The Peopling of North Devon
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
When: 17 October 2026 to 13 February 2027
Where: Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon Temporary Exhibition Gallery
Time: 10:00 - 16:30
Cost: Free
Suitable for: Any age
Set right at the edge of England, North Devon’s rich and varied history has been shaped by many peoples and cultures. Are we Celts, like the Cornish, or Saxons? And are there traces of later migrants in our population? The arrival of Vikings, Normans, Africans and Native Americans are all recorded in our history, but have they left genetic traces behind?
In modern times, North Devon has welcomed workers from Ireland, Wales, the Commonwealth and Eastern Europe. We have been a refuge, including in the 18th century for Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France, in the 19th and 20th centuries Jews from central Europe, and, most recently, a place of safety for Ukrainian families.
The exhibition ‘The Peopling of North Devon’ is inspired by research undertaken by the Francis Crick Institute, a London-based biomedical research centre, which has analysed some of the Saxon skeletons discovered on the site of the former Barnstaple Castle as part of its 1000 Ancient Genomes Project. It will showcase objects from the Museum’s collections, which evidence North Devon’s ancient and recent migrations and which tell the stories of some of our local families.
Exhibitions & Projects
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The Golden Age of Wildlife Filmmaking
Newton Abbot Museum
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Colour
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23 May 2026 to 06 September 2026
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Sir Alfred Munnings: Exmoor Through the Seasons
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
04 July 2026 to 26 September 2026
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Saelia Aparicio: A Joyful Parasite
The Burton at Bideford
01 August 2026 to 04 October 2026
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A Photographic Friendship: James Ravilious and Chris Chapman
The Burton at Bideford
01 August 2026 to 04 October 2026
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North Devon’s Home Front Writers, 1937 45
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
25 July 2026 to 27 October 2026
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The Polish Navy in Devonport 1939 45
Devonport Naval Heritage Centre
15 May 2026 to 28 October 2026
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Six Weeks To Go
Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum
23 March 2026 to 30 October 2026
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Kingsbridge 1939 1945 : The Image and the Place
Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum
23 March 2026 to 30 October 2026
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William Cookworthy : A Man of No Common Clay
Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum
23 March 2026 to 30 October 2026
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History off the Hanger
Killerton House
14 February 2026 to 01 November 2026
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Stored Secrets
Castle Drogo
27 March 2026 to 01 November 2026
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'Our Killerton'
Killerton House
31 March 2026 to 01 November 2026
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100 Years of Marilyn
Bill Douglas Centre
29 May 2026 to 20 November 2026
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Beyond the Samurai: An Introduction to Japanese Cinema
23 July 2026 to 29 November 2026
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The Peopling of North Devon
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
17 October 2026 to 13 February 2027
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Insects Uncovered: Biodiversity in Newton Abbot Exhibition
Newton Abbot Museum
17 March 2026 to 01 March 2027
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Sherlock Holmes at Dartmoor Prison Museum
09 June 2026 to 30 April 2028
