Our Archives: Crediton's Heritage

The society's main asset is the archive of documents relating to the Crediton area.

We have a substantial archive of documents relevant to the history of Crediton and its area. (There is also a large photograph collection, some of which have been reproduced in the form of cards and notelets which can be purchased from the museum). Until 2025 documents were held in accommodation generously made available to us in Downes House. In 2025 we needed to move to smaller premises in the town centre. To facilitate this, we have scanned the majority of the document collection and transferred the originals to the South West Heritage Trust at Sowton.

Thus we should be able to present a digital image of a document in response to a research enquiry, although we have yet to finalise the finer points of the process. Please browse the indexes to find the item(s) you need and then contact us, quoting the reference number which can be found at the top of each index page.


Main collections:

  • Maps - Our archive of old maps of the Crediton area, and some drawings of improvement projects
  • Photos - Scans of CAHMS' photo archive
  • Property - Documents directly related to property in and around Crediton
  • Families - Docs concerning specific Crediton area families. Also info from some family history and WW1 research.
  • Charities - Documents directly related to Crediton-based charities
  • Church - Documents related to the running of Crediton Parish Church. Also the church's own archive, and parish magazines.
  • General Archive - Documents which don't fit in any of the other categories, including the Crediton Improvement Act, Tithe and our small Railway collection.
  • Memorial Inscriptions - Transcriptions of memorials in and around the Crediton area
  • Library - Books, trade directories, town guides, school magazines etc.
  • Sandford - Documents relating to the village of Sandford. (Being catalogued April 2022)
  • Parish Registers and Tithe Maps - Viewing Parish Registers and Tithe Maps for our area