North Devon Athenaeum

North Devon Athenaeum Est. in 1888 the NDA is library & archive based in Barnstaple Library and Record Office.

An interesting bit of Barnstaple history for World Elephant Day can be found in this booklet co-written by our Librarian...
12/08/2026

An interesting bit of Barnstaple history for World Elephant Day can be found in this booklet co-written by our Librarian about the fossilised remains of two elephants that were unearthed in 1844 in a brick field behind the Salem Almshouses and the history of the area they were found. 🐘🐘

Happy International Cat Day from our favourite bar tending kitty, Smokey!
08/08/2026

Happy International Cat Day from our favourite bar tending kitty, Smokey!

In honour of the 50th anniversary of Bruce William Oliver’s death we’re taking a look behind the scenes of our recent ex...
29/07/2026

In honour of the 50th anniversary of Bruce William Oliver’s death we’re taking a look behind the scenes of our recent exhibition celebrating the Grand Old Man of Barnstaple at The Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon over on our blog...

https://tinyurl.com/36w5zce5

We don’t just have local books on our shelves, we also have a more general collection of older books left over from our ...
26/07/2026

We don’t just have local books on our shelves, we also have a more general collection of older books left over from our days as the main local library. Just like these ones by and about George Bernard Shaw, playwright, critic, political activist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925.
Shaw was born 170 years ago today in Dublin, Ireland and died in November 1950 at his home in Ayot St. Lawrence, Hertfordshire.

In honour of the 95th anniversary of William Richard Lethaby’s death in 1931, we’re doing a to the blog post we wrot...
17/07/2026

In honour of the 95th anniversary of William Richard Lethaby’s death in 1931, we’re doing a to the blog post we wrote in 2017 about the Barnstaple born architect who became one of the leading lights in the Arts & Crafts Movement and the legacy he left behind within our Collections!

Head over to our blog to Discover William Richard Lethaby…On Our Shelves!
https://tinyurl.com/232jwd7a

Barnstaple’s May Queen presenting prizes in 1956
01/05/2026

Barnstaple’s May Queen presenting prizes in 1956

We collect and take care of the things that contain the memories and stories of people, places and events big and smal...
30/04/2026

We collect and take care of the things that contain the memories and stories of people, places and events big and small. We preserve them for the future so they won't be forgotten.

Having brought you our and earlier this month for we’re now looking to our which will see us go through the pr...
29/04/2026

Having brought you our and earlier this month for we’re now looking to our which will see us go through the process to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

We’ll still be doing what we do, but we’re bringing the organisation into the modern era.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit our exhibition on Bruce William Oliver at the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon ...
28/04/2026

If you haven’t had a chance to visit our exhibition on Bruce William Oliver at the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon yet, you still have until the 16th May to see it!
We also have a smaller display on our library floor that features more of his watercolours and highlights how Barnstaple evolved during his lifetime.
You can also learn more about the man through our social media and blog!

The Harding Collection is the first archive collection deposited to be recorded in our minute books back when we were th...
27/04/2026

The Harding Collection is the first archive collection deposited to be recorded in our minute books back when we were the Barnstaple Literary and Scientific Institute marking the official beginning of our archive collections.
It is a wonderful collection of research notes and correspondence belonging to antiquarian Lt Col William Harding of Upcott, Pilton. He is probably most well known locally for his history of Tiverton and the triumphal arch in the fields overlooking the river Taw which can be seen from the Taw Bridge.

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Barnstaple
EX311EL

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

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+441271342174

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