Marsland Valley: An illustrated talk with Peter Stiles - The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon

Saturday 24 May 2025
2-3.30pm | Admission FREE
Booking required - visit Art Tickets

A talk by Peter Stiles, local artist and curator of The Valley: Art on the border – a cultural history of Marsland, an exhibition which explores the fascinating story of Marsland – situated on the coastal border between Devon and North Cornwall.

From the visits by members of the Bloomsbury Group including Dora Carrington to Benjamin Britten, Ronald Duncan, James Ravilious and Gillian Ayres, the Valley has inspired wonderful art and literature, including recently unearthed letters from the First World War, written by a local woman to her fiancé serving in Palestine. The letters, which capture the essence of a time and place through the experience of a single local woman, are available as a short publication to accompany the exhibition and talk. An exhibition catalogue is also available, featuring paintings that include Dora Carrington’s Mrs Box, and captivating stories relating to the artists and writers who visited the area.