A BOOK about Crediton history has been “highly commended” by the Devon History Society.

“Crediton and the Great Fire of 1743” received this prestigious award at the Devon History Society’s AGM.

“I was very pleased to receive this on behalf of the team who worked on this book,” says editor and co-author Tony Gale.

He continued: “The invaluable contributions made by Elly Babbedge, Peter Child and John Heal helped enormously in producing a well-researched and very readable volume. Lots of local people tell us how much they’ve learned from it and how much they’ve enjoyed reading it.

“To get this recognition from the county’s History Society is the icing on the cake.”

“Crediton and the Great Fire of 1743” was published to coincide with Crediton Area History and Museum Society’s 2023 exhibition at the town museum.

“There’s a lot of interest in local history in and around Crediton,” says Tony. “We aim to present something new about that each year at the museum.

“We’re currently working on our plans for when the museum opens again in April 2025.

Our research continues to throw up fresh information : our challenge is how to present that in a way that’s interesting both to local people and to visitors to the town.”

Crediton and the Great Fire of 1743 is available locally at The Bookery, or by post from Crediton Area History and Museum Society (CAHMS) – email: [email protected] for details.

Deeply researched, well presented and rich with details, context and interpretation, this heavily illustrated account of the catastrophic fire is a must-read for anyone interested in Crediton and the town’s history.

The fire saw 460 houses destroyed in Crediton during the 10 hours it raged.

At least 16 people lost their lives with more than 2,000 made homeless when the homes and several inns and hotels in the market area were destroyed.