss Pickwoad was one of the Mass Observation writers whose story features in our current Community Gallery exhibition. Born in Crediton, she worked as a Land Girl just outside Bideford during the war.

In her diary, she described her first year in the Land Army - from learning new skills and discovering “a lot of hitherto undiscovered muscles” to developing a growing appreciation for farmers and the challenges they faced.

❝I then proceeded to try my hand at anything I could! Cutting cabbages on a frosty morning; driving a tractor, carting water to the poultry when all the pipes were frozed and hundreds of other experiences in addition to my main job, that of poultry-keeping.❞

Her experiences also changed the way she viewed the farming profession:

❝With every day that passes, I see more and more of the very unfair deal that the farmers are getting.❞

Her observations offer a fascinating glimpse into the realities of agricultural life during wartime – and into the changing perspectives of those who came to work on the land.

Discover Miss Pickwoad’s story, alongside those of other local Mass Observation writers, in our exhibition, North Devon’s Home Front Writers, 1937–45, on display in our Community Gallery until 17 October.

💥Entrance is free.

📷 1) Margaret and Ruth Pickwoad in their Land Army uniforms © The Pickwoad Family.
📷 2) Members of the Women's Land Army taken before one of the parades in Barnstaple. From the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon Collection.
📷 3) Members of the Women's Land Army. From the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon Collection.

--

What’s on at the Museum this Bank Holiday Monday?🎨 Explore our exhibitions• Sir Alfred Munnings: Exmoor Through the Seas...
30/08/2026

What’s on at the Museum this Bank Holiday Monday?

🎨 Explore our exhibitions
• Sir Alfred Munnings: Exmoor Through the Seasons
• North Devon’s Home Front Writers, 1937–45

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Get creative with a host of family-friendly activities
• Follow our Museum trail
• Have a go at our monthly quiz
• Try one of the self-led craft activities in the Barum Art Room

☕ Take a break in the Tearoom
Enjoy sandwiches, soups, cakes, cream teas, ice creams and more. Veggie, vegan and gluten-free options are available.

🛍️ Browse the Museum Shop
Discover local crafts, gifts, games, puzzles, books, maps and cards.

Whether you’re planning a family day out or simply looking for somewhere to explore, relax and enjoy a Bank Holiday, we’d love to see you.

📍 Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
📅 Open this Bank Holiday Monday

--

// Introducing Violet McBride – Lady MunningsAccomplished horsewoman, organiser, and a key figure in Alfred Munnings’ ca...
29/08/2026

// Introducing Violet McBride – Lady Munnings

Accomplished horsewoman, organiser, and a key figure in Alfred Munnings’ career, Violet McBride was much more than the artist’s wife.

Violet met Alfred Munnings in 1919, and the couple married the following year. She took on many of the couple’s domestic affairs, including managing the accounts and organising the household, while also playing an important role in securing Munnings’ commissions during the 1920s and 1930s, drawing on her contacts in the horse and hunting world.

But what else do we know about Lady Munnings and her life with Alfred?

Join us at the Museum on Saturday 5 September for 'Lady Munnings’ Black Knight and Other Great Dogs of Exmoor', a FREE talk with Graeme Horn exploring life with Alfred Munnings and Lady Munnings through the eyes of their beloved Pekinese dog, Black Knight.

📅 Saturday 5 September 2026
⏰ 2.00–3.30pm
🎟 FREE | Places are limited – booking recommended
🔗 https://www.ticketsource.com/museum-of-barnstaple/talk-by-graeme-horn-lady-munnings-black-knight-and-other-great-dogs-of-exmoor/e-qrpjby

📷 1. Alfred Munnings and Lady Munnings with Black Knight, courtesy of The Munnings Art Museum. 2. Period riding attire displayed with kind permission of Michelle Werrett, featuring a Mayhew side saddle (c.1910); leather bridle (c.1920s/30s); ladies’ 1920 riding habit, linen shirt and woollen tie; and straw riding hat.

--

The fabulous Michelle Werrett kindly signed copies of her book 'Song of the Streams' for us today. A must for any angler...
28/08/2026

The fabulous Michelle Werrett kindly signed copies of her book 'Song of the Streams' for us today.
A must for any angler in your life, and all those who find joy in the streams of Exmoor. You can now get your signed copy in the museum shop.
Thank you, Michelle!

Address

The Square
Barnstaple
EX328LN

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441271346747

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category