GUESTS and friends of Dovery Manor Museum, Porlock, gathered for the official opening of the 2019 summer exhibition entitled ‘At the Centre of Things’.

The exhibition, curated by Dr Lita Strampp, records the history of the Cape House, an ancient dwelling at the very centre of the village of Porlock, those who lived there and the trades that flourished around it. 

It centres on Rosemary and Tim Gray’s research into the history of the Cape House and features models of Maria Cape at the counter of her bakery and grocery shop, a baker with his bicycle and a model of the centre of Porlock village based on the 1873 tithe map.

Displays recount the history of Cape House, businesses associated with Cape House, the buildings in Cape Yard, Porlock traders and the Porlock postal service. Many tools of the village trades such as thatching and tanning are on show.

The museum is also marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of R D Blackmore’s novel Lorna Doone, which is set in the Oare valley and the wild and remote areas of Exmoor.  

Dovery Manor Museum, a fine example of a small 15th century manor house with a garden, has a collection of work of the renowned potter Waistel Cooper, as well as locally based artefacts.

Visitors can also see the World War One research project that accurately records the men and women of Porlock Vale who served in the Armed Forces and in supportive and voluntary roles, together with Jeff Cox’s book ‘Those Who Served’.

The museum is open from 10am until 5pm on weekdays and on Saturday from 10.30am to 4.30pm on Saturdays throughout the season. The exhibition will run until September 30. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged and appreciated. Private and group viewings may be arranged via Dr Strampp.