Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life

The Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life sits southwest of Gotham House in the town of Tiverton. It occupies a Grade II listed former National School and holds exhibits on the social and economic history of Mid Devon. The museum began in 1960 in two rooms above a pub before moving to Chilcott School and then to its own building in 1969. Lord Amory funded the move to the school building with a £6,000 gift. In the 1970s new galleries were added, and a major £800,000 refurbishment in the early 2000s doubled the exhibition space. Half the cost came from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, the rest from local fundraising. Among its most popular displays is the Great Western Railway steam locomotive number 1442, nicknamed the ‘Tivvy Bumper’. Built in 1934, it ran until 1965 on the Tiverton to Willand passenger line. After years outside on Blundell’s Road, it was moved into the museum’s Authers Gallery in 1978. The gallery also shows road and rail transport items such as bicycles, a Mini and signalling equipment. Visitors can climb into the locomotive’s cab. Other rooms include the Alford Gallery with agricultural machinery and the Heathcoat Gallery, which holds a lace frame patented by John Heathcoat. Outside stands a restored waterwheel, and the museum has a temporary exhibition space that has featured teddy-bear history and local photographs. A library with a Devon Record Office Service Point helps visitors research family history. The museum also runs the Virtual Victorians website, which uses the Poslett family’s 19th-century experiences to teach Victorian life. Launched in 2000, the site has drawn 27 million visits from 142 countries and is widely used in British schools.