Regional Budleigh Salterton, South West England

Bicton Park Countryside Museum

Museum of village life, farming and rural crafts in Bicton Park Botanical Gardens, with the James Collection and a display of Lister engines.

Ask the museum for opening hoursAdmission £19 Restaurant

Tickets Website Directions

About the museum

The museum grew from a collection assembled by Noel James, land agent to Lord Clinton, who owned the Bicton Estate. At a time when mechanisation was ending horse power and manual labour on farms, James visited several hundred tenanted farms on the estate and gathered redundant tools, household items, farm machinery and the equipment of rural trades. Word spread, and items arrived from further afield, including the Home Counties, East Anglia, Scotland and Ireland.

The James Collection was kept on the estate. When Bicton Park opened to the public in 1963, after several years of restoration, a permanent building was constructed to house it. The park passed into private ownership in 1998, and the owners have continued to add purchased and donated items and have invested in the displays.

Today the museum covers village life, farming, horticulture, social history and rural crafts in the first half of the 20th century. Alongside it is a display of portable petrol and diesel engines made by R. A. Lister & Co, and two cinemas show films on the development of agricultural machinery and on the history of the Lister company.

Highlights

The James Collection of farm tools, household items and rural trade equipment
Display of portable Lister petrol and diesel engines
Two small cinemas with films on farm machinery and the Lister company
Part of Bicton Park Botanical Gardens, with a woodland railway and play areas

Permanent exhibitions

Countryside Museum (James Collection) – Everyday objects, tools and farm equipment showing village life, farming, horticulture and rural crafts in the early 20th century.
Lister engine display – Portable petrol and diesel engines by R. A. Lister & Co, with films on their history.

Founded: 1967
Operated by: Bicton Park Botanical Gardens

Admission & discounts

Adults	£19
Reduced	£17Concessions: aged 65 and over, visitors with disabilities and carers
Children & teens	£12.75free up to age 1 · Ages 2 to 17; includes a play barn ticket worth £1. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Seniors	£17Aged 65 and over.
Visitors with disabilities	£17Less able visitors and carers pay the concession price.
Dog	£1Dogs must be kept on leads.
Woodland Railway, adult	£4.25Concession £3.75, child £2.75; ring to confirm the railway is running.
Annual pass, adult	£37.50Concession £35.50, child (2 to 16) £31.25; a day ticket can be upgraded on the same day for £18.50 per person.

There is no separate museum ticket: the Countryside Museum is visited with the daily admission to Bicton Park Botanical Gardens. Mini golf costs £1 per person with a £5 refundable deposit for equipment. Groups of sixteen or more get reduced prices.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Kids’ admission	free up to age 1

Playground / play area
Kids’ birthday parties

The park has a heated indoor play area, an outdoor play area, a covered farmland with tractors and a woodland railway. Birthday parties can be booked.

Getting there & parking

By public transit

The 157 bus between Exmouth and Sidmouth stops at the front gates in both directions.

By car

Coach parking is available; the pages consulted do not describe the car park.

From the M5, leave at Junction 30 and take the A3052 to Newton Poppleford, then the B3178; the gardens are on the right one mile beyond Colaton Raleigh. Satnav postcode given by the park: EX9 7BG.

Get directions

Amenities & dining

Restaurant
Museum shop

The Orangery Restaurant serves meals and snacks, including options for all dietary requirements, and has a dog-friendly area. There is a gift shop at reception and a garden centre.