Temporary Exhibition: NOV 24 - SUMMER 25 Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots is a community heritage and oral history project.The project's aim is to find, share and celebrate the hidden histories and little known accounts of Devon’s diverse communities, in both the past and present. Ilfracombe has a long history, tied inexorably to its harbour [...]

This article is about my personal favourite exhibit of the museum – the interface and controls of a morse code communicator. It is essentially part of Ilfracombe radio station, that was used for ship-to-shore communication on the Mullacott hills to the south of Ilfracombe from 1959 - 1986. Ships in the Bristol channel and on the [...]

As we approach Valentines Day our thoughts turn to the ones we love. That special person who makes a difference in our lives and makes us happy. They may not be a Romeo or even Juliet for that matter, but where did many romances start? The dance floor? The office at work? Or maybe a [...]

Did you know that our little town raised enough money during the hardships of World War Two, to pay for a naval ship?  This month, as we approach the 74th anniversary of D-Day on 6th June, we have a photo of HMS Ilfracombe for you, and here is her story. HMS Ilfracombe was a minesweeper that [...]

Bell Down and Miss Preston at Burrow House in 1912. We are often offered objects and photos that are still precious to people, but which they can no longer look after. Museums have an important role as custodians of local family history as well as places where curios and collections are looked after. We [...]

PC Stuart in Ilfracombe, 1929  From our extensive photo archives we have found 2 photos of policing in Ilfracombe in the 1920s. The photo on the right shows Ilfracombe ‘bobby’ PC Stuart on patrol in Wilder Road in 1929 – behind him it’s possible to just make out the Imperial hotel. He looks happy [...]

HMS Pinafore performed at Alexandra Theatre in 1946 Ilfracombe's Alexandra Theatre will soon be demolished, here is a bit more about its history during the second world war, and the entertainments laid on there. The photo comes from our wonderful archives and shows HMS Pinafore being performed at the Alexandra Theatre in 1946 [...]

Jack Sanders from the Ilfracombe Chronicle 1917, Ilfracombe museum archives. On the 31st July this year we commemorated a centenary since the terrible losses of the Third battle of Ypres, or the battle of Passchendaele, as it is often called. This campaign dragged on until the 6th November 1917, and led to around [...]