Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

On a wet and windy in Devon last week we decided to visit the Bygones Victorian Museum in Torquay ....... you can find a link to a short video at the bottom of the page. What a treasure it turned out to be, it was just like being transported back in time and our grandchildren were fascinated and bewildered by some of the things that were around during that era .... and still around in my childhood!

The military-minded can experience what it was like to be incarcerated in the midst of the First World War, in a trench in France in 1916, or to hide in an Anderson shelter during the Second World War.

The Bygones Victorian Museum is housed in an old cinema in St Marychurch, Torquay and covers three floors. As you may imagine, the lighting in those days was poor and it is reflected in the photos I managed to take.

The Ironmongers Shop



How many of these soaps, powders etc can you remember your mother using?



The Kitchen - I remember my elderly Aunt's previous house having a set of bells in the kitchen which would ring through to different rooms.



Imagine cooking on this today



Cucumber Straightener!

This is something I have never heard of before! I do hope someone here can give an explanation!



I'm sure everyone has heard of the Gazunders



I'm not sure if this is a Grocery Shop or Jem's Local?



Dentistry has greatly improved over the years, thank goodness!



Taking cover in the Anderson Shelter during the war ....



One floor of the museum is devoted to the War years, you could walk through the trenches, see wounded soldiers being treated. There were cabinets displaying artillery, ammunition, uniforms of every rank, all the different battallion cap badges and much, much more.

If anyone is ever down that way, I would recommend visiting the museum, our grandchildren were enthralled by it all.

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

Some great photos here Mags. That's the sort of place I would like to visit and if every I find myself in that part of the world will definitely pay it a visit, thanks for the info.

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

Looks fascinating Mags, I love a good museum myself. We visited Eden Camp last year when in Pickering Yorkshire, which is a wartime museum spread out through several nissen huts and which was very informative and very well set out, including many mock ups including the Blitz and how people lived through those awful 6 years. Well worth a visit also if you are ever up that way...

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

Very interesting Mags I went to a number of similar museums when my son was small and really enjoyed them..

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

Ooooh those are wonderful pictures. I want that packet of Oxydol on the shelf!

My grandma had a black-leaded Yorkshire range, very much like that one on which she baked bread and was her only cooker in the house.

I just love places like that and could spend hours there.

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

That looks very interesting, I just love museums.

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

Looks very interesting.I love spending a good day out at places like that.....

Beamish Living Museum is worth a visit if you're ever up in Gateshead.

http://www.beamish.org.uk/areas-of-beamish/

York has some great museums too.........

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

Yes Mags darlin' fascinating!!! - My Grand-mother had a kitchen range just like that one in your photo and she used to make some fabulous bread puddings in the oven part of it.

There is (or was) a fascinating exhibition at York town museum many years ago where they have been able to recreate a whole street of shops from ironmonger, through chemist to sweet shop. Many of the items on display I well remember my Grandmother having and using.

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

I like looking at things like this
Here's a few from Flambards in Cornwall

Re: Visit to "Bygones Victorian Museum"

Here's another who's Grandma had a range like that and as I remember the food tasted great.
They are lovely photo's and thanks for showing them.
Jem's local?, if yer woman was behind the bar I'd never go home, she's just there looking lovely with her mouth permanently shut.