News

Be part of the team
It's our volunteers that make the Devon Rural Archive so special. As a volunteer you get frequent access to a wealth of fascinating historical material and to the expertise of our knowledgeable curator. You get to be part of a lovely team of people, with lively...

Sawdye & Harris Collection
Earlier this month the Directors of Sawdye and Harris, Chartered Surveyors, Auctioneers, and Estate Agents, contacted the Archive about taking on their historical records. This long-established business had, over the years, amalgamated a large collection of material...

Capturing a moment in time
Saturday 10th September marks the start of Devon Open Studios where artists from all over the county will open their studios to the public. This annual event inspired us to delve into the archive in search of material on Devon artists and we came across this wonderful...

Stories from the Archive: Sarah Catherine Martin
In the last blog post in our Stories from the Archive series we looked at the origins of the children’s nursery rhyme ‘Old Mother Hubbard’ which was written in Yealmpton by Sarah Catherine Martin in 1805. Sarah Catherine Martin was the sister of Mrs Pollexfen Bastard...

The Lore of the Dart
In a recent episode of ‘Sketches: A story of Art and People’ on Radio 4 (July 18th – On Dartmoor – available on BBC Sounds), the presenter Anna Freeman took a walk on the edges of Dartmoor with writer Tom Cox. During their discussion about the influence of Dartmoor on...

Picture Perfect
Sandwell Manor, Harberton - Revisited. In February 2021 our blog reflected on the research of our Curator, Abigail Gray, into the history of Sandwell Manor in Harberton which she had surveyed as part of Project Donn. This Grade II listed country house is of late...

It’s show time…
What a fantastic day we've had at the 133rd Yealmpton Show! As always we were in the Yealmpton History tent showcasing the work that we do at the Archive and sharing some of our collection with visitors. This year we took a selection of historic maps of the local...

Stories from the Archive: Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard... If you ever driven through the village of Yealmpton in the South Hams you will have noticed Old Mother Hubbard’s cottage. Squat along the road with an undulating thatched roof, thick stone walls and tiny cottage windows it...

Bigbury Tithe Map
This copy of the Bigbury Tithe map from 1843 was recently donated to the Archive for safe keeping along with a transcript of the apportionment that was written in 1930. The National Archives explains: "Tithes were originally a tax which required one tenth of all...

Pop-Up Café & Open Gardens
Introducing Polly Ann's There are exciting times ahead for the Archive as work is now underway to create our very own café for visitors to enjoy. In the meantime however, we are delighted to welcome Polly Ann's mobile country kitchen to our courtyard for some pop-up...
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This is the saying, according to 'Dartmoor with a Difference' by Lois Deacon, when two people plan to meet on the Moor.
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Have you heard of it? Do you know any other similar Devon sayings?
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Join us for a fascinating illustrated talk by Mark Norman on the Folklore of Devon on Thursday 5th October at 7pm. Tickets are available via our website: devonruralarchive.com/the-folklore-of-devon-05-10-2023
I saw the village-pond burning with fire.
I saw the thatched cottage bowing to the squire.
I saw a parson twelve feet high.
I saw a balloon made of lead.
I saw a coffin drop down dead
I saw two pigeons run a race.
I saw two donkeys making lace.
I saw a maiden with a face like a cat.
I saw a kitten wear a straw hat.
I saw a man who saw these too,
Who said it's strange but they're all true.
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Can you figure it out?
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Image of Clovelly from our Image Bank.
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This post card from our image bank reads, 'It is the place that has been washed away. I daresay you have heard tale of it. I have never been.'
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You can read more about how the village came to be claimed by the sea here:
maritimearchaeologytrust.org/3407-2/
Stay in the loop!
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Where we are
Devon Rural Archive, Shilstone, Modbury, Devon, PL21 0TW
Call us: 01548 830832
Email us: office@dra.uk.net