2026 Meetings & Visits

January talk: 8 January 2026 2:30pm. Talk by Peter Maunder on “Tiverton’s Woollen Trade: The Merchants who made the Town”. Following on from our guided walk around Tiverton in September 2025, telling the story of Tiverton’s wool merchants.

February talk: 5 February 2026 2:30pm. The meeting was cancelled due to a heating problem at the meeting venue.

5 March 2026 2:30pm. Talk by Katerina Robinson (National Trust Killerton, Collections and House Manager) on "Then and Now: History and Conservation at Killerton”

2 April 2026 2026 2:30pm. Talk by Phil Badcott on “The Gilberts of Compton Castle – the family that founded the Empire”. The fascinating history of the Gilbert family of Compton Castle from 1329 to 2023.

May talk: Thursday 7 May, 2:30pm. Talk by Helen Wilson on “The Pinwill Sisters”. The story of the three sisters who established one of the most successful wood carving businesses in the south west. They carved the bench ends that we saw on our visit to St Leonard’s Church in Sheepstor in July 2025. They also worked on Coldridge Church that we visited in August.

June visit: Wednesday 17 June, 2:00pm. Visit to Ottery St Mary Parish Church (£10). Two guides will show us around the church. This will be followed at 3pm by a talk on the history of Ottery St Mary. Cream tea available in the church rooms at 4pm courtesy of Hospicecare (£7). We are trying to arrange that the museum (across the road from the church) will also be open.

July visit: Thursday 2 July, 10:30am and 2:15pm. Red Coat Guide tour of Exeter City Walls. (£7). The tour will be about 1½ - 2 hours long. If you decide that you can’t make the full distance round, then you will be able to stop off for a coffee at The Quay and make your own way back later.