In line with Government guidelines (and subject to any changes), we are happy to announce that all orders will hopefully be dealt with on Tuesday 18th May. Thank you for being patient during this difficult time.

Local Books

We are pleased to offer a range of Devon books from various authors and publishers- many more to come.

 

Title Code Media Price  
AROUND THE CHURCHES OF EAST DEVON by Walter Jacobson, The Churches of East Devon are many and varied. From Clyst St Mary to Colyton, from Talaton to Topsham, and plenty of parishes in between, Walter Jacobson knows them all! Well-known in the local media, he is the authoritative voice that has been heard on local radio and read in the local newspaper, the Express and Echo, giving fascinating insights into the history and heritage of our churches - both the people and the buildings. And now, by popular demand, these colourful accounts have been compiled into this refreshing little book, which will appeal to anyone who has a love for our historic county. ISBN 1 899073 51 5 Book £2.50 Add to basket
AROUND THE CHURCHES OF EXETER, by Walter Jacobson, The Churches of Exeter are many and varied. Walter Jacobson takes us on a tour around many of these places of worship, both great and small and of different denominations. He presents some fascinating facts and some unusual stories of the heritage and history of our churches. Well-known in the local media, he is the authoritative voice that is often heard on local radio. Walter has written, with an infectious enthusiasm, a regular column for the Express and Echo for a number of years, and a selection of these much-appreciated articles form the basis of this highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable book, compiled and published by popular demand. ISBN 1 899073 59 0 Book £2.50 Add to basket
AROUND THE CHURCHES OF THE SOUTH HAMS part 1, by Walter Jacobson ISBN 1 899073 98 1 Book £2.99 Add to basket
AROUND THE CHURCHES OF THE SOUTH HAMS, Part II, by Walter Jacobson ISBN 1 903585 06 6 Book £2.99 Add to basket
AROUND THE CHURCHES OF THE TEIGN VALLEY, by Walter Jacobson ISBN 1 899073 86 8 Book £2.99 Add to basket
BEESANDS & HALLSANDS ISBN 1 899073 90 6 Book £2.99 Add to basket
BEESANDS & TORCROSS OF YESTERYEAR by Cyril Courtney - Following the success of Beesands and Hallsands of Yesteryear many people have asked me if I would do a sequel as some of their favourite faces and places were not included first time round. Therefore it is a pleasure and a privilege to put together this second pictorial book of the area in and around Beesands. This time, instead of going south to Hallsands, we will head north, to give our neighbouring village Torcross some coverage. I have included some descriptions that were written by other writers, years ago, at about the time that many of the photographs were taken. I have also added a number of aerial pictures to show the views from an angle most people would never see! ISBN 978 1 903585 10 8 Book £2.99 Add to basket
BRIXHAM - In this attractive and informative book, which will hopefully amuse and entertain with its light-hearted approach, are spectacular disasters, old industries, unusual sea monsters, bizarre smuggling tales, historic events and other stories about the people and places of this famous Devonshire port of Brixham. Whether you are new to the area, have lived here forever, or are visiting for a short time only, this little book should have enormous appeal! ISBN 0 946651 60 4 £2.99 Add to basket
BRIXHAM OF YESTERYEAR, part 1, by Chips Barber, This little book is a trip down memory lane to a Brixham of Yesteryear through a series of old picture postcards. Most of the views are taken from the valuable collection of Dave James, whose hobby has been to collect pictures of his old home town of Brixham. Included are some wonderful old scenes ranging from the cliffs of Berry Head to the Brixham branch line at Churston. In between, both the higher and lower parts of Brixham are covered in a sequence of pictures never to be recaptured. ISBN 1 899073 14 0 Book £2.99 Add to basket
BRIXHAM OF YESTERYEAR, part 2, by Chips Barber, This little book is a second trip down memory lane through a series of old picture postcards. Most of the views are again taken from the valuable collection of Dave James, whose hobby has been to collect pictures of his home town of Brixham. Included are more wonderful old scenes from in and around the port and town of Brixham. Here then is a second chance to wallow in the nostalgia of a Brixham of Yesteryear. ISBN 1 899073 25 6 Book £2.50 Add to basket
BRIXHAM OF YESTERYEAR, part 3, by Chips Barber, Brixham of Yesteryear Part III is a wonderful addition to this series of books, which continues the photographic story that is Brixham's recent heritage. It is packed with pictures showing the people of a ISBN 1 899073 26 4 Book £2.99 Add to basket
