The Museum of Dartmoor Life in Okehampton kicked off its 2026 season on Monday, March 16, with a ribbon-cutting and cheque presentation ceremony.

Two members of the Okehampton BID (business improvement district), Dee Gill and Ed Squire, joined museum staff to mark the opening and presented them with a cheque for £1,500, which will go towards the cost of maintaining the tourist information centre at the museum.

Dee said: “They provide an excellent service, offering local information on what to do and see in Okehampton, as well as promoting local hospitality and leisure businesses to thousands of visitors each year.

“Based at the Museum of Dartmoor Life, they are run by volunteers and have little to no income to support the work they do. The tourist information centre offers an untapped route of promotion many of our businesses overlook, so we’re keen to see this valuable resource being maximised by both visitors and our businesses.”

The museum has reported that it is becoming increasingly difficult to source funding for the information centre and welcomes any support.

The museum and the tourist information centre are open from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, until the beginning of November.

For this year’s exhibition, the museum has opened its stores and displayed never-before-seen items. It is asking visitors for their thoughts and opinions on the collections shown to inform curators on what items to keep, rehome or acquire in the future.

The museum can trace its roots back to 1976, when John Young and the Okehampton and District Museum Association decided to create a museum space to exhibit historical Dartmoor items. Later that year, they purchased a derelict mill and repurposed it as the museum. It officially opened in 1981.

For more information, visit www.dartmoorlife.org.uk.