The Museum offers a wide range of aids to learning about local and family history. There is a library of documents that help research. We offer school visits and loan boxes to support teaching. Our family activities support all age groups, including pre-school toddlers. We can provide visiting speakers.
Research into the town and its families
Unusually for a small, local museum we hold a large archive of documents for research. Family trees for many Topsham families, and information folders about the town and its industries and organizations are available for visitors to consult whenever the museum is open. Our research room holds deeds, letters, articles, documents and photographs which are available with an appointment. Please contact us with your query and we can confirm what relevant documents and photos we hold. Many of our documents have been scanned into our archive.
If we are requested to provide research information we do charge a fee.
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Children, Families and Education
The Children, Families and Education Group is an enthusiastic, proactive team of volunteers who are committed to making Topsham Museum accessible to families with children and to young people of all ages. Regular events are held during the season including a monthly story time for the Under 5s and their parents and an activity day in each school holiday linking crafts and games to an aspect of the museum, be it local history or the current exhibition. The aim of these sessions is to bring history alive and relevant to all ages. In addition the group provides quizzes and a variety of activities for children and young people to complete as they explore the museum, encouraging them to look closely and talk about what they see.
The group is continually developing links with community groups in Topsham to raise the profile of the museum and provide a more diverse, inclusive experience. In addition the group is making links with local Primary Schools, offering bespoke school visits to the museums as well as taking history (along with artefacts) to the schools.
The Children, Families and Education Group is continually developing, exploring new avenues and possibilities to ensure children and young people are actively involved in learning and understanding the relevance of our history in today’s world.
Visiting Speakers
We are able to offer a speaker to visit your local history group, residents’ association, U3A group, etc. We are happy to travel to villages and towns in the Exeter and East Devon areas. We have a number of available titles including Topsham as a Port, Topsham and Sugar, Exeter Shipping Canal, Pincher Pym the Fisherman Footballer, and Market Gardening in Topsham. We may be able to put together a specific presentation for you if it has connections with Topsham. There is no fee but we do appreciate a donation of around £50 to the Museum funds. To enquire about this service please complete this contact form. Please note: Topsham Museum does not share personal data with any other organization.