The Museum Of Barnstaple and North Devon - Golden Tours
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is the perfect way to find out more about North Devon. Our collections and displays cover the natural and human history of this beautiful part of the country. Highlights of the Museum include the Tarka Gallery, the Story of North Devon and the Regimental Collection of the Royal Devon Yeomanry.
The Devon Museums Group, which has commissioned this site with generous funding from MLA South West, is an independent, non-profit-making association supported by Devon County Council. It has represented all the museums in the county for well over a decade and offers valuable support to smaller and voluntary-run museums, enabling them to participate in regional and national policies.
From hunter/gatherers to mediaeval farmer - explaining the landscape, geology and history of early life in North Devon.
The Museum holds the collections of the North Devon Athenaeum and the old Barnstaple Town Museum, and uses them in exciting and innovative ways to tell the fascinating story of this beautiful part of Devon.
As well as social history, the museum holds archaeology, natural history, and decorative arts collections covering the whole of North Devon.
The Victorian Gallery
North Devon from 1780 to 1914, with an insight into schooling, industry, entertainment, rural life, health, shooting, fishing and ferns.
The Tarka Gallery
The Tarka Gallery takes a look at river ecology and biodiversity in North Devon.
Follow the otter's trail from river to sea, find out how you can help to encourage wild creatures into your garden, discover the local Culm Grassland areas or just take a look at animals, birds and insects close-up.
The Undersea World
The Undersea World includes turtles, fish and marine mammals from North Devon's coast and looks at the marine environment of this wonderful region. Beneath the ocean we reveal the underwater life of the turtles, dolphins, gulls, porpoises and ganets.
North Devon Art Pottery
The museum is home to the largest public collection of North Devon Art Pottery. Building on the established tradition of sgraffito decoration, the three potters Brannam, Lauder and Baron produced some very distinctive work.
The Art Pottery Gallery was redisplayed in 2004 and shows the range of pottery made and gives you the chance to explore the process, history and materials.
Shapland & Petter Furniture
The Shapland & Petter collection is based on the archive and furniture donated by the company and is gradually being built up. We are always interested to hear from anyone who has items of furniture we could record for the archive.
There’s something for everyone in Devon museums and galleries, from steam trains to shipwrecks, farming to factories, boats to battles and local history to lace.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
Admission free
Opening Times:
Mon- Sat: 09.30 - 17.00
Sun: Closed
The Museum is closed from Christmas Day to New Year's Day inclusive.
Services:
Open throughout the year, including Bank Holidays.
There is full wheelchair access to the ground floor and a stairlift to the remaining displays.
Offer an object identification service and particularly welcome reports of archaeological finds in Northern Devon.
Facilities:
Toilets, Baby Changing, Disabled Parking and Access, Parking, Shop
How to Find Us:
The Museum is the red brick building on the Square, at the end of the Long Bridge.
Limited parking is available and there are public car parks nearby.
Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon
The Square
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 8LN