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238:, who intended it to serve as a replacement for the Barnstaple Literary and Scientific Institute he had created in 1845. In addition to functioning as a library and museum, the building served as an informal records office for Barnstaple. An innovation unusual at that time was that men and women shared the reading rooms as Rock believed that separate facilities would encourage women to gossip rather than read. The Librarian lived in the building, a requirement that lasted until the 1930s.
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The Devon County
Library Service occupied the main floor from 1956, relocating from much smaller premises in the Bridge Buildings across the road. In 1988 the library collection was moved to the specially built North Devon Library and Record Office. The museum collection remained, and was loaned to
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which became extinct in the UK around 115,000 years ago and the fossil of which was excavated in
Barnstaple in February 1844. On display in the prehistory gallery are some tusk and bone fragments while whole teeth were taken to the
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stone fireplace in the entrance hall. Behind the building on the river front there is a small garden enclosed by iron railings having spearhead uprights and standards; these railings form part of the
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In May 2018 the museum closed so that an extension could be built. It reopened in
October 2019, but the Grand Opening in April 2020 has been delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
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for the property. The gate piers and gates with the bases of dolphin lamp posts adjacent to the building are separately listed.
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The structure was built in 1872 for
William Thorne, but sold to the Barnstaple Bridge Trust in 1876 who then sold it to
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The museum's collections and displays cover the natural and human history of North Devon. Galleries include the
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The museum includes a Gift Shop, Tearoom, Tourist
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and a collection of 17th century pewter and ceramics from the area including Art
Pottery by
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621:"Rare golden coins taken during 'smash and grab' break-in at Barnstaple museum"
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429:"Museum of North Devon including Garden Railings adjacent to River Front"
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163:. The building and its garden railings beside the river front have been
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the Museum of
Barnstaple and North Devon, which took over the space.
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The museum was among ten candidates shortlisted for the £100,000
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The museum was founded as the North Devon Athenæum in 1888 by
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The garden railings form part of the building's listed status
696:"First look inside Barnstaple museum's new Long Bridge Wing"
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in Devon. The displays range from prehistoric times to the
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is a local museum covering the history and culture of the
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647:"Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon burgled"
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33:Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon in 2018
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155:area and which is located in The Square in
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206:Inside is a fine wooden staircase in the
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728:Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
675:. North Devon Gazette. 27 April 2018
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768:Grade II listed buildings in Devon
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694:Gussin, Tony (21 October 2019).
575:. Visit North Devon & Exmoor
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16:History museum in Devon, England
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573:"The Barnstaple Elephant"
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748:History museums in Devon
276:straight-tusked elephant
260:Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry
531:. Devon Museums website
753:Local museums in Devon
479:"Royal Devon Yeomanry"
459:. North Devon Athenæum
369:The Exhibition Gallery
357:The Prehistory Gallery
281:Natural History Museum
272:Palaeoloxodon antiquus
236:William Frederick Rock
197:William Frederick Rock
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393:The Victorian Gallery
296:Shapland & Petter
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508:Devon County Council
345:The Ceramics Gallery
256:Royal Devon Yeomanry
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651:North Devon Council
625:North Devon Gazette
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653:. 28 November 2017
627:. 27 November 2017
292:Museum of the Year
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167:since 1988.
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705:16 February
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153:North Devon
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91:Coordinates
68:Established
737:Categories
411:References
274:), a rare
201:terracotta
157:Barnstaple
101:51°04′40″N
80:Barnstaple
457:"History"
212:balusters
104:4°03′32″W
679:5 August
258:and the
208:Jacobean
181:Grade II
76:Location
657:11 June
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605:11 June
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485:11 June
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438:11 June
308:Gallery
230:History
218:with a
129:Website
220:Gothic
216:newels
183:listed
171:Design
84:Devon
707:2021
681:2018
659:2018
633:2018
607:2018
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290:for
138:.org
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599:BBC
140:.uk
134:www
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
