Tag Archives: Museum

Wandering Around East Looe

18 Replies

Wandering Around East Looe

East Looe is somewhere that needs to be explored, and as such this stroll around town isn’t meant to be a definitive trail, but a guide as to what can be seen when wandering around.

With this in mind, the bridge that connects East and West Looe is still a good place to start, as it’s probably the first thing that visitors will see when entering the town for the first time, as well as being one of its most important historical features.

The first bridge to be built across the river was a wooden affair in 1411, but by 1436 a sturdier stone bridge was erected to join the two towns.

In a wall on the West Looe side of the bridge there’s a stone reminder of this bridge showing that it was repaired by the county in 1689. It sounds as though this medieval bridge was quite impressive, but of course time took its toll and the one we see today replaced it in 1853.

Continue reading →

Originally posted 2018-07-15 14:41:22.

Iddesleigh and the War Horse Story

17 Replies

Iddesleigh and the War Horse Story

Iddesleigh is one of those delightful little cob and thatch villages that lies hidden amongst the rolling hills of the West Devon countryside.

It’s not somewhere that you just stumble across, and even in this modern age where everywhere is near somewhere, thanks to the ever-increasing ability of motorists to seek out the most obscure places, it still takes a bit of finding – but it’s worth the effort.

The home of less than 200 people, Iddesleigh has a church and a pub but not much else, and were it not for a nearby farm I don’t suppose too many people would bother to seek it out at all.

Between 1830 and 1836 Parsonage Farm was the home of the Reverend ‘Jack’ Russell, the curate of St James’ Church. He was the first breeder of the terriers to which he gave his name, but this isn’t the reason why people come to take a look around the farm. They come here to find out more about another animal – Joey the War Horse.

Continue reading →

Originally posted 2018-11-10 09:15:16.

Morwellham

6 Replies

Morwellham

The Tamar Valley not only divides Devon and Cornwall, but is also an Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The reason for its inclusion as a World Heritage Site is that it forms part of the wider Cornish mining landscape.

Boundary lines make no distinction where the geological landscape is concerned and West Devon’s mining history is recognised as being just as important as its neighbour across the river. There are ten distinct areas that are identified as of special significance within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site and the Tamar Valley and Tavistock area is one of them.

Morwellham Quay played an important part in the Tamar Valley’s mining history and should be on everyone’s list of places to visit if you have an interest in this sort of thing – and even if you haven’t.

The site and museum at Morwellham used to be financed by Devon County Council but funding was withdrawn in 2009. The following year it was re-opened as a paid for visitor attraction by the people that run Bicton Park in East Devon.

Continue reading →

Originally posted 2018-08-09 13:46:12.

Topsham

7 Replies

Topsham

Topsham is a village/small town on the eastern bank of the River Exe just 4 miles or so from Exeter’s city centre. Since 1966 it has officially been part of Exeter, but its distinctive character makes it feel very different from its larger neighbour.

It started out as a Roman settlement and developed as a port which grew in importance following the construction of the weir at Countess Wear. Even with the arrival of the canal in 1566 it still prospered as trade boomed with the Dutch who came for Devon wool. The Dutch influence can be seen all over Topsham with gable-fronted houses, some of which were built with the bricks that were used as ballast for their ships.

The port is no longer vital to Topsham’s prosperity as it has now become a desirable place to live for people who like to live near the city but not in it.

The River Exe and the surrounding marshes have an abundance of birdlife, and places like Bowling Green Marsh are protected habitats for the large flocks of waders, geese and migratory birds that also make Topsham their home.

Continue reading →

Originally posted 2018-12-25 04:51:57.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum

5 Replies

Royal Albert Memorial Museum

There’s a danger of boring people to death when describing museums, so forgive me if I don’t include everything that this museum has to offer.

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) was built in the Gothic style in the 1860s. It’s a handsome building, and with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, a multi-million pound re-development took place between 1999 and 2011.

The new-look museum was such a success that the Art Fund named it Museum of the Year in 2012.

It might have cost millions to bring up to date but it’s still free to go in, and so there’s no real reason not to pay it a visit. There are two entrances but the main one is in Queen St at the front of the building.

Briefly, the layout of the museum is spread over two levels, with the Ground Floor concentrating on local interest, whilst the upper First Floor includes items from other cultures and specimens from the natural world. There is more to it than that of course, but that’s the gist of it.

Continue reading →

Originally posted 2018-08-22 16:18:34.