With judging underway for the Society's Alfred Vowles Photography Competition, it is a good time to report on our work in the archive over the last year to explore the life and works of this important early twentieth century photographer of Exmoor.

We are hugely grateful to the National Archives Community Engagement programme, whose funding enabled us to commission eight display cases for the safe and professional presentation of archival material.

This month we hear from archive volunteer, Janette Beattie, who explores a recent donation from the family of local author, Molly Goodland.

We were delighted to welcome some of Hope Bourne's Australian family - cousins on her father's side. They had made the journey to the UK and were keen to visit Exmoor to find out more about their extraordinary relative.

Over the last 6 months, the archive team have been working with a new group of volunteers on the first of our transcribing projects.

“Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote [showers sweet]…” So begins the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, following thirty pilgrims from the Tabard Inn, Southwark, to Canterbury Cathedral – an 87 mile pilgrimage recently walked by Dame Sarah Mullaly to her Inauguration as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Research by the University of Portsmouth has made available some interesting information about the Poor Law Unions which served Exmoor from 1834 to 1930.

The archive team have been working hard on our Hope Bourne Collection in recent months – supporting author Sara Hudston with her new book , “A Life Outside – Hope Bourne on Exmoor”, that will be published by the Society this November.

The archive in its current form was set up by Archivist Dr Helen Blackman, but for the last 8 years has been run by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. Meet three of our regular team...James, Caroline, and Janet!

A short typewritten pamphlet in our Archive entitled ‘Former Rectors of Porlock’ gives an intriguing account of how the Reformation affected St Dubricius Church in Porlock.