Totnes Museum facts for kids
Totnes Museum is a cool local museum in the town of Totnes, located in south Devon, southwest England. It used to be called the Totnes Elizabethan House and Museum.
The museum is inside a very old house built around 1575. It was made for the Kelland family, who were rich merchants. This house is a special Grade I listed building, which means it's super important and protected. It still has many of its original features from hundreds of years ago! In 1958, the Totnes Town Council bought the house. They carefully fixed it up, and in 1961, it opened as Totnes Museum. Today, a charity called Totnes Museum Trust runs the museum, and it's free to visit.
Totnes Museum is quite big, spreading across two buildings and three floors. It has twelve different rooms to explore, plus a courtyard and a special herb garden. At the back of the museum, you'll find the Totnes Archive.
The museum has amazing collections from 5000 BC all the way to today. You can see ancient tools, coins made in Totnes during Saxon times, cool items from the Elizabethan period, and even things from the Victorian era. The museum wants to make learning about Totnes's history fun and interesting for everyone.
Some of the cool rooms you can visit include the Forehall and a Kitchen exhibition. There's also the Babbage Room, which is all about Charles Babbage. He was a famous mathematician from the Victorian times. Babbage invented early versions of computers, like the Difference Engine and Analytical Engine. He worked with Ada Lovelace on these amazing machines. Charles Babbage grew up in Totnes and went to school there.
Contents
Explore the Past: Museum Collections
The museum's collections cover a huge amount of time. You can see things from 5000 years ago! This includes very old tools and items found by archaeologists. There are also coins that were made right here in Totnes. These coins are from the time of the Anglo-Saxons, long before modern money.
Elizabethan and Victorian Treasures
You'll find many items from the Elizabethan period. This was when the house itself was built. Imagine what life was like back then! The museum also has lots of things from the Victorian era. These items show how people lived, worked, and played in Totnes during those times.
Totnes Archive: Digging Deeper
At the very back of the museum building, you'll find the Totnes Archive. This is a special place for anyone who wants to learn even more about Totnes. It has lots of information for studying the town and the surrounding area of South Devon. You can find books, old photos, and copies of local newspapers from as far back as 1860.
Researching Totnes History
The archive is perfect if you're curious about Totnes's history. It's also great if you want to learn about old buildings in the area. Many people use it to find out about their own family connections in Totnes. The Totnes Archive is open for visitors on Thursdays and Fridays.
Totnes Museum's Garden: A Green Oasis
Totnes Museum also has a lovely garden. You can visit it all year round, and it's located at the back of the museum. This garden is special because it has many herbs. These are the kinds of plants that would have been found in gardens during the Elizabethan period.
Volunteer Gardeners
The garden also has many other interesting plants. It's a peaceful spot to relax and imagine life centuries ago. A team of dedicated volunteers takes care of Totnes Museum's garden. They work hard to keep it looking beautiful for everyone to enjoy.
Haunted Museum? Spooky Stories
Some visitors say that Totnes Museum is haunted! People have reported some strange and spooky experiences there. One common report is a feeling of supernatural seasickness. This is supposedly caused by an old ship's mast. This mast is now used as part of the spiral stairs inside the museum.
Ghosts of Totnes Museum
Visitors also claim to have seen different ghosts. These include spirits of cats, an angry man, a little boy, and a little girl. Because of these stories, people who investigate paranormal activity often visit the museum. They try to find out if these ghost stories are true!
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Devon
- List of museums in Devon
- Totnes Castle
- Totnes Guildhall
Images for kids
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Totnes Museum from the front.
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Image of Totnes Museum's Garden taken from a museum window.
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68 & 70 Fore Street, Totnes. Totnes Museum is 70 Fore Street
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Totnes Elizabethan House Museum looking down Fore Street
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Stumbels turret clock on display in Totnes Museum.
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Central Hall, once known as the Victorian Nursery, of Totnes Museum
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An image of Totnes Archive from the Garden of Totnes Museum
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An image of Totnes Museum's Courtyard from the direction of Fore Street
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