Topsham Museum ‘On The Move’ During Closure
The late 17th century building at the heart of Topsham Museum is undergoing large-scale repair work for several months this year - preventing the museum opening for its 2025 season as scheduled in the spring.
Work undertaken late last year by the museum’s landlord, Exeter City Council, revealed more substantial problems with the structure of the building, located on Topsham’s Strand, close to the Exe Estuary.
Using specialist contractors, the council has now enveloped the period house in scaffolding. The building has been emptied of its collections and the council anticipates repair work will take several months.
“We’re extremely grateful to the council for taking such care with the building, which is of huge historic interest. It was built in 1688 and left to the council in 1983 to hold in trust as a museum for the people of Topsham” explains Museum Present, Rachel Nichols.
“We normally have around 10,000 visitors a year and it’s a great pity that it will not be able to open as usual in April. However, we’re seeing this as a golden opportunity to take stock of our collections, refresh the museum and reopen with an even better story of the town’s history, its maritime traditions and the importance of the Exe Estuary” she continues.
The Museum already has an outreach programme of lectures and presentations, and this is going to be extended with a series of pop-up displays, exhibitions in new locations in and close to Topsham, plus craft and children’s events over the next six months.
This will culminate in the biennial Secret Gardens, a hugely popular event when a selection of Topsham’s most special gardens - rarely, if ever, revealed to the public at other events - are opened on the afternoon of Sunday June 8.
“Our 200 volunteers are our lifeblood, and they’re working on a programme of events such as pop-up displays, exhibitions in shop windows and community buildings, craft workshops and children’s activities. We’re going ‘full ahead’ taking the museum to the public. Watch this space!” says Jenny Ellis, chair of the trustees.
“We also want to thank neighbours living near the museum. This work obviously creates a disturbance but we’re immensely grateful for their patience and understanding” she adds.
Visitors can still explore some of the museum’s collections online, at topshammuseum.org.uk, where there is also a virtual tour, information about upcoming events and an opportunity to support the museum through its shop and via donations.
There will also be regular updates on the progress of the work.
