CREDITON-BASED charity the Folklore Library and Archive, which was temporarily using Crediton Library to house some of its books last year, has now officially moved into its new premises and opened its doors to the public.

Founded as a charity two years ago by folklorist Mark Norman, the Folklore Library and Archive is dedicated to collecting and preserving materials related to folklore, traditional culture and heritage, both local and more generally. It is also home to the Devonshire Folklore and Heritage Collection.

Over its short life so far, the charity has secured items of international significance and includes special collections from several important figures.

It holds an estimated 4,000 books and tens of thousands of pages of journals and documents relating to folklore and custom.

Its main collections are held in its premises in Tanners Yard in the High Street, in the rear courtyard above Crediton Osteopaths. The rest of its items, including physical artefacts, are held in stores elsewhere in the town.

At the moment, the public are able to drop into the Folklore Library and Archive to meet the team, browse items and use them for research on a Wednesday between 10am and 4pm, although other times can be arranged by appointment.

As more help is found, the charity hopes that it can extend its opening hours with the assistance of volunteers, and it would also like to hear from anyone who feels that they might have a part to play in cataloguing its collections.

Interested people can drop in on a Wednesday or email [email protected].

The Folklore Library and Archive’s patrons are bestselling author Joanne Harris MBE, who visited the town to give a talk in 2025, and children’s author Michael Rosen.

Mark Norman

Founder

The Folklore Library and Archive