Dovery Manor Museum

15/08/2026

🔥 Please stop lighting fires. 🔥

We're continuing to receive reports of fires & BBQs being lit across our sites in Somerset. Fire Risk is extremely high at the moment

These special places are home to rare wildlife, grazing livestock, nationally important habitats and people's homes. A campfire, fire pit or disposable BBQ might seem harmless, but it only takes a single spark to start a wildfire that can devastate nature in minutes.

If you see a fire, call 999 immediately and ask for Fire & Rescue. Early reporting can make all the difference.

🙏 Please help us spread the word by sharing this message. Thank you for helping us care for these special places.

14/08/2026

It was very special to be involved in yesterday‘s moving ceremony, paying tribute to the life of the young German airman shot down over Porlock Marsh in September 1940. The head of the German War Graves Commission said he had to explain to his colleagues why he was devoting two days in his busy work schedule just to come to Porlock. He said it was evidence of their appreciation of Porlock’s commitment to maintaining Wilhelm Reuhl’s grave and their contact with his family in Germany over the past 86 years.

02/08/2026

What a glorious hot day it has been for the Porlock Summer Fair!
Thank you all of you who visited our stand.

It was a joy to meet old and new friends, and share information about the museum's activities and events, including this year's summer exhibition about our precious and beautiful Porlock Marsh.

Thanks, too, to everyone who supported our popular raffle. Parish Council Clerk, Johnathan Jones, drew the lucky winning ticket which was bought by a visitor from Gloucestershire.

If you haven't yet visited Dovery Manor Museum, we will be open again tomorrow from 10am.

04/05/2026

Our wonderful volunteers have been busy working in the museum garden, getting it ready for Open Gardens.

We have added to our 'Porlock' named plants and now have a Porlock Broom and a Porlock Parahebe in addition to the Porlock Pippin apple tree. We hope to add more in due course.

We are very grateful to Gill Campbell who has volunteered her stone-walling skills to repair the wall along one of the garden paths. Thank you Gill.

The garden is open every day so do have a wander round next time you are at the museum.

01/05/2026

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 - 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝘀𝘁!

This year, we are celebrating the fascinating history and rich wildlife of Porlock Marsh.

Thirty years ago, a catastrophic winter storm breached the shingle ridge, inundating the marsh and changing it for ever.

Over the previous decade, the marsh had been at the heart of a national debate: could such fragile habitats ever be saved from the rising sea levels?

𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮’𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙖 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙀𝙭𝙝𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 – ‘𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚.’

🏛️ The museum is open daily from 10am until 4pm (except Wednesdays).

🎟️ Entrance FREE — donations always appreciated.

🌐 And to discover even more about Porlock’s inspiring history, 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙚𝙗𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚:
𝙬𝙬𝙬.𝙙𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙪𝙢.𝙤𝙧𝙜.𝙪𝙠

01/05/2026

30/04/2026

The museum was packed last night for the 'invitation only' preview of our new summer exhibition, 'Porlock Marsh and Ridge,' celebrating the long and fascinating history and rich wildlife of the Marsh.

It was our chance to say thank you to all those who support us in so many ways; our stewards, our garden volunteers and, of course, our wonderful Friends of the Museum.

We were also able to thank several organisations who have helped make this exhibition possible; the Exmoor National Park Authority, the Exmoor Society and the Exmoor Natural History Society.

The exhibition opens tomorrow, Friday May 1st.
The museum is open daily from 10am until 4pm (closed Wednesdays). Entrance is free but donations are greatly appreciated.

28/04/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲?

Sadly, it was yet another victim of the catastrophic storms that, over the last century, have breached the protecting shingle ridge, flooding Porlock Marsh.

𝑫𝙞𝒔𝙘𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙧 𝙩𝒉𝙚 𝙛𝒖𝙡𝒍 𝒔𝙩𝒐𝙧𝒚 in our latest Museum Monthly post – Porlock's Doomed Golf Course https://doverymanormuseum.org.uk/porlocks-doomed-golf-course

And to find out more about the full, rich history of the marsh, 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙀𝙭𝙝𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙪𝙢 – ‘Porlock Marsh and Ridge’ that opens this Friday - May 1st.

‘Porlock Marsh and Ridge’
Opening Friday 1 May

🕙 Open daily 10am–4pm (closed Wednesdays)
🎟️ Free entry — donations warmly appreciated

Visit Somerset Exmoor National Park Exmoor Society National Trust Holnicote