BURGH ISLAND & BIGBURY BAY OF YESTERYEAR ISBN 978 1 903585 37 5 Book £2.99 Add to basket
CHAGFORD OF YESTERYEAR, by Chips Barber ISBN 1 903585 24 4 Book £2.99 Add to basket
CREDITON OF YESTERYEAR, by Victoria Labbett ISBN 1 903585 36 8 Book £2.99 Add to basket
DARTMOOR OF YESTERYEAR, by Chips Barber ISBN 1 903585 25 2 Book £2.99 Add to basket
DARTMOUTH OF YESTERYEAR, by Chips Barber, Sometimes appearances can be deceptive. To the casual observer, Dartmouth may not look as if it has changed very much in recent decades, but the assumption would be wrong. This booklet highlights many of the changes, some subtle, some more obvious, whilst also presenting a number of unusual views of this ancient riverside town. ISBN 1 903585 35 X Book £1.95 Add to basket
DASTARDLY DEEDS IN PLYMPTON, by Sylvia Guthrig - A small booklet re-telling several 19th.Century newspaper stories all of which caused trouble for local people. Some of the sentences passed on the miscreants are far more lenient than might have been expected and undermine what is maybe expected by 19th.Century justice. (39 pages) SG2 book £3.95 Add to basket
DAWLISH OF YESTERYEAR, by Chips Barber, ISBN 1 903585 08 5 Book £2.99 Add to basket
DEVON'S AMAZING MEN OF GOD, by Chips Barber & Walter Jacobson, The �Amazing Men of God� found within these pages have made their mark in the field of religion in one way or another. Martyrs, murderers, madmen, mystics and misfits are all mentioned. Given the size of Devon, with its hundreds of parishes and long history, it has been possible to include only a tiny selection, and no description is intended to be a complete biography. ISBN 1 903585 49 X Book £2.99 Add to basket
DEVON'S RAILWAYS OF YESTERYEAR, by Chips Barber, ISBN 1 903585 11 2 Book £2.99 Add to basket
ENTERTAINING EXMOUTH, by George Pridmore ISBN 1 899073 58 2 Book £2.99 Add to basket
EXETER AND THE TRAMS 1882 - 1931 by Julia Neville- For fifty years from 1882, trams trundled noisily along the streets of Exeter, drawn initially by horses but later powered by electricity. Welcomed as the Workmens Car, trams took people to work, to shop or to enjoy themselves and were an affordable way of getting around the growing city. In 1931, however, the tram was superseded by the bus, which was seen as a more flexible method of public transport for the age of the motor car. Exeter and the Trams, 1882-1931 traces the history of the trams in Exeter and, with illustrations from period photographs, will be of interest to those who want to know more about Exeter in late Victorian times and the early twentieth century and also to tram enthusiasts. Marked price £11.99 on OFFER here at only £2.00 plus P&P ISBN 978 0 9544343 1 1 Book £2.00 Add to basket
EXETER COLLECTION - Ian Jubb is a young man who has accumulated an impressive collection of old picture postcard views of Exeter. This book features just some of them to take Exonians on a nostalgic trip back in time to an Exeter of the good old days. ISBN 0 946651 68 X £2.99 Add to basket
EXMINSTER OF YESTERYEAR, by Chips Barber ISBN 1 903585 34 1 Book £2.50 Add to basket
EXMOUTH & BUDLEIGH SALTERTON PEOPLE by George Pridmore, Whilst the neighbouring seaside resorts of Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton are quite different in many respects, there has always been a close link between the two. The residents of one place often have close relatives in the other, sometimes as the result of marriage. For years people have commuted from one town to the other for such purposes as education, work, shopping, entertainment, sport and other pursuits. This book takes a look back over the years at some of the people of both towns, seen in a range of activities and situations. A swift head count reveals that there are several hundred people featured in this small book… ISBN 1 903585 22 8 Book £2.99 Add to basket
EXMOUTH CENTURY, Part One, by George Pridmore, At the start of the twentieth century, Exmouth could have been described as a small compact town hugging the Exe Estuary, despite the fact that it had recently been formed into an Urban District which included the villages of Withycombe and Littleham. The population then was just under 10,000. One hundred years later that description no longer applies. The century — particularly the second half — has seen the town expand tremendously, with housing and industrial development on what was previously agricultural land. And the population has more than trebled. This book may be described as a snapshot album of Exmouth over those one hundred years. Like most family albums, the emphasis is on people, although some events and places are included. ISBN 1 899073 83 3 Book £2.99 Add to basket
