If you joined the Society at the Big Nature Day in May this year, you may have seen that, for the first time, the archive was able to bring along a display of its work and examples of some of our key collections. This was made possible by the use of some of our new, custom made, portable display cases. We were able to commission 8 of these cases, thanks to a grant from the National Archives Community Engagement programme, and they have been designed specifically for the safe and professional presentation of archival material.
These cases are allowing us to work with the South West Heritage Trust to bring an exhibition of Hope Bourne’s life and work to Dulverton in early November 2026, as well as showing our collections to visitors at other events, such as the Simonsbath Festival and nature inspired art workshops.
The cases also form a long-term shared resource, available to small heritage organisations across Exmoor for future displays and community projects. The first of these is an exhibition run by the St Petrock’s History Group on the Estate Sale of Knowle Manor in 1916. Four of these cases will be on loan to the group and will allow them to display fragile material from their local collection. We hope you can go along to Timberscombe on Saturday 8th August to see this fascinating exhibition… and to admire our smart display cases!
Lisa Eden, Archive Volunteer
