Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon facts for kids
Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon in 2018
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| Established | 1888 |
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| Location | Barnstaple, Devon |
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is a cool place to learn about the history and culture of the North Devon area. You can find it in The Square in Barnstaple, Devon. Inside, you'll discover amazing displays from ancient times (prehistoric) all the way up to the Victorian era. The museum building and its garden railings are even special enough to be Grade II listed since 1988, which means they are important historical structures.
Contents
Museum Building Design
The museum building was first built in 1872 for a person named William Thorne. Later, it was sold a couple of times before William Frederick Rock bought it.
Building Materials and Shape
The building is made of red bricks with fancy stone and terracotta decorations. Its roof is slanted and covered with slates. The middle part of the roof is flat and has pretty iron railings. There are also five red brick chimneys with stone tops. The building has a square shape and is built around an open space inside, like a courtyard. On the right side, there's a smaller part that might have been a coach-house for horses and carriages.
Inside the Museum
Inside, you'll see a beautiful wooden staircase. It's built in a style called Jacobean, with twisted posts and large carved newel posts. The entrance hall also has a stone fireplace in the Gothic style.
Outdoor Features
Behind the museum, facing the river, there's a small garden. It's surrounded by iron railings with pointy tops. These railings are also part of the building's special listed status. Even the gate posts and gates next to the building are listed as important historical items.
Museum History
The museum started in 1888. It was first called the North Devon Athenæum. William Frederick Rock created it to replace an older institute he had started in 1845.
Early Days and Purpose
In the beginning, the building was more than just a museum. It was also a library and a place where important Barnstaple records were kept. Mr. Rock had an interesting idea for the reading rooms: men and women shared them. This was unusual back then! He believed that if they had separate rooms, women might spend more time gossiping than reading. The person in charge of the library, called the Librarian, used to live in the building until the 1930s.
Changes Over Time
From 1956, the main floor of the building was used by the Devon County Library Service. They moved from a much smaller place nearby. Then, in 1988, the library collection moved again to a brand new building. After that, the museum collection stayed, and the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon officially took over the space.
Museum Collections and Displays
The museum has many interesting things to see! Its collections and displays tell the story of North Devon's nature and people.
Main Galleries
You can explore different galleries, including:
- The Tarka Gallery, inspired by the famous otter.
- The Story of North Devon, showing how the area has changed.
- Collections from the Royal Devon Yeomanry and the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry regiments.
- Furniture made by a local company called Shapland & Petter.
- A collection of old pewter and ceramics from the 1600s. This includes special art pottery by Brannam Pottery, William Leonard Baron, and Alexander Lauder.
The Barnstaple Elephant
One of the most exciting displays is a life-size model of the front half of the Barnstaple Elephant! This was a very rare straight-tusked elephant that lived a long, long time ago. It became extinct in the UK about 115,000 years ago. Scientists found its fossil in Barnstaple in February 1844. In the prehistory gallery, you can see some pieces of its tusks and bones. Some whole teeth from this elephant are kept at the Natural History Museum in London.
Museum Recognition and Facilities
In 2005, the museum was one of ten places chosen for a big award called the Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year. This was for their work in researching the history of Shapland & Petter.
The museum also has a Gift Shop where you can buy souvenirs. There's a Tearoom if you want a snack or drink. You can also find a Tourist Information Centre and a Visitor Reception to help you plan your visit.
Recent Updates
In May 2018, the museum closed for a while to build an extension. It reopened in October 2019, making it even bigger and better for visitors!
Gallery
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The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
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Full-size recreation of The Barnstaple Elephant
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The Ceramics Gallery
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The Prehistory Gallery
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The Exhibition Gallery
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The Tarka Trail
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The Victorian Gallery
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The Museum Shop
