An illustrated talk by Phil Badcott Follow the ups and downs of the life of Devon’s soldier, statesman, scholar and sea-explorer from his birth in 1552 in East Devon to his death in 1618. Be surprised at the incredible achievements of our Devonshire genius. Subscribers of our newsletter get automatic emails when this event is […]

The History Society has arranged a repeat visit to the Pengelly Caves at Buckfastleigh on Tuesday 19th August 2025 starting at 11.00 am. The tour will be led by Sheila Phillips as before plus many will remember the subject talk that she gave at the Institute in October 2024. The two above events have led […]

There will be a chance to see us and our local history exhibit at the Galmpton Village Institute on Sunday 8th June, 11am - 4pm, as part of the Open Gardens Day in Galmpton Having been presented with probably the only surviving original copy of our 1839 Parish Tithe Map, due to its size and […]

Our AGM, followed by an illustrated talk on Kents Cavern by Nick Powe Nick Powe is a former owner of Kents Cavern and became the fifth generation of the Powe family to manage the cavern since the Victorian escavations. He ran the caves from 2000-2023 when he took over from his father John. Nick also […]

An illustrated talk by John Walters Buckfastleigh based John Walters, a wildlife consultant, author, photographer and painter shares his extensive knowledge of the wildlife of Dartmoor. Subscribers of our newsletter get automatic emails when this event is coming up, along with the latest information. If you are not yet a subcriber, why not sign up […]

An illustrated talk by David Hinchliffe This talk traces the search for water to supply Torquay’s ever-expanding population, from the era of pumps and wells in 1801 through to the construction of a chain of reservoirs on Dartmoor. A series of marker stones then returns us to the town, and brings us into the 1950s. […]

An Illustrated Talk by John Risdon Our very own historian, John Risdon tells the unique story of the Fairmile B Motor Launch that was built for WW2 as RML 497 (Rescue Motor Launch) and which later saw peacetime service as The Western Lady. This motor launch is closely associated with Galmpton & Torbay. Fairmile RML […]

There will be a short meeting for the AGM followed by an illustrated talk by Bob Mark entitled ‘South West Coast Path - A Smuggling Legacy’  Bob Mark is a former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the South West Coast Path Association, the charity which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and which has […]