Museums · South West England
Buckfastleigh
In or near Dartington.
Buckfastleigh is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge district, in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway (A38) at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. For ecclesiastical
Tony Atkin — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Buckfastleigh · 0.7 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Buckfastleigh museum, the nearest railway station is Buckfastleigh, located 0.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is TQ11 0AD. Please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Buckfastleigh is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge district, in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway (A38) at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. For ecclesiastical purposes, lies within the Totnes Deanery. It is 18 miles (29 km) east-northeast of Plymouth, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Exeter and has a population of 3,661. It is a centre of tourism and is home to Buckfast Abbey, the South Devon Railway, the Buckfastleigh Butterfly Farm and Otter Sanctuary, the Tomb of Squire Richard Cabell and The Valiant Soldier Museum Heritage & Visitor Centre. With 13 letters, Buckfastleigh is one of the longest place names in England with no repeated letters, tied with Buslingthorpe, Leeds and Buslingthorpe, Lincolnshire, but exceeded by Bricklehampton in Worcestershire with 14 letters.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2025
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
The Valiant Soldier Museum and Heritage Centre showcases the history of Buckfastleigh and its local industries. Visitors can explore various exhibits and enjoy a virtual tour at the reception area.
From the Wikipedia article
Buckfastleigh is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge district, in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway (A38) at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. For ecclesiastical purposes, lies within the Totnes Deanery. It is 18 miles (29 km) east-northeast of Plymouth, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Exeter and has a population of 3,661. It is a centre of tourism and is home to Buckfast Abbey, the South Devon Railway, the Buckfastleigh Butterfly Farm and Otter Sanctuary, the Tomb of Squire Richard Cabell and The Valiant Soldier Museum Heritage & Visitor Centre. With 13 letters, Buckfastleigh is one of the longest place names in England with no repeated letters, tied with Buslingthorpe, Leeds and Buslingthorpe, Lincolnshire, but exceeded by Bricklehampton in Worcestershire with 14 letters.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Historically Buckfastleigh has grown as a mill town known for its woollen mills, corn and paper mills and a tannery supported by the rivers Dart, Mardle and the Dean Burn – water being an essential natural resource used in the manufacturing of wool and other products. Buckfastleigh is medieval in origin, as is still evident in the original layout of the town. By the seventeenth century, most of the properties had been rebuilt, but the medieval layout, particularly in Fore Street, is still visible today. The name "Buckfast" means "stronghold" – traditionally a place where deer and buck were held, and "Leigh" would have been the pasture belonging to Buckfast – hence the meaning deer held in a…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.4814, -3.7789
- County
- Devon
- District
- Teignbridge
- Parish
- Buckfastleigh
- Postcode
- TQ11 0AD
- Parliamentary constituency
- Central Devon
- Phone
- 01364 644 522
- Nearest railway station
- Buckfastleigh — 0.7 km
- Opening
- Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am to 3.30pm; Sundays during school holidays and Bank Holidays; closed November to March.
- Official site
- valiantsoldier.org.uk
Sources
- wikipedia: Buckfastleigh (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
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Jellyfish Art Gallery and Cafe
Public art & sculpture · 0.1 km
The Valliant Soldier Museum & Heritage Centre
Museums · 0.2 km
South Dartmoor Bunkhouse (Groups only)
Hostels · 0.3 km
D-Day
Memorials & monuments · 0.4 km
Churchill Farm Campsite
Caravan parks · 0.4 km
Bakers Pit
Caves · 0.5 km
Buckfastleigh War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.5 km
Joint Mitnor Cave
Mountains & hills · 0.5 km
Parish Church of Holy Trinity
Historic churches · 0.6 km
Rift Cave
Caves · 0.6 km
Joint Mitnor Cave
Caves · 0.6 km
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Buckfastleigh?
- Buckfastleigh is in Devon, South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TQ11 0AD), in the parish of Buckfastleigh.
- What is Buckfastleigh?
- Buckfastleigh is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge district, in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway (A38) at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. For ecclesiastical
- How do I get to Buckfastleigh?
- The nearest railway station is Buckfastleigh, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode TQ11 0AD.
- How do I get to Buckfastleigh?
- The nearest railway station is Buckfastleigh, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode TQ11 0AD.