Digging Deeper: Celebrating volunteers in North Devon's archaeology
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon

When: 26 July 2025 to 04 October 2025
Where: Temporary Exhibition Gallery
Time: 10:00 - 16:30
Cost: Admission FREE
Suitable for: Any age

This new exhibition in the Community Gallery has been put together by members of the North Devon Archaeological Society (NDAS), supported by volunteers from the Exmoor Society, staff from Devon County Council, Exmoor National Park, and the North Devon Coast National Landscape.

The display begins with a commemoration of Hazel Eardley-Wilmot, who was instrumental in engaging NDAS volunteers in surveys and excavations on Exmoor. She taught many of them essential surveying and excavation skills. This year marks the 70th anniversary of her rediscovery of the White Ladder stone row, a site that had been almost forgotten for 150 years, often engulfed in peat.

From there, the exhibition moves on to showcase NDAS’s work over the past decade. It includes fieldwalking surveys, which uncovered a site where flint tools were made over 10,000 years ago, and follows through to the excavation of the remains of an 18th century clay pipe-making workshop. A section is also dedicated to the spectacular site of Clovelly Dykes – an Iron Age defended settlement – where several years of excavation and geophysical surveys revealed exciting new insights into how the area was used. Collaboration with local partners on projects such as Coastal Heritage is also highlighted.

The exhibition will be complemented by a series of talks from some of the experts who contributed to the display. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for information as it becomes available.

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