A virtual tour launched by Topsham Museum is the latest way supporters can continue to see the town’s heritage.

The museum has been closed throughout 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the virtual tour is one of a number of initiatives created by the volunteer-run charity to keep going.

A grant from SW Museums has allowed the museum to team up with Topsham-based Virtual Tour Company to create an opportunity for people to see the exhibits online.

On top of this a brand-new guidebook was written which tells the history of the town.

A spokesman for Topsham Museum said: “Last March, we were wondering just what a Museum actually is, when no one can come in to view the collection.

“It turns out that it is so much more than we thought, and that when one door closes, another opens.

“The last twelve months have offered all sorts of unexpected opportunities to ‘keep the spark alive’ and stay in touch with people, raise funds and interact with the public in new and different ways.”

The museum also created a picture book for children using the art of a volunteer’s paintings which sold out and also used the artwork to sell more than 8,500 Christmas cards using the designs.

The museum spokesman added: “Topsham Museum is a charity, run entirely by volunteers.

“One volunteer looked out of his window at dusk during lockdown and saw an urban fox trotting down the deserted street.

“He painted a picture of the fox standing in the road, and then another of the fox in Fore Street, and then another by the river, and before he knew it, he had a picture book for children.

“To cap it all, research teams behind the scenes have been looking at aspects of local history, revealing forgotten links with the Caribbean sugar plantations, and peeling back the layers to reveal the old wharves, warehouses and quays of the port of Exeter.

“While this has all been fun, we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors back into the building sometime soon.”

For more information, visit https://topshammuseum.org.uk