Saxon Coins
In Saxon times Totnes was a minting Burgh, a fortified town which produced its own coinage.
The Museum houses a collection of coins minted in Totnes during the Saxon period, which are currently on display in the Bennett Room.
This collection is accompanied by a Civil War hoard, and a hoard of coins minted during the reign of Edward I.

The Babbage Room
Charles Babbage, the inventor of the precursor of the
computer, spent his early years in Totnes and studied at
the Totnes Grammar School.

Apart from the creation of his 'Difference Engine' which foreshadowed the modern computer, Babbage's life work was extremely varied. His fertile mind encompassed subjects as diverse as insurance, the postal service and a suggestion for the submarine, as well as devising a flashing signal light which led to the development of the modern lighthouse.

The museum houses an exhibition detailing the work that Charles Babbage conducted, as well as describing the advancement in the field of modern computers and technology.

Staircase
Moving between floors in the museum you will climb a traditional 'Devon Pole Staircase'.

This is a spiral staircase built around a strong spar of wood. It is thought that our 'spar' was originally a mast on an Elizabethan sailing ship, possibly a 'man o' war'.

The Elizabethan Forehall. This gallery is dedicated to demonstrating how Elizabethans and later citizens would have lived, as well as containing some beautiful examples of Elizabethan and Jacobean furniture. This room is even more remarkable for its garderobe (toilet), a feature which would have been particularly rare during this period.

The Tudor Kitchen

This gallery compares food and cookery throughout the Elizabethan and Victorian periods, and the displays include some good examples of cookery equipment and the food enjoyed by Tudors.

 

It is a room where you can smell the odours of past food --

but, unfortunately not taste!

The Study Centre
The Study Centre is a service point for the
Devon Record Office and houses an extensive
collection of documents, photographs and
books about Totnes and its surrounding
area. The archival collections include copies of the Totnes Times, dating from 1860 to the present day. The centre is available to researchers, and the staff are also willing to research postal and email (totnes.museum@virgin.net) enquiries relating to Family and Local History.