The museum celebrates the rich social and cultural history of Ottery St Mary and its surrounding area going back 2000 years.

The many themes include local literary connections like Samuel Taylor Coleridge, author William Makepeace Thackeray, diplomat Ernest Satow and of course, Ottery’s internationally famous Tar Barrels tradition.

The fascinating story of St Mary’s Church through the ages is explained including the college, the subsequent foundation of King’s School and the town’s role in the English Civil War. We have an extensive image library and an audio collection too.

The museum was recently extensively rebuilt and has all new display panels and interactive display facilities. There is a research room that also contains display items and archives on the ground floor.