EXPLORING EXETER- THE WEST QUARTER ISBN 978 1 899073 80 1 Book £2.99 Add to basket
IDE OF YESTERYEAR by Mavis Piller ISBN 1 899073 81 7 Book £2.99 Add to basket
KENTON AND STARCROSS OF YESTERYEAR, by Eric Vaughan, This nostalgic journey, in old picture postcard views, is from the Turf, at the seaward end of the Exeter Canal, to the Sod at Cockwook. Passing through Powderham, Kenton and Starcross along the way, there is even a detour to take in both Oxton House and Mamhead House. This book features more than 80 photos from the wonderful collection of Eric Vaughan, who was born at Middlewood but whose family moved 'down the road' to Starcross when he was just a few weeks old. For years he has collected old picture postcards of the area and this superb sequence should evoke many memories for those who have lived here for any length of time and, at the same time, show 'newcomers' what this lovely area was like in those 'good old days'! ISBN 1 899073 70 1 Book £2.99 Add to basket
KINGSTEIGNTON COLLECTION - How Kingsteignton has changed! It's only when you look at old photographs and postcard views like these that you realise just how much. Richard Harris has chosen a wide selection of nostalgic views, making a wonderful sequence of pictures to take you on a trip down Kingsteignton's 'Memory Lane'. ISBN 0 946651 87 6 £2.99 Add to basket
KINGSTEIGNTON OF YESTERYEAR Richard Harris This little book is a 'trip down memory lane' through a series of old picture postcards collected by Richard Harris. Like Kingsteignton Collection, its popular predecessor, this selection also features an assortment of scenes, events and faces from the past. Here then is another chance to wallow in the nostalgia of a ISBN: 1 899073 30 2 Book £2.99 Add to basket
LITTLEHAM OF YESTERYEAR ISBN 1 903585 31 7 Book £2.99 Add to basket
NEWTON ABBOT ALBUM - vol 1 - Devonian Fred Tozer has lived in Newton Abbot for many years and in that time has collected, from a variety of sources, a large number of pictures of this South Devon market town. Included in this Newton Abbot Album are just some of his collection, presenting nostalgic images of the town as it was in times gone by. ISBN 0 946651 73 6 £2.99 Add to basket
NEWTON ABBOT ALBUM - vol 2 - So many people enjoyed the first Newton Abbot Album it was inevitable that Fred Tozer should produce another one! Like the first volume, this book is packed with faces and places from the town's past. Anyone with a Newton Abbot connection will find this a fascinating sequence of wonderful pictures that will surely stir memories of a bygone age. People who are too young to remember, or who have become residents only recently, can now see what they have missed! ISBN 1 899073 11 6 £2.99 Add to basket
OKEHAMPTON COLLECTION - vol 1- Mike and Hilary Wreford have spent many years in Okehampton and have developed a keen interest in the town's past. Over the years they have compiled a large collection of photographs and old postcard views of many aspects of Okehampton life. This book is a carefully chosen compilation of pictures that show celebrations, notable events, traders, transport, sporting teams, familiar places and faces and much more. ISBN 0 946651 72 8 £2.99 Add to basket
OKEHAMPTON COLLECTION - Vol 2- Following on the success of the first "Okehampton Collection" Mike and Hilary Wreford have now selected even more photos of people and places in the town. Not only are the pictures quite splendid but some of the stories could only have happened in Okehampton! There was the first burglary ever committed with a battery powered torch, the flying circus that was very nearly grounded, the fire brigade with no uniforms, who took horses from the local dustcart to pull the engine, all whilst the fires burned brightly! Familiar faces fill the pages from angelic-looking boy scouts, some of whom achieved local greatness, through to sports teams, which have represented the town with such enthusiasm and dedication. If you enjoyed book one, you'll love book two! ISBN 094661 88 4 £2.99 Add to basket
OKEHAMPTON COLLECTION - vol 3- In this third collection of old Okehampton photographs, Mike and Hilary Wreford present another fascinating fund of stories to entertain and delight. Many hours of research have gone to make this book as informative as possible, the result being that photographs of yesteryear have been brought to life. Take a trip down Okehampton's "Memory Lane" and meet many of the amazing and amusing characters from the town's colourful past. If you enjoyed books one and two, you'll love book three! ISBN 1 899073 12 4 £2.99 Add to basket
