Topsham Museum
A volunteer-run local museum in late seventeenth-century merchant's houses on the Exe estuary, currently closed for structural repairs.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Topsham Museum occupies a group of late seventeenth-century buildings on the Strand overlooking the Exe estuary, including the original merchant's house, which dates from 1688, and the Sail Loft. The museum was founded by Dorothy Holman, a member of a local shipbuilding family, who set it up in her own house and left it to the town.
The collections tell the story of Topsham from its Roman settlement and medieval charter through its centuries as a busy port. Displays cover shipbuilding, maritime trade and local trades, historic river craft and the wildlife of the Exe estuary, and the furnished period rooms show how a merchant family lived. The museum also holds a collection of memorabilia about the actress Vivien Leigh.
The museum is run by volunteers and funded by memberships and donations. The building has been closed for more than a year while its landlord, Exeter City Council, carries out major structural repairs; problems with the roof trusses and floor joists were found when the external render was replaced. The trustees have not announced a reopening date. In the meantime visitors can use the museum's online collection and shop, and the riverside garden remains open.
Highlights
- Furnished rooms of a 1688 merchant's house
- Shipbuilding and maritime history of Topsham
- Historic river craft and Exe estuary wildlife
- Roman finds and a medieval charter
- Vivien Leigh memorabilia
- Founded
- 1967
- Operated by
- Topsham Museum Society
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
When open, entry to the volunteer-run museum is free; the museum is funded by membership subscriptions and donations.
Accessibility
The museum is closed for structural repairs; no reopening date has been announced.
Kids & families
A regular storytime for under-fives is held on the lower field of the Goat Walk.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Topsham station
From Topsham station walk down Holman Way to the mini roundabout and take the second exit into Strand; the museum is about 300 yards along on the left. Trains run half-hourly from Exeter St David's, Exeter Central and Exmouth. Bus T (Exeter to Woodbury via Topsham Quay) stops at the Quay; bus 57 (Exeter to Exmouth) stops at the Nelson pub, from where it is about 300 yards along Strand.
By car
Parking available
Holman Way car park (a mix of residents' and pay-to-park spaces) and Quay car park.
The museum is a short detour from the Exe Estuary Trail (National Cycle Route 2), with a bike rack just inside the gate.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum shop sells gifts and publications and is also available online. The Riverside Garden includes plants collected by the Veitch family of nurserymen.
Events & venue rental
The museum is closed for structural repairs; no reopening date has been announced.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Group visits can be booked. Free guided tours of Topsham and self-guided walks (the Topsham Trails leaflet) are arranged by the museum. |
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