Dovery Manor Museum

20/09/2026

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼, 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 - 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.

Rising sea levels and increased storms regularly breached the shingle ridge; sheep drowned as their grazing was flooded.

Bulldozers repaired the damage but a heated local and national debate raged. Did it make sense to keep defending the ridge? Was it worth the cost - and would it even work?

A new national policy was finally agreed – to let ‘nature to take its course.’

Discover the full story and so much more at our impressive exhibition.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀’ 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘁! 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲.

🗓️ **Open daily (except Wednesdays)**
⏰ 10am–4pm
📅 Until the end of October

🎟️ **Free entry** — donations are always gratefully appreciated. ❤️

17/09/2026

**𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗴𝗼?**

Porlock has many families whose names stretch back generations, with descendants still thriving here today. But one family seems to have vanished from the village around the 1930s.

For over 300 years, branches of the **Oland family** lived and worked across Porlock and Bossington. They were sailors, farmers, soldiers and labourers — and their name can still be found on gravestones in the churchyard and on the buildings where they lived.

**Simon Oland**, who died in 1690, and his sons and grandsons were presumably people of some standing, as they are buried inside St Dubricius Church. Their graves can still be seen on the floor in front of the pews, while memorial stones to later Olands lean against the wall to the left of the porch.

Simon’s son **John** may have been involved in the wool trade and, with Robert Griffiths, who owned a sloop, leased lime kilns on Bossington beach.

There are references to Olands living at **Doverhay Farm and Doverhay Down**, while a Miss Oland lived at **Ivy Cottage**, advertising apartments to let in September 1891.

Then, in 1894, *The Bristol Mercury* reported the tragic death of **Frances Oland**, wife of Thomas Oland, a jobbing gardener living in Parsons Street. She was found drowned on Porlock beach.

One of the best-known reminders of the family is the cottage still called **‘Olands’ in Bossington**. Once a small holding, it was lived in by the Oland family until the early 20th century, when **Sydney Oland**, a farmer, emigrated to Canada.

In July 1904, the Weslyan Sunday School held an outing to Bossington, taking tea under the walnut trees and enjoying sports and games in a field lent by Mr Oland — presumably Sydney or his brother William.

And there was another **‘Olands’ cottage**, once standing opposite Dovery Manor Museum. Generations of Olands lived there until it was bought by the Browne-Roberts family sometime in the 1930s. In the 1950s, the cottage was demolished to make way for what is now Doverhay car park.

**But where are the Olands?**

What happened to them? Why is there no trace of them today, except in their buildings and headstones?

**𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆?**

If you do, please drop us a line via the Contact link on our website - https://doverymanormuseum.org.uk/contact

11/09/2026

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝟭𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀...

You could have set off on foot and walked on dry land across what is now the Bristol Channel, all the way to South Wales. And, at a stretch, you might even have made it as far as Lundy Island!

It wouldn’t have been the easiest journey though. The land was bitterly cold, with thick glaciers covering Wales in the distance. And before you reached the other side, you’d have had to get your feet wet, wading across the vast, ancient River Severn.

So how did the landscape we know today come to be?

Our fascinating, current exhibition explores the extraordinary story of how Porlock’s iconic Marsh and Ridge were formed — and reveals much more about the landscape and its changing history.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁!

**𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲.**

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝟭𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸’𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲.

📍 Open daily (except Wednesdays)
🕙 10am–4pm, until the end of October
🎟️ Entrance free — donations always appreciated

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.