Time capsule uncovered at Chulmleigh pub

RESTORATIONS of a North Devon pub more than 110 years apart have revealed a fascinating insight into local life of days gone by. Builders working on an extensive refurbishment of the 17th century Red Lion Hotel in Chulmleigh were amazed to find a time cap

RESTORATIONS of a North Devon pub more than 110 years apart have revealed a fascinating insight into local life of days gone by.Builders working on an extensive refurbishment of the 17th century Red Lion Hotel in Chulmleigh were amazed to find a time capsule containing letters and five newspapers left by Victorian builders in 1897.The glass capsule, hidden behind tongue-and-groove wall panelling in the pub's main bar, was full of perfectly preserved copies of the Devon & Exeter Gazette, Western Times and Western Morning News.The newspapers report the news of April 1897, including the outbreak of war between Greece and Turkey. A little closer to home, Chulmleigh Parish Council is reported to have discussed a new scheme to look for water in the town - via the use of a divining rod!Two builders, William Parsons and Richard Gough, both of Chulmleigh, wrote letters about themselves, their families and of the renovations they were contracted to carry out 111 years ago. And it seems the weather a century ago was no better than today: one writer refers to a huge storm that blew off the roofs of several local houses!Maite Cicognini and partner Dorian Delap, who took over the running of the Red Lion last September, said they planned to place copies of the original find in a new time capsule alongside items from 2008. "The originals will be archived in Barnstaple library," Maite told the Gazette.The couple contacted local historian and archivist Sylvia Gilson, who has kindly put together a display of the time capsule letters and selected sections of the newspapers."The displays are now available for the public to view at the Red Lion," added Maite.Mrs Gilson, who has been collecting material for the Chulmleigh Old Fair archive since 1977, said she was very excited about the finding: "The newspapers are in excellent condition, and it's great to have a bit of history of the Red Lion Hotel," she said.n GREAT find: Dorian Delap and Maite Cicognini with some of the time capsule contents displayed at the Red Lion Hotel in Chulmleigh. Ref: AK3501