Tavistock Museum

A small community museum in the historic Court Gate building on Guildhall Square, looking at the history of Tavistock and the surrounding west Dartmoor parishes. Displays cover the medieval Benedictine abbey, the copper and tin mining that shaped the town and the wider Tamar Valley, the lost railway stations, the Tavistock Canal and the Pannier Market. There is a rock specimen collection from local mines, a large photographic archive and a short audio-visual film about the abbey. The museum runs an interactive clue trail through its displays, including a dressing-up themed game, which gives younger visitors something to follow. Because it is small, a visit usually takes around an hour. Most of the main galleries are upstairs, and the museum welcomes school groups by arrangement. It is run by volunteers and suits families with an interest in local history.