About the items we hold
Our collection consists of historic documents, maps, images, books, journals, and periodicals, as well as a special collection of artefacts, and unpublished material. It is dynamic rather than static, and new items are added daily.
To help you access the information you need we have split the material into two streams: the Thematic and the Local.
The Thematic Collection
Brings together conventional books, items of ephemera, reference materials and digital resources to help visitors research particular themes in their study of Devon’s Buildings and landscapes.
The Local Collection
Brings together conventional books, items of ephemera, historic documents, technical drawings, reports on independant research and images relating to specific buildings and landscapes in Devon.
Additional Resources
Image Bank
Whether we view an artist’s impression, or a photographer’s timely snap, comparing historic and modern images is a great way to identify changes that may have taken place in your village or town. We have thousands of images in our growing Image Bank, showing buildings, landscapes and daily rural life in Devon.
Family History
Alongside our major collections we also have a range of family history resources. These include 19th century Census Returns, Trade Directories, and Parish Registers that record baptisms, marriages and burials at local churches since 1538.
Mouseman Furniture
The Archive holds a small collection of English Oak furniture pieces that were produced by the Arts and Crafts maker, Robert “Mouseman” Thompson (1876-1955). Some of the items, display his iconic trademark of a small carved mouse running along the wood.
Our Catalogue
Almost every item in our collection has been catalogued, using the Devon Rural Archive Classification System (DRACS) to organise the material. Our team are working on the final stages of the cataloguing process to make sure that all of our holdings are clearly signposted and easily accessible.
Our staff and team of volunteers are very happy to help direct you to potential resources, and they can access and search the catalogue from Reception.
Visit the Archive
Our Archive is open to the public, free of charge and it is a welcoming space where you can browse our collection. Here you will find the bulk of our open access resources; these are items that do not need to be requested and are available to view at will. When you visit us, the staff and volunteers on duty will be able to offer guidance as to where you might find items of interest. You can drop in at any time during our opening hours of Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30am to 4pm.
The rest of our collection is held in our strong room and is only available by appointment. This is because some items will require a different level of care owing to their age, fragility, rarity, and value. Please contact archive@shilstonedevon.co.uk to arrange an appointment.
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Where we are
Devon Rural Archive, Shilstone, Modbury, Devon, PL21 0TW
Call us: 01548 830832
Email us: archive@shilstonedevon.co.uk