OKEHAMPTON OF YESTERYEAR, by Mike and Hilary Wreford, With the new millennium here, we thought it was an opportune time to take a look back at Okehampton over the last hundred years or so, this being about the limit of the photographic coverage. Turning back the clock can be a fascinating business — forgotten places and faces returning almost ghost-like from the past. One's memory is a powerful thing and we are sure that this book will trigger many memories from Okehampton's past. ISBN 1 899073 82 5 Book £2.99 Add to basket
OKEHAMPTON PEOPLE, by Mike and Hilary Wreford,The title of this book is a complete giveaway as to what it's all about! Okehampton People is a book which features as many of the townsfolk as could be accommodated. Peering from the pages of this social history of the town are a thousand, or more, faces from the town's past and present, from all walks of life. Here we find choirboys and councilors, Baptists, bandsmen and bowlers, Scouts and soccer 'stars', schoolchildren and schoolteachers, ramblers and rugby players, Rotarians and Round Tablers, golfers and Girl Guides � just some of the many people who have shaped the town's social and sporting life down through the years. This pictorial record will be the perfect keepsake of the future, a visual record of the good fold who were active in and around the town throughout the twentieth century. ISBN 1 899073 60 4 Book £2.99 Add to basket
PICTURES of PAIGNTON vol 3 - Peter Tully has done it again! Pictures of Paignton Part III is a completely fresh batch of wonderful old photos, put together for your edification and enjoyment. If you like looking at old people and places from Paignton's past then you will derive much pleasure from this little book, which takes you on yet another highly nostalgic journey down Memory Lane! ISBN 1 899073 13 2 £2.99 Add to basket
PINHOE OF YESTERYEAR by Chips Barber- "Pinhoe of Yesteryear" was a very different place from Pinhoe of today! The proof is revealed in the pages of this little book. This nostalgic, illustrated look-back at Pinhoe's past shows all manner of changes, some slight, others much more dramatic. But it's not just the place that changes - also included are many familiar faces, all when they were much younger. Pinhoe people are pictured in various activities from the stage to the street, dressed for formal dinners or decked out in fancy dress! Anyone who has a Pinhoe connection will find this a fascinating sequence of wonderful pictures, which will surely stir memories of a bygone age. People who are too young to remember, or who have become residents only recently, can now see what has gone before them in "Pinhoe of Yesteryear". ISBN 1 899073 15 9 Book £2.99 Add to basket
PRINCETOWN OF YESTERYEAR Part I, by Chips Barber, Princetown sits high on the roof of Devon, a place that has always been well-known for its prison but, as these wonderful pictures show, there is much more to the place than the world-famous gaol. Many people are fascinated by this Dartmoor settlement, like Rosie Oxenham who has, for many years, collected old picture postcards and photographs of a Princetown of Yesteryear. In this first volume many of the pictures feature street scenes, reminders of buildings or businesses now long-gone. For anyone new to the area this book provides an illustrated look at what things were like in the past. And for those who know Princetown well, this little book should stir quite a few memories! ISBN 1 899073 20 5 Book £2.50 Add to basket
PRINCETOWN OF YESTERYEAR Part II, by Chips Barber, In the first volume there were a lot of photographs featuring street scenes and buildings. However, the stars of this volume are mostly the folk of a Princetown of Yesteryear. Almost everyone with a long association with Princetown is bound to know some of the many familiar faces featured here, all captured by the camera over a wide span of years. Once again we have delved into Rosie Oxenhams wonderful collection of pictures and are sure you will enjoy seeing these places and faces from Princetowns past, which should evoke some special memories. ISBN 1 899073 21 3 Book £2.50 Add to basket
SAMPFORD PEVERELL OF YESTERYEAR, by Bridget Berhardt & Jenny Holley, This little book portrays Sampford Peverell as it used to be, with a stunning sequence of pictures, mostly from the early twentieth century. It features blacksmiths, shops, rectories, schools, quaint cottages, a butter factory and haunted house, even a large pond, all long-gone in 'real life' but 'immortalised' in these picture postcard views. There are also many scenes still instantly recognisable, where they have been less dramatic changes. This book is a record of how the village used to be when common car ownership was still a long way off, and when the pace of life was a lot slower than it is now � ISBN 1 899073 97 3 Book £2.00 Add to basket
