Overview
Axminster's museum opened in 1982 inside the 1860s police station and courthouse, where visitors could enter the old court and cells. Axminster Heritage took over the collection in 2015 and moved much of it into Thomas Whitty House, part of the town's former carpet works. The new centre opened in 2016 and its rebuilt displays reopened in 2019 around an original 1937 carpet loom, linking the collection to the industry it records.
What this place is
A museum located in a Grade II listed building, originally a courthouse, showcasing exhibits related to Axminster's history and industry.
People and events
The town museum opened in 1982. Axminster Heritage Limited took responsibility in 2015 and gained £69,700 toward a new centre in Thomas Whitty House. The first new displays opened in 2016 and a fuller rebuilding followed in April 2019.
How it was used
The old site used police cells and the courtroom for archaeology, farming, clothing, photographs and Axminster carpet displays. Much of the collection moved into the former carpet works, where a 1937 Crabtree Gripper Loom demonstrates the town's machine-made carpet industry.
What survives
The listed police and courthouse remains opposite Saint Mary's Church, while its collection continues nearby in Thomas Whitty House. The original 1937 loom survives within the carpet factory where that type of machine worked, and the centre also houses visitor information.
Why it mattered
Moving the carpet collection into the old factory joined objects and workplace after the police-station museum closed. The surviving loom explains the later industry, while the Thomas Whitty name carries the story back to the carpet business he founded in Axminster in 1755.
History checked 16 August 2026 against the named sources below.
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