07/06/2026
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Torrington Museum
The museum is open and looking forward to meeting you this year, whether you’re a regular or new visitor: we have new displays and some exciting news about the future!
Firstly, we have some fabulous new Torrington-themed colouring books designed by Aisling Tierney, based on Torrington Castle. They’re perfect for inquisitive kids or mindful adults and packed with beautiful pictures and fascinating historical background to each one. Proceeds go to the Dig The Castle project and the museum, but there’s only a limited supply so get in quickly. They’re £4.50 and worth every penny.
We’ve taken in some fascinating items lately, including an amazing document on vellum, dated 1583: a signed bond between Andrew Upham, Thomas Miller and John Huddell, concerning land in the Church Lane area, and a beautiful silver cup presented to Captain C. Doe by the town to mark his being awarded the Military Cross in the First World War. Our collections tell the stories of Torrington and its people so, if you think you have anything that might be of interest, please email us at [email protected], with photographs and a little background. We can accept donations but can also take items on loan, if you think you might want them back one day. Everything is given the best possible care, and conservation standards are applied rigorously, so you can be sure your item will be well looked after. We’re particularly keen to acquire one-off pieces of Dartington Crystal for a display to commemorate its 60th anniversary for a display next year.
The huge Market House over the Pannier Market is moving ever closer to opening: the paint is on the walls, the ceiling is fixed and the fire doors are now safe. Next steps are to install heating, upgrade the electrics and replace the flooring. Once that’s all sorted, we’ll bring down our textile collection and create a conservation space where you can see how we care for our collections, and get involved yourself if you fancy getting hands-on with our collections and learning new skills. There’ll be new displays, including seasonal ones to reflect important local events such as May Fair, archaeological work at the Castle and anything interesting on the town’s calendar.
Finally, a couple of pleas for help. Firstly, we have a lovely three-fold leaflet to attract visitors. If you have a business or holiday cottage, perhaps you’d be kind enough to take some? Either email us at the address above or pop into the museum at 14 South Street on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays between 10 and 3. We’re happy to post them if you can’t get in and have a few handy plastic dispensers if you need one.
Secondly, we’re always on the lookout for new volunteers to join our friendly team. It’s a terrific way to put something back into your local community and you’ll make new friends, meet and greet our visitors and make their time here something really special. You can do as much or as little as you want and, once you’ve done some room guiding, you’ll find all kinds of other interesting things behind the scenes to help with: such as collections conservation, cataloguing, back office/IT, archiving and even a bit of painting and decorating. Just pop in or drop us an email as above. It’s a really good way to add some skills to your CV if you’re job hunting and our opening hours are perfect if you’re looking for something to do between school runs. You don’t need any experience or knowledge of history, just an open mind and friendly personality!
If you haven’t been in to visit us yet, it’s absolutely free to enter and we’re much bigger than you think, not just the little shop front next to Taff’s chip shop, with two floors and nine rooms stuffed to the rafters with fascinating displays about Torrington and its people, from the Bronze Age to the present day, all in a modern setting (no dusty brown wood cases here) and very friendly. Kids and well-behaved parents are welcome, and we’ll do everything possible to make your visit the best it can possibly be. Because we’re completely independent, we rely on the support of you, our lovely community in everything we do: we’re here purely to look after the town’s history for future generations so come and say hello!
Torrington Museum
