A FASCINATING exhibition marking the 700th anniversary of the granting of stannary status to Tavistock will be staged by the town?s museum next year.

The exhibition will also celebrate the history of Tavistock?s three iron foundries.

Dr Tom Greeves, of Tavistock, a leading authority on Dartmoor tin working, has agreed to provide information for the exhibitions.

Ken Cook, spokesman for Tavistock and District Local History Society, said the word stannary came from the word stannum, Latin for tin: ?The special status of stannary town was granted to Tavistock by Edward I in 1305, in recognition of its importance at the centre of an area mining very valuable tin.

?One of four such towns in the South West, Tavistock was authorised to assay it and to conduct trade in the metal.?

Tamar Research Group will contribute information about foundry machinery with a display of original drawings, and Dr Mary Freeman is researching the old iron foundries.

Dr Freeman said: ?During the 19th century the foundries were very important to the prosperity of the town, although the industry died off to a certain extent when the copper boom ended.?

The foundry at Parkwood Road, originally started by the Gill family, operated for 90 years until it closed in 1891.

?The Bedford foundry was at Lakeside. It was mainly active during the 1850s with the mining boom,? said Dr Freeman.

?The third one was started by the Pearce brothers, James and Henry, in 1852, and this was on the south side of the Tavy in what is now Mount Tavy Road. Twenty-five years later they expanded to the north side of the river. It was active for the rest of the 19th century and actually worked until the start of the first world war.

?The most important things made by the foundries was mining machinery, although they also made various tools, screws and drain covers in later years.?

The exhibition, which will be staged next spring, has been made possible thanks to a grant of £950 from Devon County Council?s small museums fund and is being arranged by the museum management committee of Tavistock Local History Society.

The exhibition will be one of a series held at the museum, which at its new site in Court Gate has already attracted more than 2,000 visitors since re-opening at Easter.

l The history society would like to hear from anyone who has information or photographs relevent to the foundry exhibition. Either call at the museum or contact Sue Davies on 01822 612546.