Our society was founded over 30 years ago and has been regarded, along with the museum, as the focal point in Tavistock for understanding the town's long and varied history. The Society organises indoor meetings and lectures during the autumn and winter period and we also enjoy trips and visits in the spring and summer around the area. Initially the town museum was created from the Society but we are pleased to say that it now has charitable status as an independent organisation with which we work very closely. The museum manages the Thorington Archive with us and we enjoy a symbiotic relationship. We have published a number of books which are also sold in the museum shop and are actively engaged in a number of local historical projects preserving the history of our market town. Our membership comes from all over West Devon and beyond and we encourage anybody with an interest in local history to join us.
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The Society was set up by a number of people interested in our significant part in the history of Devon. Those people included local author and historian the late Gerry Woodcock who was head of history at Tavistock College. Gerry has left us with a wonderful legacy of historic research, publications and much more, including 27 important volumes of his popular series Tavistock's Yesterdays which the Society is in the process of indexing as a tribute to his work.
Our indoor meetings from September to March are held in the Parish Rooms (shown by purple star on map) which is located at the rear of the vicarage beside The Bedford Hotel in Plymouth Road, Tavistock. We usually meet at 7:30 pm on the second Tuesday of each month (except for October when it is either the first or third Tuesday to avoid clashing with Goose Fair).