What's on
“Too rarely visited and too little known”: Wilkie Collins’ Rambles Beyond Railways, or, Notes in Cornwall taken a-foot.
Whilst today it is a popular summer destination, in mid-Victorian Britain, Cornwall was a region that only attracted the most dedicated travellers. When the popular sensation novel writer Wilkie Collins journeyed to the far South-West in the 1850s, he accordingly entitled the account of his adventures Rambles Beyond Railways, or, Notes in Cornwall taken a-foot.
“I Will Never Consent” – Enys Tregarthen’s Powerful Padstow Mermaid
Mermaids are woven throughout South-Western folklore, but are rarely considered as "hidden histories" of marginalised figures. In this Book of the Month blog one of our volunteers, Becky Rae, explores Enys Tregarthen's fascinating forgotten tale, "The Legend of Padstow Doombar."
New table top display: ‘In the roar of the sea’
Take a trip to the Outer Library to enjoy some seaside delights from our special collections.
Devon and Exeter Institution, Committee Minute Book(s), 1848-1880
From January to April 2023, History MA student Jonathan Neuhoff from the University of Exeter joined us for an internship, where he used the Devon and Exeter Institution's archive to investigate the provenance of a number of artefacts and pieces of furniture in our upstairs reading rooms. For May's Book of the Month he reflects on the DEI Committee Minute Books, which were a crucial source for his research.
Courtenay Room lunches – Autumn 2023
We are delighted to be offering lunches every Wednesday in the Courtenay Room for Autumn, with our new catering partner, Cebi. Lunches will be available every Wednesday.
Find out the latest menu on our page.
A successful exploration through the interior of Australia
April's Book of the Month blog was written and researched by trustee and library volunteer at the Devon and Exeter Institution, Shane Cormie. The blog tells the story of Devon-born William John Wills, who travelled from the south of Australia to the north with Robert O'Hara Burke, making them the first Europeans to have made the journey.
A Touch of Ireland— A Book Display for St Patrick’s Day
For St. Patrick’s Day this year we decided to draw on some items in the collection which relate to Ireland in some way. Some texts were written by Irish […]
Announcing the Devon and Exeter Institution and Quay Words shared writer-in-residence in March and April 2023 – Davina Quinlivan
The Devon and Exeter Institution and Quay Words are pleased to announce Davina Quinlivan as our shared writer-in-residence in March and April, focusing on the theme of Threads. Davina will […]
New table-top display: ‘The other side of the story’
This new display highlights challenges to the colonial perspectives encountered in our Voyages and Travel book collection, both historical and modern, to give an idea of ‘the other side of the story’.
Henry Nelson Coleridge – ‘Six Months in the West Indies in 1825’
March's Book of the Month was written and researched by Front of House volunteer Debbie Manners, and explores the pro-slavery account of Coleridge's trip through the Caribbean. This book features in our Collections Review, taking place as part of The Next Chapter project.