Colyton Heritage Centre

About the museum

Colyton Heritage Centre is the home of the Colyton Parish History Society, a registered charity, and is run by volunteers. It is a small museum on the parish's heritage, with an interactive touchscreen that illustrates Colyton's past. A grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund paid for digitising equipment, illustrated wall panels and the interactive display.

The centre is in the Merchant's House on Market Place, a Grade II listed building from the early 16th century with even earlier origins. It was the house of a wealthy wool merchant and has decorative plastered ceilings, a Beer stone fireplace with a medieval wall mural above it, Tudor timber walling and oak panelling. The tea room next door was once part of the original dwelling.

The society's research archive holds historic photographs, documents, maps, books and objects about Colyton. Most important are the records of the Colyton Chamber of Feoffees, which span about 450 years; more than 20,000 documents have been digitised and summarised by volunteers and can be searched at the centre. Colyton is known as the Rebel Town because of its part in the Monmouth Rebellion, and the society leads guided walks around the old town.

Highlights

• Medieval wall mural above a Beer stone fireplace in the Merchant's House
• Interactive touchscreen on Colyton history
• Searchable digitised archive of the Chamber of Feoffees
• Guided history walks around the old town
• Local-interest books, cards and gifts in the shop

Permanent exhibitions

• Colyton heritage displays – Small museum displays on the parish's past with wall panels, an interactive touchscreen and a medieval wall mural.
• Feoffees Archive – Digitised records of the Chamber of Feoffees spanning about 450 years, free to search at the centre.

Founded

2014

Operated by

Colyton Parish History Society (registered charity 1167230)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the Heritage Centre is free; donations are welcome. Guided town walks cost £5 per person (under-16s free).

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Under-16s join the guided walks free of charge.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The shop sells local-interest books, DVDs, cards and gifts; proceeds support the society.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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