A new resource and a new opportunity, the Otter Valley Association s OVApedia is exciting news for local historians focusing on East Devon, and could prove a template for other civic amenity societies.

A new resource and a new opportunity, the Otter Valley Association's OVApedia is exciting news for local historians focusing on East Devon, and could prove a template for other civic amenity societies.

How many budding historians want to know what others have already discovered?

Using OVApedia, free of charge, the whole world will be able to share the findings of enthusiasts investigating the history of the five parishes of the Lower Otter Valley.

This expanding historical archive, to which anyone can contribute, provides an opportunity to record small pieces of research in a way that is instantly and publicly available.

The entries are fully indexed and can be searched using free text search. The articles reflect the views of the author but are subject to review by a moderator before inclusion in OVApedia.

Around 70 articles, from a range of local contributors, have already been loaded.

Go to www.ova.org.uk and click on the History tab to access the archive. The group is inviting further contributions, see the Make an Entry section.

The Otter Valley Association is working with Budleigh Salterton's Fairlynch Museum to include its considerable archive material in OVApedia in due course.

A local history workshop, led by Dr Todd Gray will take place on Saturday morning, September 5. See the website or OVA newsletter for more information.