Mortehoe Museum
Small free village museum in a converted barn at Mortehoe, with displays on local shipwrecks, farming and village life.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Mortehoe Museum is a village history museum in the cliff-top village of Mortehoe on the North Devon coast, about 1.5 miles north of Woolacombe. It occupies a Grade II listed converted barn that belongs to the National Trust and is leased to Mortehoe Heritage Trust, a registered charity that runs the museum. The village lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a conservation area.
The gallery on the upper floor covers local history, the sea and its shipwrecks, the former railway, local wildlife, tourism and farming. Objects on show include a cannon from HMS Weazle, which was lost off Baggy Point in 1799, a photograph of the SS Newtown that struck rocks near Barricane Beach in 1916, a life-size figure of the local woman Eliza Yeo, and old farm tools, many made by the village blacksmith. A rare life-saving rocket-apparatus wagon from the 1860s is kept at North Morte Farm.
The museum also puts on an annual programme of events and a yearly exhibition about the village's past. In summer, tractor and trailer trips to nearby headlands such as Bull Point and Morte Point have been advertised from the museum.
Highlights
- Cannon from HMS Weazle, wrecked off Baggy Point in 1799
- Photograph of the SS Newtown wreck of 1916
- Life-size figure of Eliza Yeo
- Local farming tools made by the village blacksmith
- Free entry in a Grade II listed barn
Permanent exhibition
- Village history gallery – Upper-floor gallery on local history, shipwrecks, the former railway, wildlife, tourism and farming around Mortehoe.
- Founded
- 1996
- Operated by
- Mortehoe Heritage Trust
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry is free; donations towards running costs are welcome.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There is wheelchair access to the shop but not to the gallery on the upper floor.
Kids & families
- Playground / play area
The tourism listing mentions a children's play area and a picnic area at the museum.
Getting there & parking
By car
Paid parking
Pay and display village car park run by North Devon Council, opposite the Post Office; the museum is at the rear of the car park on the right.
The museum is in the village of Mortehoe, 1.5 miles north of Woolacombe on the coastal road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The shop sells local arts and crafts, books and walking maps, and cold drinks are on sale. Toilets are at the entrance to the village car park.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Tractor and trailer rides to Bull Point and Morte Point have been advertised for July and August, booked at the museum or at Woolacombe Tourist Information Centre. |
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