Whimple Heritage Centre

26/05/2026

A reminder that our volunteers will be getting together at the New Fountain Inn, Whimple between 11am-12noon on Monday 1st June 2026 for a tea/coffee and to have a chat, so please come along if you volunteer at the Heritage Centre or for Whimple History Society in any capacity – you will be very welcome (please note that the Heritage Centre is not able to fund this, and those attending buy their own tea/coffee). If you do not currently volunteer but are interested in doing so then please join us - talking to our existing volunteers is a great, no obligation, way to find out more.

22/05/2026

The Whiteway Cyder Company was rightly famous for its cider, but what is less well known is that it produced wine as well. Come and see our new "Whiteway's and Wine" display this Bank Holiday weekend to find out more. The Whimple Heritage Centre is open on Sat & Wed 12pm-4pm and BH Mon 10.30am-4pm. Entry is free - donations appreciated.

19/05/2026

We were very pleased to welcome 1st Ottery Brownies to the Heritage Centre recently to learn about local history. We hope that they enjoyed their visit!

15/05/2026

Today is Endangered Species Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of protecting threatened and endangered wildlife and habitats. The Gentoo Penguin, which lives in the Antarctic, is one of many endangered birds worldwide. In the Whimple Heritage Centre we have a collection of eggs of birds native to the Antarctic and South America. Of course, it is now illegal to collect the eggs of wild birds in this country except by licence, but our eggs were collected during the 1930s at a time when people were less aware of the damage that egg collecting could do. Collections like ours are vital for understanding the lives of birds, and also can shed new light on historical expeditions and explorations. Come along to the Whimple Heritage Centre to find out more about our egg collection, and how it is connected to Whimple. We are open between 1st April to 31st October each year Wed & Sat 12pm-4pm and BH Mon 10.30am-4pm. Entry is free – donations welcome. Photo by Sastognuti courtesy of Wikicommons licensed under the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en International license.

14/05/2026

We were delighted to welcome June Emmerson and Steve Heavens to the Heritage Centre recently. They have been providing invaluable assistance to our curator, Tina Kelly, in researching our 1930s collection of eggs from the Antarctic. June and Steve are the authors of "Penguin Diplomacy", a biography of June's uncle Brian Roberts, an ornithologist and polar explorer, who took part in the British Graham Land Expedition to the Antarctic of 1934-37. Brian was later closely involved in the negotiation of the Antarctic Treaty, ensuring the conservation of the Antarctic up to the present day. The book is beautifully written and well illustrated, and you can buy a copy by following this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Diplomacy-Roberts-explorer-conservationist/dp/186151963X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26DGTHJ7J8QF9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fm5GKPwmS5B77jE_pLOer7LLn9-wQrrT0jnyRKMy8OXpztIsvYdf2lYY-N_UqwVtVIn5XvXfYt3LHY49riQG8ClMOozEBaKclU5MmIjcx6-sOEO2EwA1O9nxiNOt-QMKhie9pMIGXOTaaP0RSQU5-I_cAhgGHLFo48RB0yQhRtvzoE-NdHANRWvqu_W2eJMONT5Gl3OT6E9u_9DiJWqy1A4003Bgy-rjLo24mNpX26E.5xkt-k8oOYkNdczqWVNvXyGCYK_2BdUTcj0KvffQzp0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Penguin+Diplomacy&qid=1778765649&sprefix=penguin+diplomacy%2Caps%2C297&sr=8-1
Our collection of eggs from the Antarctic is currently on display, and can be viewed during normal opening hours from 1st April to 31st October Wed & Sat 12pm-4pm and BH Mon 10.30am-4pm. Entry is free - donations welcome.

06/05/2026

We are thrilled to see this wonderful photo of world famous twentieth century puppeteer, Ann Hogarth. You can find out more about Whimple resident, Ann, and her work, at the Whimple Heritage Centre. Open between 1st April to 31st October Wed & Sat 12pm-4pm and Bank Holiday Mondays 10.30am-4pm. Entry free - donations appreciated.

National Puppetry Archive - 100 Hundred Items from the Archive - Photograph of Waldo Lanchester and Ann Hogarth

Check out the National Puppetry Archive website to see the full 100 items!

29/04/2026

A big thank you to Morrisons for allowing us to set up a stall in the foyer of their Cranbrook store at the weekend. We hope to be welcoming many visitors from Cranbrook to the Whimple Heritage Centre very soon!

28/04/2026

To celebrate British Cider Week 2026 (24th April - 4th May) why not visit the Whimple Heritage Centre to see our new display "Whiteway's Cyder during World War 1", and find out how laws restricting the production and consumption of alcohol actually benefitted Whimple's cider business. We have plenty of other cider related displays to occupy your time as well! Open Wed and Sat 12-4pm and Bank Holiday Mon 10.30am-4pm. Entry free - donations welcome.

28/04/2026

A reminder that our volunteers will be getting together at the New Fountain Inn, Whimple between 11am-12noon on Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 2026 for a tea/coffee and to have a chat, so please come along if you volunteer at the Heritage Centre or for Whimple History Society in any capacity – you will be very welcome (please note that the Heritage Centre is not able to fund this, and those attending buy their own tea/coffee). If you do not currently volunteer but are interested in doing so then please join us - talking to our existing volunteers is a great, no obligation, way to find out more.

28/04/2026

At his fascinating talk last Friday evening Martin Watts showed us many examples of Devonshire cider barns and historic cider making equipment. We wonder how many more are out there, largely forgotten?