Dartmouth Museum Moves Forward

Angela White and Brian Langworthy, designer and curator of Dartmouth Museum, are a formidable team. With a team of volunteers and fundraisers behind them they have transformed Dartmouth Museum over the last six years. 

To mark the opening of the new Holdsworth Room at the museum in the town’s historic Butterwalk, By the Dart talks to Angela, Brian and the conversion project manager Brian Parker about the changes, the challenges they faced and where the museum goes from here.

The Perfect Partnership

Dartmouth Museum has always been a museum with many wonderful, fascinating and historically significant items but no way to display them coherently, due to the cramped conditions of the three rooms it occupies in the Butterwalk. 

But now it boasts three themed rooms which show off the museum’s collection in the best way possible – giving visitors a clear line to follow and the ability to see more exhibits than ever before. 

Angela’s experience at the National Maritime Museum means that she understood ‘how to tell the amazing stories of items, artefacts and towns’. 

Her most recent design at Dartmouth is the Holdsworth Room. It tells the story of the people of the town and how they have shaped its development and how the historical events which took place here – including the Crusades, the defence against the Spanish Armada and the preparations for D-Day - have shaped it too. 

Angela brought a vision for the room, and Brian makes it happen, with his eye for detail and handyman skills, he is just the right man to build and supervise work to convert the beautiful Butterwalk rooms into an interesting exhibition.

The History of the new displays at the Museum

The historic but idiosyncratic home of Dartmouth Museum in the Butterwalk contains a lot of challenges for anyone trying to install a modern museum display:  uneven floors and rooms spread in a strange L shape – which have stopped previous curators from making sure the large collection in the museum’s collection are displayed to their best effect. 

But new funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Devon County Council suddenly provided the opportunity to look at the museum again and find a way to display the museum’s amazing collection that would allow it to interest and intrigue visitors in the 21st Century. 

The development of the Henley Collection – an astonishing assortment of samples showing the remarkable interests and achievements of ironmonger and Renaissance Man William Henley - into the Henley Study was the first step. The exhibition received significant funding from the Lottery and the Trustees of the Henley Collection and used up-to-date video and clever displays which allow visitors to engage fully with the exhibits: even allowing visitors to touch them in many cases. 

This opened in 2006 and was a huge success, with the museum getting more than 10,000 visits per year since it opened. 

This success spurred Angela and Brian on – The King’s Room was reopened last year with a completely reworked interior after considerable work by the Trustees to obtain further funding. 

Beautifully carved wooden display areas and drawers filled the historic room – named so because King Charles II held court there whilst stormbound in Dartmouth in 1671. The tall glass cases allow the original wooden panelling to be visible – meaning the entire room is steeped in inspiring history before you even begin to take in the detailed information boards, designed and written by Angela, which lead you through the maritime history of Dartmouth – which runs from the times of the Crusades to D-Day. 

Holdsworth – Setting out a town’s social history

When the King’s Room  was completed, Angela and Brian had a few days to relax and revel in their achievement before beginning work on the Holdsworth room, which is being funded from the same pot as the King’s Room – a total investment of £80,000. 

It was funded thanks to the Devon County Council Exeter Airport Fund, the South Devon Local Action Group, the Henley Fund from Dartmouth itself as well as digging into the Museum’s savings and contributions from private donors – who are usually Museum members, but there are many who are not. 

Angela’s design for the Holdsworth will tell the social history of Dartmouth from the Stone Age through to modern times – the uncluttered but detailed design of the revamped room make it more accessible and gives visitors a clear route to follow – taking them through the town’s entire history.

Featuring some incredibly rare artefacts, including Stone Age flints and Victorian Ivory trinket boxes, alongside gas masks and dolls’ houses, the exhibition brings to life the lives of those who have called Dartmouth home in previous generations.

Angela said: ‘I love to create displays that tell a story with artefacts – we can then create a story which is so full, greater than the sum of all the items in it. My experience in museum design is all based around putting these items into a coherent and simple story - people can follow the development of the town and see the significant events that have shaped it very easily. We want this museum to be interesting to a child and their grandparent at the same time. I am so proud of what we all have achieved here.’

Brian Langworthy, a respected member of the community after years as a retained fireman and town councillor, took on the role of curator because he ‘loves Dartmouth and think its history is so fascinating it needs to be preserved.’

‘There has been a lot of work gone into this – but I think people will agree that it has been worth it to make sure that everything on display is accessible, easy to view and understand and fits into the overall story of the town we love,’ he said.

Brian Parker, the project manager of the two-room re-vamp, said: ‘The new layout is designed to suit different levels of visitors’ interest.  We now have exhibits clearly and accessibly displayed against a splendid background of this historic timbered house. Such high quality conversion does not come cheap, even allowing for the voluntary assistance of the museum members. 

‘This brilliant conversion is the result of skilful planning by Angela and the practical endeavours of Brian. Although others have given practical assistance to the project, it is Angela and Brian who have delivered the A* skill and effort needed to bring the project to its stunning conclusion.’

Angela said: ‘I designed it three years ago and have spent the three last years writing the information boards with my partner Richard Danckwerts. The end result is very pleasing – we now have actually managed to display more in this room than ever before. We have drawers to open, things to interact with and TV displays, all making sure everything is relevant and interesting to all.’

Brian Langworthy said: ‘I just love the place and with Angela’s design we now tell the story of Dartmouth better than it has ever been told before. I’m very pleased with it.’

The museum hopes to find ways to use activities, walks and new publications to engage even more with visitors and young people in particular, and also wants to look at new ways to make the world-famous Jesse Tree plaster ceiling in another part of the Butterwalk more accessible.  

Museum Chairman David Lingard said ‘This is a great team effort – there was also sterling work done by the Project Leaders at each stage, Mike Simons and Brian Parker for the King’s Room and Holdsworth Room and also Ian Hart back in 2005/6 for the Henley Study.

However, for the moment, it’s clear Angela, Brian and the rest of the museum’s volunteer members can feel very proud of their establishment  - it is interesting, relevant and beautiful. What more could you ask of your local museum?

First published May 2011 By the Dart