A fascinating glimpse into the historical archives and memorabilia of policing in Devon and Cornwall, believed to be the biggest single collection in the UK, is being painstakingly preserved, catalogued and digitalised for generations to come – and yet most people don’t even know it exists.
The Museum of Policing in Devon and Cornwall – a registered charity – has amassed a collection made up of thousands of artefacts, documents and photographs charting local policing history and heritage dating back as far as 1790. Decades of policing history would potentially be lost without it.
The collection is owned and funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and includes police top hats that were later replaced with helmets; capes, some of which have been traced back to their original owners; historic cell doors; decommissioned handmade grenades; replica guns; old-fashioned police lamps, intricately hand painted and etched truncheons dating back to Victorian times, and even punishment stocks from the 1800s.
It is predicted it will take eight years to digitalise the entire collection. So far, around 10,000 contemporary and historic items – solely from Devon and Cornwall have been catalogued.
The collection continues to grow on a regular basis, often through donations from former officers who are now retired, and items given by families of former police officers. It exists thanks to former Police Constable Brian Estill. When Devon and Cornwall amalgamated together as one force in 1967, he was concerned that there was no heritage policy within the force.
Brian became affectionately known as the ‘original skip diver’ as he salvaged many historic items from being thrown out. The collection is now maintained by a small team, including dedicated trustees and volunteers.
However, public access to it is limited due to much of it being kept in working police stations. It was originally housed at Middlemoor Police Station and was then moved to Okehampton Police Station in 2004.
A mini-museum has been established in Tavistock’s Court Gate and is open on selected days from spring to early autumn. During the winter, viewing is by prior appointment or for special events in the town.
The archive material – made up of thousands of photographs and documents – is held at the Devon Heritage Centre, in Exeter, and has helped many families find out fascinating information about their ancestors.
Throughout the year, the museum is asked to give talks and set up exhibitions at different venues or gives special access for events such as Heritage Open Days.
Thanks to recent grants from the OPCC and Devon & Cornwall Police among others, it is now in a strong position to continue its work to digitalise the collection and seek opportunities to find a permanent home for some of its collection in Cornwall.
This week the museum launched the release of a short film which showcases the work it does, its fascinating collection and some of the key people behind it.
Museum patron and former police officer, John Casson MBE, said: “I believe we have got the largest collection of policing memorabilia in the country. Although the Met is a bigger force it has only ever been one force whereas we once had 29 so we have lots of different uniforms and other items in our collection.
“The film we have created shows what is an absolute treasure trove that will be more accessible through digitalisation.”
Chair of museum trustees, Bill Skelly, added: “Within the past 10 years the museum has grown from strength to strength and without the help of the OPCC it would not have been able to take the big leaps we have recently to keep our policing legacy alive.
“Behind every artifact lies a fascinating story – sometimes tragic, sometimes humbling. We are trying to bring those stories to life and give people access to them for generations to come.
“The police are present to protect and serve the public at pretty much every major event and moment of public life. Our film distils the importance of curating police history because their heritage is our own social history too. We think the film will help people to engage with what we do, why we do it, why it is so important, and how they can get involved too, for example through membership, or volunteering.”
The first screening of the film was celebrated during a special event in Tavistock attended by museum members, sponsors, local councillors and representatives from Devon & Cornwall Police and the OPCC.
Deputy Chief Constable Jim Colwell. said: “I would like to thank the museum for telling our story and the way you are telling it in such a passionate and committed way.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: “Devon and Cornwall are privileged to have such a fascinating collection of policing memorabilia which tells a remarkable story of how policing has evolved over many decades. It is important that it remains accessible to all, and I am grateful to all those, especially volunteers, who are making that possible and look forward to seeing it shared even more widely through the online channels.”
To view the film of The Story of the Museum of Policing in Devon and Cornwall, please visit The Story of the Museum of Policing in Devon & Cornwall
For more information about the Devon and Cornwall Police Archive, please click here.