The doors of a much-loved Devon museum will remain closed while a legal wrangle runs its course.
Topsham Museum has been closed for nearly two years as a renovation project takes shape, but the work was halted earlier this year amid concerns that major structural repairs are needed.
Roof trusses, floor joists, lintels, windows and shutters all need extensive repairs. Now home-made signs have appeared on the doors asking when it will re-open.
One reads ‘Let Us Back In’ and ‘We Have Had Enough’ while another shows a child asking ‘When will you be open again?’ and receiving the response ‘No idea, ask the council’.
The museum was founded in a 17th Century merchant’s house in 1967 by Dorothy Holman, who left it on her death in 1983 to Exeter City Council. It reopened in 1986 and is run by around 200 volunteers.
When open, it attracts around 10,000 visitors every year with exhibits highlighting the history of Topsham and the Exe estuary.
Earlier this year the museum’s trustees said progress on the repairs had been ‘painfully slow’, and a meeting with the city council had been called off at short notice by the authority.
The trustees have explored the possibility of a Community Asset Transfer which would give them greater control.
The legal issue surrounds exactly how the museum was given to the city council in 1983. If it was given as an outright gift, the council would have complete ownership and control, including decisions on how to use or even potentially dispose of the building.
However, if it was placed in a trust, it would mean the council holds and manages the property but must abide by stringent conditions, and must protect it so it cannot be used towards general council budgets.
A High Court hearing took place in June to determine the status of the museum.
A spokesperson for the council said: “In 2026 we applied to the High Court to determine the status of the gift in the will. The council is seeking clarification from the court as to how it holds the property, to assist it in deciding whether the bequest under the will is designated a gift or a trust.
“This in turn will help it decide on future plans for the building which is currently closed for extensive renovation. The High Court hearing took place on 18 June 2026 and a determination will be issued in due course.”
In the meantime supporters of the museum say the lengthy closure means it is deteriorating further, and they are asking for answers on when it can reopen.
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