Barometer World

Barometer World was a museum dedicated to barometers, located in the village of Merton near Great Torrington in Devon. It was established in 1979 by Philip Collins, who also served as its curator. The museum moved in 1987 to Quicksilver Barn, where it occupied a converted barn. Its exhibition featured a variety of barometers and weather-forecasting items, including primitive indicators and oddities like a shark oil predictor. A notable highlight was a full-size replica of Merryweather’s Tempest Prognosticator, first shown at the Great Exhibition in 1851. The museum also housed the Banfield Family Collection of 350 barometers between 1995 and 2005. The workshop at Barometer World specialised in making and repairing barometers, reflecting Philip Collins’s lifelong craft. Collins began learning barometer repair at the age of 19 in Bideford and later became an author and authority on the subject. He served as secretary of the British Barometer Makers Association and was a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society. The workshop once included experimental glass production, with a replica 17th-century glass kiln built to traditional designs. Demonstrations of atmospheric power were occasionally staged, including reconstructions using large hemispheres and shire horses. Visitors to Barometer World found a small but carefully arranged display of barometers and related instruments. The exhibition included examples of Fitzroy barometers, mining barometers, and weather houses. The Tempest Prognosticator replica, though rarely operated, stood as a centrepiece. The workshop area allowed visitors to observe barometer restoration in progress. Outside, the rural setting near Great Torrington provided a quiet backdrop to the museum’s technical focus. The site reflected a deep engagement with meteorological history and craftsmanship.