How to Contact Us
For general enquiries, please email us by clicking this link.
To order a DHRG book in hardcopy, please visit our book ordering page.
Our meetings normally take place monthly at 10:00am on the first Monday of the month at
Townstal Baptist Church Hall
Carey Road
Dartmouth
TQ6 9LT
There is a bus stop at Carey Road served by the number 90 bus from the middle of Dartmouth to Townstal.
DHRG on Facebook
Come and see us in Dartmouth Library on Friday 11 July 2025, from 10am to 12 noon.![]()
Bring your questions about the rich history of Dartmouth and the surrounding area, or about how to look into your family or house history, and we’ll do our best to answer them! We look forward to meeting you! A big thank you to Dartmouth Library for hosting us.![]()
#localhistory #dartmouthlibrary #exploredartmouth![]()
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Our picture shows some advertisements from the official Illustrated Guide to Dartmouth from about a century ago, published by Cranford & Sons, price 6d. In the 1920s tourism and leisure were already becoming increasingly important to the town, as we can see from the Guide.
100 years ago this week (June 1925) Dartmouth Town Council finally agreed to build new houses in Avery’s Meadow, a field on the south side of Victoria Road at the sharp bend. Four houses were built to start with, then ten more. After receiving tenders from building firms, the Council decided to employ direct labour to reduce costs. Eventually 26 houses were built.![]()
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The Council had rented Avery’s Meadow in early 1918 for allotments for wartime food production, with an option to purchase for new housing development. ![]()
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Between 1919-1924, three housing acts were brought in by successive governments – the coalition under Lloyd George, the Conservatives under Stanley Baldwin and the first Labour government under Ramsey MacDonald. ![]()
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As each tried to get more houses built, frequent changes in central government policy caused delays, as did local political arguments – Labour councillors wanted to build houses for rent, Conservatives favoured helping people to buy. Post-war inflation tripled building costs. Even with central government subsidies and increased rates, it was difficult to build new houses at a price working people could afford, whether buying or renting. So progress in meeting Dartmouth’s needs for new housing was slow.![]()
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There's more on housing and health in Dartmouth in the 1920s in the article by Jonathan Turner in the current edition of By The Dart.![]()
#localhistory #Dartmouth #bythedart
80 years ago today, early in the morning on 7 May 1945, General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of all Germany’s armed forces. With the rest of Britain, Dartmouth heard the news later that day on the radio. Third Officer WRNS Patricia Thornycroft remembered:![]()
“The message spread through Dartmouth with the speed of lightning. The always welcome “All Clear” on the sirens brought everyone onto the streets to shout, cheer, clap, sing and dance ... When the glorious sound of the church bells rang ... I don’t think there were many dry eyes. As the next day dawned, thoughts of celebrations were uppermost. Union Jacks of all sizes appeared from the windows and the rooftops of most houses. Where they did not, one’s hearts and prayers went out in deepest sympathy and understanding.”![]()
In nearly six years of war, Patricia herself had lost two brothers, her fiancé, and many friends. ![]()
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Some of Dartmouth’s war memorials are shown in the picture. Our book, When War Came to the Dart, published 2021, tells the story of those tumultuous years. It includes a roll of honour of all those commemorated locally who died during the Second World War. At our meeting on Monday 12 May, to mark VE Day 80, there will be a short talk about “Researching Dartmouth’s returning Prisoners of War”. For time and venue, see our website.![]()
#dartmouth #localhistory #discoverdartmouth #VE80
100 years ago this week, which was just after Easter, newspapers reported the results of "Egg Day" in local schools:![]()
“Dartmouth Cottage Hospital obtained 1558 eggs ... Dartmouth Girls Council School contributed 144, Boys’ School, 150; Infants, 90; Catholic School, 133; Secondary School, 179; Dittisham Church School, 120,; Kingswear School, 111; Stokefleming School, 117; Bedford House School, 127; Broadstone School, 48; Fairview College, 306; and Mrs Woodward’s market basket, 33.”![]()
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The National Egg Collection for the Wounded began during the Great War. Local branches ran collections and ensured eggs brought in by the public reached local hospitals promptly. The practice continued after the war to help provide a nourishing diet for sick and convalescing patients in local hospitals (and because it was an eggsellent idea ..!)![]()
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Wishing you all a Happy Easter exploring our local history!![]()
#localhistory #discoverdartmouth #Dartmouth
If you're in Dartmouth, come and see us for a local history chat on Friday 11 April 2025 in Dartmouth Library, in the Flavel Centre, from 10am to 12noon. We can't promise a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but we'll do our best to answer your questions about people and events in Dartmouth's rich history, or perhaps we can help you look into your family or house history. We look forward to meeting you!![]()
A big thank you to Dartmouth Libr#localhistoryn#dartmoutha#dartmouthlibraryt#flavelmouthlibrary #flavel