What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 1pm

Axminster Heritage

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Axminster Heritage

Open - Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10-4, Saturday 10-1 Children and carers go free. Adults £3.

Axminster Heritage Centre is housed within a stunning Grade II listed building which has been used as a carpet factory, hospital, and base for the Axminster Home Guard during the Second World War. Located in Thomas Whitty House, the Heritage Centre features a working loom and an old dye-house, alongside many fascinating artefacts. Discover the history behind Axminster Carpets and the historical fi

gures that have helped to shape the market town, from Thomas Whitty to William Buckland. Children are provided with lot's of fun things to do, with opportunities to dress up in outfits from different historical periods, and a treasure trail to guide them through the history of Axminster during the Bronze and Stone Ages into more modern times! The Centre acts as an information point for Axminster and the surrounding areas, with plenty of information on things to see and do. Axminster Heritage Alive provides the community with fascinating talks and craft courses, alongside movie screenings for both young and old alike.

29/08/2026

Richard's here weaving his special magic on our 1930s Crabtree Gripper loom.

Demonstration on until 1pm. Pop in anytime.

27/08/2026

CRABTREE GRIPPER LOOM DEMONSTRATION.

Saturday 29th August 2026.

No need to book. Drop in anytime between 10am - 1pm to see our original Axminster Carpets, 1930s Crabtree Gripper loom operated by our fantastic volunteer weaver Richard.

As it's the last Saturday of the month EX13 residents are entitled to FREE ENTRY. £4 per person for non-EX13.

Photo features weaver Audrey Sparks who worked at Axminster Carpets after the end of World War Two.

$If you haven’t already, there’s still time to get your tickets for our coach trip to Ilfracombe happening on Wednesday 9...$

24/08/2026

If you haven’t already, there’s still time to get your tickets for our coach trip to Ilfracombe happening on Wednesday 9th September.

This lovely seaside town has much to offer and for those interested in history a trip to its local museum is a must! Founded by avid collector and explorer Mervyn Grove Palmer on 1st August 1932, Ilfracombe Museum’s collection spans ‘centuries and continents.’

Discover how the feisty women of Ilfracombe successfully drove off French invaders in 1797 with their red petticoats, learn about the fascinating life of its founder, Palmer, who travelled across South America in the early 1900s collecting for major museums and if you’re interested in maritime history, why not explore their fantastic Maritime Room featuring a fine collection of model ships and paintings and a ship-to-shore coastal radio operating desk from the Ilfracombe Coastal Radio Station which closed in 1986 where you can even have a go at tapping out a Morse code message!

The museum is open 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm) so we will have lots of time for this absolute gem! Tickets: adults £6, seniors/concessions £5.

This is going to be a great day out and we hope you’ll consider joining us!

Tickets £24.00 per person (coach only).

To purchase your coach ticket visit Axminster Heritage Centre during opening hours or to reserve please email us at [email protected] or Tel us (during opening hours) on 01297 639884.

Photo credit: Visit Ilfracombe.

21/08/2026

As many of you will already be aware, Axminster Heritage Centre - like many museums up and down the country, is struggling to make ends meet. We have definitely NOT given up however, and are working hard behind the scenes to secure its future. Like most charities we receive no government funding and rely on income generated from the museum and grants.

Since our initial announcement we have had lots of conversations with concerned individuals asking how they can help, so we thought we would draw up a list of '10 Easy Ways to Help your Museum.' This is something that can be used not just for Axminster Heritage Centre but for any museum you want to support (obviously certain things like coach tickets are relevant to AHC and may not be as relevant to other museums).

$Ilfracombe, which recently beat off hundreds of competitors to be shortlisted for the 'UK Town of Culture' award, is a p...$

17/08/2026

Ilfracombe, which recently beat off hundreds of competitors to be shortlisted for the 'UK Town of Culture' award, is a picturesque coastal town in North Devon where history, landscape and art combine. From its historic harbour, featuring Verity – one of the UK’s most recognisable pieces of public art to the town’s stunning Victorian architecture and thriving arts scene, Ilfracombe is a town with much to offer visitors.

Verity, whose name is derived from the Latin word for truth (Veritas), is a 66-foot-tall statue crafted from bronze and stainless steel by renowned British artist Damien Hirst in 2012 that stands proudly at the end of the town’s historic harbour. The statue depicts a woman holding the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in the other, while beneath her feet are stacks of law books. She was described by Hirst as a “modern allegory of truth and justice” with one side of her exposing the female internal anatomy including the unborn foetus.

Verity has drawn much attention among the art world since her installation and sparked debate worldwide with her themes of truth and justice, life and vulnerability and anatomy and mortality.

What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Let us know below, and if you'd like to see it for yourself why not join us on our coach trip to Ilfracombe on Wednesday 9th September. Tickets £24 can be purchased from Axminster Heritage Centre during opening hours. Further details can be found in the comments section or by emailing [email protected]

Photograph by Clive Rich.

07/08/2026

Who says nothing ever happens in Axminster? Our next local history talk, on 19 August, will look at a whole series of events which either happened here, or affected the residents of the time. As you will see from the attached poster, the events concerned run from 1726 (300 years ago) to 2006 (20 years ago). We'll start with a series of short talks in the Bradshaw Room, before venturing down into the Museum as well, to tie these events in to the objects on display there, and the supporting information. We look forward to seeing you there!

01/08/2026

What a great advert for Axminster

21/07/2026

Just a reminder - we have this wonderful talk on tomorrow night (Wednesday 22nd July 2026) on the history of the Minster. It is being held at the minster starting at 7.30

Tickets can be bought from the Axminster Heritage Centre today (Tuesday) or in cash on the door on Wednesday evening

15/07/2026

Even though we are starting a fundraising drive, this does not prevent our regular day to day operations which continue. Our summer long temporary exhibition this year is 'A Brief History of Healthcare in Axminster'. Did you know that our building was used as the first cottage Hospital for Axminster? Come along to learn more

Address

Thomas Whitty House, Silver Street
Axminster
EX135AH

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 1pm

Telephone

+441297639884

Website

http://www.axminsterheritage.org/

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