Tavistock Museum

Tavistock Museum is a town museum which has permanent exhibitions relating to its monastic, market, and mining past. It is also a community museum and each year has new exhibitions relating to different community interests and organisations.

The Museum is run entirely by volunteers, many of whom give up a day each week of their time to steward. We welcome school parties but would ask teachers to contact us beforehand.

Thorington Photographic Collection

The Museum has a large collection of photographic images of Tavistock and east Cornwall, taken between 1960 and 1990 by the late Jim Thorington. These are being catalogued and digitised by our team of volunteers.

Tavistock Abbey

There is an exhibit on Tavistock Abbey, and a ten minute DVD tells the story of this once great Benedictine Abbey dedicated to St. Mary and St Rumon.

Cornish Mining display

The museum has a world-class collection of rock specimens from local mines in the Tamar Valley, including Lady Bertha Mine, Devon Friendship, Wheal Crebor and Devon Great Consols. Also a small display of mining memorabilia.

Bedford Cottages

There are approximately 300 cottages in Tavistock and its surrounding area built by the Bedford Estate between 1850 and 1870 which may be regarded as "Bedford Cottages". Although small, they were by the standards of the day regarded as model cottages.