Budleigh Past and Present

Talking of food, as I’ve done here it seems that quite a few Friends of Fairlynch Museum have been involved with the amazingly successful Food Festival. More festivals means more visitors to the town, which means more visitors to its museum, which means... well, we’re just pleased to be able to show off Budleigh Salterton and the Lower Otter Valley. I was asked recently if the Museum had any books of local fish recipes, and had to confess that I didn’t know of any.   But maybe, hiding in the Library is a handwritten cookbook, perhaps discovered long ago in the kitchen of Primrose Cottage, which was Fairlynch’s original name.   We certainly ought to have a first edition of the famous Book of Household Management written by Mrs Beeton, grandmother of a distinguished former Budleigh resident. Click here to read more.     The first Budleigh Salterton Food and Drink Festival in 2013 was so popular that the organisers decided to stage a one-day tast...

It’s that time of the year again. On Friday 31 October, from 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm, Fairlynch volunteers will be using their spell-binding charms as they offer a range of ghostly goodies for sale to celebrate Halloween and raise funds for the museum. Monster marshmallows, spectral sponges and petrifying preserves are just some of the creepy creations dreamt up by museum stewards and supporters, who will be dressed in suitably bewitching costumes. There will also be what are described as ghoulish games in the museum garden, weather permitting. If anyone would like to support us by contributing cakes, cookies, preserves etc, the museum will be open for deliveries from 10.00 am - 12 midday on the day, or collection can be arranged in advance by calling Chris on 07766 218940. Fairlynch Museum is recording for its archives any reports of ghostly occurrences in the local area.   East Budleigh’s Salem Chapel and Tidwell House on the outskirts of Budleigh...

Above: An anonymous portrait of the child Mozart, possibly by Pietro Antonio Lorenzoni, painted in 1763 on commission from Leopold Mozart when the boy was six years old The chances of discovering a young musician prodigy like Mozart are pretty slim, but you never know...         Friend of Fairlynch Museum Roger Bowen, pictured here, is well known in Budleigh Salterton as a former town councillor, and as a founder, among other ventures, of the Budleigh Music Festival.    Having retired as Festival Chairman he is now devoting his energies to helping young people in Devon discover music through the charitable trust which he chairs. Set up in 2012, the Budleigh Music Education Trust is intended to benefit a range of young musicians rather than seeking out musical prodigies.   “We are not dedicated to the pursuit of excellence though we will gladly assist ...

The Otter Valley Association’s recent launch of its scheme to list Local Heritage assets seems likely to heighten our awareness of how the area has changed - in many cases not for the better! Old maps of Budleigh Salterton and the surrounding villages provide a good way of appreciating such changes, thinks Fairlynch Museum Trustee Trevor Waddington. Trevor, who is involved with the Local Heritage scheme, recommends the three Harry Lane maps of Budleigh published by the OVA. Dated 1842, 1890 and 1933, they are roughly A3 size and are available as a set for £20 via the OVA website at http://www.ova.org.uk/publications/books “Interestingly, the 1842 map shown above depicts Primrose Cottage - now Fairlynch Museum - with what appears to be a glass-roofed veranda running the full width of the building,” notes Trevor. Another item of interest on the 1842 map shows the original ‘Temple’ built by a retired London bookseller, James Lackington, and named after his London ...

  Fairlynch Museum volunteer Sue Morgan started making lace in 1984.  The Museum is most grateful for the lacemaking demonstrations that she has given on Friday afternoons during August and during half-term.  We asked her some questions. What skills does one need?  They say patience, but really the main thing is enjoyment. See how you get on. One visitor who came to watch said she would never be able to do it but when she started on a pillow here at the Museum she found that she could. Sometimes it just clicks. Concentration is important of course. Are you a member of a lacemaker’s association? Yes. The Lace Guild and also the International Bobbin and Needlace Organisation (OIDFA) which covers the world. There are still some countries where lace is produced on a commercial basis - Romania and Malta - to name a couple. But here in the UK, and in the USA, lacemaking is done for pleasure, as a hobby. How have visitors responded to your...

From the Otter Valley Association has come an important announcement about a venture in which Fairlynch Museum has a role: The OVA is embarking on an exciting new project, looking at our rich and diverse local heritage, and is seeking partners and volunteers to help with this work.   The project was launched during Heritage Open Days (11 to 14 September 2014). Watch out for further details about   local events that we will be holding, and visit the Heritage Open Days website if you are interested in local heritage events. We are working in partnership with Devon’s Historic Environment Team, East Devon District Council, the Fairlynch Museum and the Town and Parish Councils to identify and list heritage assets in the Lower Otter Valley.   This area covers Budleigh Salterton, and the parishes of East Budleigh, Otterton, Colaton Raleigh and Newton Poppleford. The reason for listing heritage assets is because they are buildings, monuments, sites, pla...