Dawlish Museum
Local museum in a Regency villa with eleven rooms over three floors, known for Piper Bill Millin's D-Day bagpipes and the 2014 railway storm display.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Dawlish Museum is run by the Dawlish Museum Society from The Knowle, a house on Barton Terrace built around 1812 on a knoll overlooking the river. In the 1840s it was advertised as a villa with views over the valley and the sea. The doctor Charles Lovely later had his surgery there, as local doctors did until the Health Centre opened in 1970.
Dawlish Urban District Council bought the house in 1913 and used it as offices until 1946, after which it served as a clinic. The museum took over the first floor in 1969 and later occupied the whole building, which now has eleven rooms over three floors.
The displays cover life in Dawlish past and present. The museum is best known for the bagpipes played by Piper Bill Millin on Sword Beach on D-Day in 1944, shown in a room with photographs and film about his life. Another display tells the story of the February 2014 storm that wrecked the sea wall and railway line. Further rooms show shops the town has lost, a re-created farmhouse kitchen and hundreds of old photographs of the town.
Highlights
- Bagpipes played by Piper Bill Millin on Sword Beach on D-Day
- Great Storm display on the 2014 damage to the railway
- Re-created farmhouse kitchen with black-leaded range
- Display on shops Dawlish has loved and lost
- Children's dressing-up rail, trails and quiz
Permanent exhibitions
- Piper Bill's Room – Piper Bill Millin's D-Day bagpipes with old photographs of Dawlish and looped film about his life.
- Great Storm display – Video and pictures telling the story of the February 2014 storm that damaged the railway line and its aftermath.
- Farmhouse Kitchen – A re-created farmhouse kitchen with a black-leaded range and everyday objects of a former age.
- Founded
- 1969
- Operated by
- Dawlish Museum Society
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £2 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £1Concessions |
| Families | £5Two adults and two children; valid for 7 days with a free return visit during that week. |
Cash or card payment accepted.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The ground floor is wheelchair accessible and has a wheelchair-friendly toilet. A stair lift serves the first floor, and a spare wheelchair is available. The garden is reached down steps, but the side gate can be opened on request. Only assistance dogs are admitted.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | £5 · Two adults and two children; valid for 7 days with a free return visit during that week. |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
Children can use a dressing-up rail, colour pictures, chalk on slate boards, try brass rubbing and look at local pottery finds through a magnifier. There is a cygnet trail for younger children and a quiz for older ones.
Getting there & parking
The museum is at The Knowle on Barton Terrace in Dawlish.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Pleasant garden behind the museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum offers teaching resources through the Devon Museums learning section. Contact the museum by email, website or Facebook with questions. |