SIDMOUTH - PAST & PRESENT ISBN 1 899073 56 6 Book £2.50 Add to basket
SIDMOUTH OF YESTERYEAR ISBN 1 899073 99 X Book £2.99 Add to basket
ST THOMAS OF YESTERYEAR, part 1, by Mavis Piller, ISBN 1 903585 02 3 Book £2.99 Add to basket
ST THOMAS OF YESTERYEAR, part 2, by Mavis Piller, ISBN 1 903585 03 1 Book £2.00 Add to basket
ST THOMAS OF YESTERYEAR, part 3 by Mavis Piller, ISBN 1 903585 27 9 Book £2.99 Add to basket
THE LOST CITY OF EXETER - REVISITED by Chips Barber, The original version of this book was first published at the end of 1982 and followed hard on the heels of Around & About the Haldon Hills. The years have rolled quickly, and alarmingly, by since then and my literary travels around Devon have taken me to many wonderful places and into many peoples houses in the process of compiling many more books. However, places and circumstances have gradually changed in my native Exeter and even more has been Lost in our lovely city since 1982. This revamped edition seeks to update the story, at least for the time being. Fortunately much of the citys history remains unchanged as we look first at the central area of the city, the parts which most visitors get to see. ISBN 1 899073 61 2 book £4.95 Add to basket
THE MANORS OF WOODFORD & BORINGDON, by Sylvia Guthrig - This book charters the development of the western end of Plympton from its earliest days as a Domesday Manor to the beginnings of suburban building estates. The whole was researched from the Parker of Saltram estate papers when they were first catalogued by the West Devon Record Office and therefore the book contains information not previously available. Woodford and Colebrook were owned by the eldest son of the Parker Family namely Lord Boringdon and it is possible to follow the trends in agricultural development by the way in which the estate functioned. The signatures featured on the cover are actual signatures of the old Plymptonians concerned in the book. (80 pages). Contains pictures SG3 Book £5.00 Add to basket
THE STORY OF DARTMOOR PRISON, by Chips Barber, The Story of Dartmoor Prison is a brief portrayal of some of the more notable incidents in the prisons past. Although such a grey place in many ways, it has a most colourful history. This potted version of its story is presented in an approximately chronological fashion. ISBN 978 1 903585 50 4 Book £2.99 Add to basket
THE STORY OF DAWLISH WARREN, by Chips Barber, There are two contrasting environments at Dawlish Warren: one is the tourist attraction of amusements, pubs, cafes, shops, sprawling holiday camps, car parks and sandy beach; the other is the acres of untamed dunescape and broad estuary inhabited by numerous species of wildlife including an amazing bird population. This little book covers all aspects of the area, in a light-hearted, easy-to-read style. ISBN 1 903585 07 4 Book £2.99 Add to basket
THE STORY OF HALLSANDS, by Chips Barber, 32 pages ISBN 1 903585 13 9 Book £2.50 Add to basket
THE TEIGN VALLEY OF YESTERYEAR Chips Barber This little book is a 'trip down memory lane' to "The Teign Valley of Yesteryear" through a series of old picture postcards. Many of the views are taken from the valuable collection of Mavis Piller, whose hobby has been to collect pictures that feature the Teign Valley and its many villages. The Teign Valley Railway and the villages of Gidleigh, Chagford, Drewsteignton, Dunsford, Bridford, Christow, Ashton, Trusham, Hennock and Chudleigh are all featured and for good measure there are some unusual views of Newton Abbot included in this compact collection for your enjoyment. We are sure that you will enjoy these pictures from an age when the pace of life was a little more sedate than it is today. ISBN: 1 899073 08 6 Book £2.99 Add to basket
THE TEIGN VALLEY OF YESTERYEAR Part 2 ISBN 1 899073 35 3 Book £2.50 Add to basket
TOPSHAM IN COLOUR By Chips Barber ISBN 1 899073 88 4 £2.99 Add to basket
TOPSHAM, Past & Present by Chips Barber . ISBN 0 946651 95 7 Book £2.99 Add to basket
Torbay in Colour Torquay, Paignton and Brixham By Chips Barber ISBN 1 899073 36 1 Book £2.50 Add to basket
VILLAGES OF THE SOUTH HAMS ISBN 1 903585 05 8 Book £2.99 Add to basket
WHIPTON OF YESTERYEAR, by Chips Barber and Don Lashbrook ISBN 1 903585 04 X Book £2.99 Add to basket
WHITCHURCH OF YESTERYEAR by Phil Maker, Nestling beneath the Downs on the western edge of Dartmoor lies the village of Whitchurch. The name is derived from the white elvan stone used to construct the original church. The village has changed greatly over the last 150 years and this book sets out to explore those changes. 32 pages ISBN 1 903585 30 9 Book £2.99 Add to basket