News

Mr E M Moyle, proprietor of the Angel Inn, Tiverton, received correspondence from a prisoner in Spain with regards to ‘buried treasure’. The treasure was said to buried along the road leading from Loxbeare to Tiverton and consisted of a wooden chest containing a mix...

The tradition of giving gifts at this time of year dates back to pre-history. There is evidence of Mid-Winter festivals from the Neolithic period at Stonehenge. The Druids gave sprigs of mistletoe at New Year as good luck tokens for the year ahead. The Roman festival...

After Christmas, advertisements, in the Gazette turned to the New Year. There were also descriptions of Christmas celebrations at both Tiverton Hospital and the Poor Law Institution (Belmont Hospital, now part of Perryman Square). At the Hospital it was ‘bright and...

As Christmas approaches the Gazette is full of adverts for suitable presents for all the family. The town always attracted many visitors with its annual ‘Grand Christmas Shopping Festival'. But there were also other seasonal attractions coming up in the town, these...

Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life is delighted to announce that it is reducing its carbon footprint with the installation of solar photovoltaic panels. The museum worked closely with Cannings Energy who installed fifty-six solar panels and two batteries. These are...

The Gazette reported, at the end of November 1925, that more than 1.5 million vehicles were now using the roads. It was predicted than this number would double in the ‘a few years’. The article concentrated on the effect this was having on small urban and rural...

This letter shows that some concerns were as live in 1925 as they are today but also highlights some interesting differences. It must have been a topic of discussion at the time because in November 1925, the Guardian published an article ‘Food Variety is the Spice of...

This advert appeared in the Tiverton Gazette in early October 1925 and we have a copy of it in the Museum Library. The volume was originally published in 1898. John Sharland was a watchmaker and silversmith. This was the trade ‘chosen for him by his parents’, as shown...

This headline in the Tiverton Gazette in early September 1925 announced the impending visit of the ‘well known evangelist’ to the town. He was to hold a ‘mission’ in the town from the 6th-14th of the month. This was to follow a successful tour of Cornwall. At one of...

Help us add a rare posy ring to our collection We are hoping to raise £800 to purchase a beautiful gold and enamel posy ring dating to around 1700, recently found by a detectorist near Wembworthy. This part of Mid Devon is currently under-represented in our...

Long-time museum volunteer Graeme grew up locally and has vivid memories of travelling on the tivvy Bumper on local branch lines. We’re delighted to share some of his recollections as part of the Tivvy Bumper’s 90th birthday celebrations. 'When I was four years old my...

In the Tiverton Gazette of August 25th 1925, there was a long article headed , ‘A Cricket Memento, when Devon played All England’. There followed an almost ball by ball account of the match which had taken place in Tiverton during August 1862. Before that, however,...