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
Looking for shade and refreshment in the hot weather? Come and see us tomorrow at our free "History Help" drop-in session at Dartmouth Library, at The Flavel, Friday 17 July 10am-12noon.![]()
Use the Library's local history collections to find out more about Dartmouth's rich history, or get help with researching your family or house history. Or just come and have a history chat!😎📖![]()
#localhistory #dartmouthdevon #dartmouthlibrary #exploredartmouth
🗺️ John Davis: Who boldly went where no Devon man had gone before.![]()
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Sandridge, Stoke Gabriel. A small farm up the river from Dartmouth. Not exactly where you’d expect to find the home of one of the greatest explorers of his time.![]()
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In summer 1585, John Davis sailed out of Dartmouth harbour chasing a dream: was there a Northwest Passage through the Arctic connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific? Find it, and England’s merchants could reach the fabled riches of China and the East Indies.![]()
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Each summer for three years he pushed further north than any known European had ever been, exploring the coasts of Greenland, Baffin Island, Labrador, deep into the Arctic. In 1587 he wrote back with confidence: the sea was open, the passage was real.![]()
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He was also a decent human being. Where other explorers brought fear and distrust, Davis brought curiosity; learning the language of the Inuit people he met, treating them with respect, and coming home with almost all his ships and men intact.![]()
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His life took another course, so he never made it back to the Arctic. But the Davis Strait carries his name, a permanent mark on the map for the Devon boy from the banks of the Dart who became a great explorer.![]()
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And that passage he staked his reputation on? He was right. In 2025, the Scott Polar Institute recorded 465 transits of the Northwest Passage, opened up by melting ice.![]()
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📸: DHRG
All welcome at our free History Help drop-in session at Dartmouth Library tomorrow Friday 17 April 10am-12noon.![]()
Use the Library's local history collection and other resources to answer that important question about Dartmouth's history that's been puzzling you, get help on researching your family or house history, or just pop #Dartmouthh#localhistoryh Dartmouth LibraryrtExplore Dartmouthplore Dartmouth