Learning Opportunities

Museums provide learning opportunities for all ages

Where we are:

Newton Abbot Museum
Newton’s Place
43 Wolborough Street
Newton Abbot
TQ12 1JQ

01626 201121

Contact: Curator, Charlotte Dixon

Opening times:

Tues-Friday 9.30am-4.30pm

Saturday 9.30am-1.30pm

 We close over the Christmas period, please check the website for exact dates

Mondays we are closed to the public to allow extra support for school and group visits, if you would like to book a group visit, get in touch.

St Leonard's Tower in the centre of the town is managed by the Museum. Group visits to the Tower can be arranged, prior booking is essential.

Admission is free to the Museum and Tower.

We can accomodate approximately 30 children in the Museum at one time.  Do ring the Curator to discuss your requirements prior to your visit.

Resources available

We have artefacts, photos and archives to inspire childrens' learning

We can provide:

• Guided tours within the museum for group bookings
• Town Trail leaflets  and pre-booked tours
• Photographic archive
• GWR oral archives
• Lectures on local subjects - pre-booking required
• Visits to schools and groups bringing objects (which need to be pre-booked).

Our strengths

Links to the National Curriculum

Our museum collections can support cross curricular learning and skills development at all key stages.  Our particular strengths are:

History

The growth and development of Newton Abbot which includes:

Victorian Newton Abbot

The Railways and the influence of I.K.Brunel on the town

The impact of The Great Western Railway on the town

Medieval & Tudor Newton Abbot

Notable Newtonians

English: story-telling and creative writing opportunities.

Geography: the development of the town from early beginnings, including maps & archives.

Town trails to discover ancient buidings and the history behind them. 

Why the town was developed and how.

Science and Design & Technology: replica of John Lethbridge's diving machine and the working signal box, locomotives, the atmospheric railway model.

Art & Design: Victorian costume, Aller Vale local art pottery of the Arts & Crafts movement, paintings collection.

We have a new Object of the Month on display every month, so there's always something new to see

Each themed exhibit area can be used to stimulate creative writing/story-telling and initiate discussions on:

Materials used in the past

Exploration and invention

History and development of the town

Shipwrecks, seafaring & pirates!

Local people that have made a difference to their local area, within the UK or internationally!

History Trails

The museum can also offer 'History Trails' within the centre of town, these leaflets allow a self-guided tour that highlight interesting stories and things to notice in Newton Abbot.

Examples of walks include:

A Medieval & Tudor Walk

A 17th Century Walk

Noticing Newton Abbot - An architectural walk around Devon Square.

Newton Abbot has so much hidden history - let us reveal it to you with our enthusiastic and friendly staff!

You can contact us with your specific needs via our Group Booking form at the bottom of this page

Facilities available

WC for the disabled with adult sized changing table and hoist

Upstairs meeting rooms for school visit use (when available, booking essential).

Preliminary discussions with the curator prior to your visit.

Other places to visit in the area

Newton Abbot Clock Tower- open on Wednesdays in the summer and special occasions- see here for details

Tuckers Maltings: Teign Road, Newton Abbot 01626  334 734. Last working maltings in the UK.

Compton Castle: National Trust 01803 661906. Connections with Newfoundland and Elizabethan exploration.  Humphrey Gilbert 'discovered' Newfoundland and was half brother to Sir Walter Raleigh.

Haccombe Church: open on Wednesday pm during the summer period 01626 330311. Early medieval tiles and crusader burials.

Learning Downloads

• The outbreak of WWII -a resident remembers
• The bombing of Newton Abbot
• A first hand account of the bombing written by local Scouts
• A local resident remembers the blackout in the WWII
• A local resident remembers rationing in the war

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