The Bowring Library

The Bowring Library

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Contact Details:	Fore St, Moretonhampstead, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 8LL Tel: 01647 440523

The Green Trail moves on to the large public library situated in a building built and then donated to Moretonhampstead by Thomas Benjamin Bowring in 1901. This building is situated adjacent to the Square, at the bottom of Fore Street. The building strikes you with it's use of terracotta material combined with granite. It was designed in the Tudoe Renaissance style by Sylvanus Trevail, a Cornishman, who was the architect for several of the Passmore Edwardes Libraries. A branch of the Bowrings, a notable Devon family, had a strong connection with Moreton in the 19th century, and while building a shipping empire in Nova Scotia, the family married Moreton girls, established their country house here, built new cottages and donated the Bowring library. Within the library is a memorial tablet to commemorate the life of George Parker Bidder. Bidder, the son of a stonemason, was born in Moretonhampstead in 1806. He was a child prodigy in mathematics, and later became a celebrated civil engineer and assistant to George Stevenson. He died in 1878 at the age of 72. Originally the first floor consisted of three rooms, one was let to the Ladies Club and two to the Billiards Club. Later on the Parish Council took over the Ladies Room and agreed that this room would be open to the public for any meeting. This continues to this day. The library was taken over by Devon Counry Council Authority in 1962. Originally there was a caretakers flat on the top floor but these are now offices.