The harder you search the more you will find in this friendly little museum.

Salcombe’s Maritime Museum re-opened on April 1 and will be open every day from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 4.30pm until October 31. There is no charge for entry.

The museum is located on Market Street below Salcombe Information Centre in Market Street.

It has a fascinating collection of models, paintings, photographs and artefacts telling the story of Salcombe’s connections with ships and the sea from the Bronze Age to its part in the Second World War, when the US Navy took over the harbour to launch an armada of landing craft for the D-Day landings in 1944.

There is plenty to amuse and engage younger visitors including hands-on displays, models and pirates’ treasure in the ‘young sailors’ corner with lots of fun activities.

In the Ship Room (pictured below) admire a unique array of paintings of sleek clipper-like schooners, built by famed Salcombe craftsmen in the nineteenth century to carry oranges and other fruit to Britain from across the world in stormy winter seas.

Today Salcombe is a fashionable yachting centre, but traditional boatbuilding crafts are still carried on in the town and the Ship Room is home to an impressive collection of tools that tell the story of these maritime trades.

In the Wreck Room examine finds from wrecks along the coast outside Salcombe, brought up from the deep by local diving teams. An extensive display commemorates the tragic story of the loss of 13 of the 15-man crew of the William and Mary lifeboat on Salcombe Bar on 27th October 1916.

The museum’s special illustrated exhibition in 2023 is ‘Salcombe Through the Ages’.

The museum is always seeking volunteers to join the team. If you are interested, contact the Curator, Roger Barrett, on 01548 854108 or email [email protected].

Visit the museum’s website at https://salcombemuseum.org.uk/ where you can take a virtual tour and explore a host of resources including children’s activities, old photos, maritime history papers and self-guided walks. You can also follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram.