South Molton Pannier Market Heritage Project

28-Week Community Heritage Programme (January - July 2026) “Then and Now” - The market, the Building, the Community.

Partnership acknowledgement 

Made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players. Commissioned by South Molton Town Council. Heritage Officer, Youth Workshop and Media Production services by Ace Holds The Space.

Photo Credit: South Molton Pannier Market Galleries

South Molton Pannier Market Heritage Project

The youth workshops, coffee mornings and recording days for the heritage project have now concluded. Thank you to everyone who came along, shared a story, or sat down to be recorded. The young people have done a tremendous job, and that work is now part of the heritage record. A few community workshops and the Celebration Day are still to come.

Coming up

📅 Sat 13 June, 10.30am to 12.30pm | South Molton Library A Poem for the Pannier Market with Katy Lee of Courage Copse Creatives. Explore the market's heritage and help write a brand new poem for the market of today. New and experienced writers welcome. Free. Booking: The Amory Centre, info@southmoltontowncouncil.com, 01769 572501

📅 Sat 20 June, 10.30am to 12.30pm | The Ceramics Academy, Woodlands Enterprise Centre, EX36 3BY Tile Making Workshop with The Ceramics Academy. Help make a heritage-inspired installation celebrating the renovation of the Pannier Market roof. Free, thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Booking: The Amory Centre, info@southmoltontowncouncil.com, 01769 572501

📅 Sat 4 July | Heritage Celebration Day | South Molton Pannier Market The public launch of the project, organised by South Molton Town Council. The restored Victorian roof and the new heritage display both unveiled, with the young people and the whole community celebrated together. Everyone welcome. Full details to follow.

Made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.

Thanks to National Lottery players, South Molton Pannier Market is receiving £234,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund towards restoring its iconic Victorian Patent Glass rooflight and celebrating the market's community heritage.

This landmark building, constructed in 1863, features one of the largest glazed market hall roofs in the country – extending 77 metres along the building's length.

Securing South Molton's Treasured Landmark

ROOF RESTORATION

Managed by South Molton Town Council

Specialist conservation work on the Victorian Patent Glass roof, ensuring the market remains weatherproof and operational year-round for local traders and the community. Without this Heritage Lottery Fund support, the building was at risk of falling into disrepair.

HERITAGE CELEBRATION

Heritage Officer, Youth Workshop, Community Engagement co-design and Media Production services provided by Ace Holds The Space, commissioned by South Molton Town Council

Community-led heritage documentation programme celebrating the Pannier Market's stories and its importance to South Molton. Young people and community members working together to preserve irreplaceable memories and create a lasting heritage display.

Project Timeline: January - July 2026 Heritage Celebration Day: Saturday 4th July 2026 (depending on roof completion)

What We're Creating Together

Commissioned by South Molton Town Council, Ace Holds The Space provides Heritage Officer, Youth Workshops, Community Co-design and Multi-Media Production services for this 6-month community heritage programme.

Working in partnership with the Town Council, we're bringing together young people, market traders, local residents and heritage experts to document the Pannier Market's story and create a visual and aural heritage display that will be installed in the market itself. This isn't about external experts telling South Molton's story.

It's about amplifying community voices and ensuring authentic local knowledge shapes how this heritage is preserved and shared.

HERITAGE OFFICER, YOUTH WORKSHOPS, COMMUNITY CO-DESIGN AND MEDIA PRODUCTION SERVICES

Ace Holds The Space provides Heritage Officer services for this project, commissioned by South Molton Town Council. We work independently to professional standards with comprehensive safeguarding in place.

Professional safeguarding: Two Certified Safeguarding Leads | Enhanced DBS checks | Level 3 youth work qualification | Young facilitators supervised

Photo Credit: South Molton Pannier Market Galleries

Meet Our Team

How You Can Participate

  • Join our professional heritage documentation programme and gain real skills whilst preserving your community's stories.

    WHAT YOU'LL DO:

    • Learn professional audio recording and editing

    • Conduct heritage interviews with market traders and community members

    • Create broadcast-quality heritage content

    • Develop your portfolio for future opportunities

    • Receive certificate of participation

    WHEN: Starting with Saturday afternoons (first 4 weeks confirmed), then flexible to participant availability

    WHERE: South Molton (venues confirmed as we go)

    COST: Completely FREE

    WHAT YOU'LL GAIN:

    • Professional media production skills

    • Heritage documentation training

    • Confidence building (we've achieved 100% participant confidence improvement in previous programmes)

    • Portfolio of your work - Potential volunteer and employment pathways No experience needed

    • full training provided using our proven Young Voices in Heritage™ methodology, validated through partnership with Museum of London Archaeology.

  • Relaxed, informal gatherings where we'll collect stories, memories and heritage materials about the Pannier Market.

    SHARE YOUR MEMORIES:

    • Long-standing market traders with decades of stories

    • Regular shoppers with cherished market traditions

    • Anyone with connections to the market's history - All backgrounds and experiences valued

    WHAT'S INVOLVED:

    • Comfortable, friendly conversation (30-60 minutes)

    • Professional recording (only with your permission)

    • You choose what's shared publicly

    Tea, coffee and refreshments provided

    Coffee Morning Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the project (dates to be announced)

    Your memories are irreplaceable heritage. Whether you've traded at the market for 50 years or visited weekly for decades, your stories matter.

  • We're recruiting volunteers to help with:

    • Community engagement activities

    • Heritage research support

    • Workshop assistance

    • Event coordination

    TIME COMMITMENT: Flexible - whatever works for you

    WHAT YOU'LL GAIN:

    • Heritage project experience

    • Community contribution

    • Volunteer recognition

APPLY Youth Media Project
Join a Coffee Morning
Volunteer with Project

We've loved meeting you at the Pannier Market!

Throughout January, we were at the market entrance every Thursday morning (10am-12pm) alongside South Molton Town Council.

Then our schedule changed as we began the community co-production work with young people - however, there were still plenty of ways to connect:

WE HAD……

☕ Coffee Mornings - Drop in, sharing, recording stories, no booking required


📅 Media Workshops - Ages 14-25, started Saturday 7th February through to May 2nd. (were expanded to include 11 year olds because of popularity)

Over these six months, you've seen the Ace Holds The Space team working across South Molton, supporting the community to authentically represent your heritage and celebrate how important the Pannier Market is to this town. It's been and continues to be an honour to be part of!

NOW!

The recording is done. Over the spring, young people aged 11 to 25 sat down with traders, shoppers, elders and historians and recorded the stories of the Pannier Market.

The coffee mornings, the workshops and the recording days have all wrapped up.

We are now in the editing and production phase, turning those conversations into oral history pieces built from community voices.

These, alongside photographs and memories shared by the community, will form a heritage display in the market itself.

The next moment to put in your diary is the Heritage Celebration Day, Saturday 4 July 2026, at the Pannier Market.

This is the public launch of the project, organised by South Molton Town Council, with the restored Victorian roof and the new heritage display both at the heart of the day.

THE STORY WE ARE TELLING: THEN AND NOW

The whole project sits under one theme, Then and Now. What has changed, what has stayed the same, and why all of it matters. The heritage record is built around three strands:

  • Uses and Activities. How the market has been used across more than 160 years, from its earliest days to the working market it is today.

  • History of the Build. The 1863 building itself, its Victorian Patent Glass roof, and the people who made it.

  • Celebration of Culture. The traditions, characters and community pride that have kept the market at the centre of South Molton life.

THE PROJECT: TWO ELEMENTS WORKING TOGETHER

Thanks to National Lottery players, South Molton Pannier Market received £234,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund towards restoring its Victorian Patent Glass rooflights and celebrating the market's community heritage.

This landmark building, constructed in 1863, has one of the largest glazed market hall roofs in the country, extending 77 metres along the building's length.

Roof restoration(managed by South Molton Town Council) Specialist conservation work on the Victorian Patent Glass roof, keeping the market weatherproof and open year-round for local traders and the community.

Heritage celebration(Heritage Officer services by Ace Holds The Space, commissioned by South Molton Town Council) A community-led heritage record celebrating the market's stories and its place in South Molton. Young people and community members have worked together to preserve memories and create a lasting heritage display.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE TOGETHER

Commissioned by South Molton Town Council, Ace Holds The Space has provided Heritage Officer services across this community heritage programme. This was never about outside experts telling South Molton's story. It was about local voices shaping how this heritage is preserved and shared.

Across the spring the project brought together:

  • Young people aged 11 to 25, trained in audio recording, interviewing, video and photography

  • Market traders, long-standing shoppers, local historians and South Molton Museum

  • Coffee mornings across the town where people shared photographs, memories and stories

  • Recording days with community contributors, and a Community Charter Song recorded with the South Molton Singers

  • Young people learned using our Young Voices in Heritage™ methodology, an audio-first approach that builds confidence and skill while keeping the storytelling authentic.

Stay connected:
Check our What's On page for all upcoming dates
Questions? roshani@aceholdsthespace.com | 07832 511119

Come say hello, share your stories, or find out more about the project.

Events Schedule

This South Molton heritage project uses Youth Creative Media (YCM Devon) methodology - learning podcasting, video, photography and more whilst documenting local heritage.

Want to explore YCM Devon's other projects and socials?

See All YCM Devon Activities →

For Young People (Ages 11-25)

Joined our professional heritage documentation initiative - part of Youth Creative Media (YCM Devon)

📢 WAS EXTENDED TO AGES 11-25! Following brilliant response at our Barnstaple Creative Media Social, we've opened this to younger ages too! With the inclusion of a mini-group for 11-13 year olds.

Ages 11-15: Parents/carers welcome and required for sessions

Ages 16-25: May attend independently

11-Week Media & Research Exploration

Gained real skills whilst preserving your community's stories.

WHAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DID:

  • Learn professional audio recording, video, and photography

  • Conduct heritage interviews with market traders and community

  • Create broadcast-quality heritage content

  • Build your portfolio and receive certificate

WHERE: Various South Molton heritage venues - Museum, Library, Assembly Rooms, Pannier Market, and YMCA building (initial sessions).

Experiencing different venues is part of the heritage exploration.

COST: Completely FREE

WHAT WAS GAINED:

About Session Delivery

All sessions delivered by Ace Holds The Space, commissioned by

South Molton Town Council as Heritage Officers for this project.

We maintain professional standards across all venues:

  • Enhanced DBS checked team members

  • Two Devon Children & Families Partnership-recognised safeguarding leads

  • Comprehensive risk assessments

  • Professional insurance and policies

Questions about our delivery approach? Contact Roshani: 07832 511119

HERITAGE CELEBRATION DAY

Saturday 4 July 2026, South Molton Pannier Market

The public launch of the project, organised by South Molton Town Council. The restored Victorian roof and the new heritage display will both be unveiled, and the young people who created the heritage record will be celebrated alongside the whole community. Everyone is welcome.

Full details to follow. The date depends on the roof works finishing on schedule.

(Young people's showcase: a dedicated celebration of the young participants is planned. Date to be confirmed.)

How The Project Has Unfolded

JANUARY 2026: Planning & Launch

The project opened with getting the word out and meeting people where they already were. We ran communications across the town, recruited young people and volunteers, and stood at the market entrance on Thursday mornings alongside South Molton Town Council. The first coffee morning, at South Molton Library on 28 January, brought together councillors, museum experts, traders and residents, and the stories started coming straight away.

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2026: Heritage Collection

This was the heart of the project. A group of young people aged 11 to 25 trained in audio recording, interviewing, video and photography, then put those skills to work documenting the market's heritage. Coffee mornings continued across the town, at the Amory Centre and the Assembly Rooms, gathering photographs and memories. Across a series of recording days, young people and community contributors sat down with traders, elders and local historians, with 12 contributors recorded in all. including The South Molton Singers singing the Community Charter Song, a final recording session on 2 May.

APRIL - JUNE 2026: Editing, Production, Exhibit Installation

(Where we are now)

With the recording complete, the work has moved into editing. We are shaping the recordings into six oral history pieces, each built from several community voices, and curating them alongside the photographs and memories shared throughout the project.

This is the quiet, careful part, getting every piece right before it goes on display and into the archive.

4 JULY 2026: Celebration Day

Once the roof works are finished and the scaffolding is down, the heritage display will be installed in the market itself. The project then reaches its public moment at the Heritage Celebration Day on Saturday 4 July, when the restored Victorian roof and the new display are unveiled and the whole community, young people included, comes together to mark what has been made.

After the Celebration Day - A lasting record.

Beyond the day, the display stays in the market and the digital archive remains open to all. It stays in the Pannier Market for the community. Alongside it, all oral history pieces can be listened to in full online, so anyone who cannot get to the market, or who would simply rather listen from home, can still hear the stories in the contributors' own voices. Accessibility has shaped how the material is made from the start, in the display itself and in the way the recordings and photographs are shared, so that as many people as possible can take part in the market's heritage. The project then moves into its final stage, evaluation and reporting, with everything documented and handed to South Molton Town Council, who will care for the display for the long term.

What We’re Creating

Heritage Outputs produced in Collaboration with Community and Partners

PROFESSIONAL HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION:

  • 6 oral history interview mixes professionally recorded

  • Highlights of the project - in video

  • Community stories preserved for future generations

  • Archive-quality documentation

    HERITAGE DISPLAY:

  • Installed in the Pannier Market

  • Co-designed with community members

  • Featuring stories from traders, shoppers, and local residents

  • Accessible to all visitors year-round

    COMMUNITY CELEBRATION:

  • Contribution to Market Celebration Heritage Open Day - theatre and vintage costume bringing the market alive as it was in the past

  • Restored Victorian roof celebrated

  • Heritage exhibit unveiled as central part of the day

  • Young people's achievements honoured - certificates presented at their showcase event

  • Community participants, volunteers, and partners celebrated - South Molton identity and heritage brought to life

  • South Molton Town Hall - Circa 1860 and shows to right the house of John Elworthy Cutcliffe which was bought for £1,600 and demolished to provide a building plot for the new Pannier Market designed by F W Cross of Exeter and built by South Molton builder John Cock junior at a cost of £6,677. The Market was completed December 1863.

  • South Molton Square about 1860 with the Old Market House centre picture. The ground floor of the Old market House was later bricked in and the building was for many years the Town's Post Office and latterly a PO sorting Office.

  • South Molton Town Hall The pic recalls the 1903 unveiling of the Town's memorial to the service of locals in the Boer War. It was unveiled by Devon hero, General Sir Redvers Buller VC, "The Saviour of Natal".

  • South Molton - Shows the Open Air Pannier Market in the Town Square about 1860, before the opening, in 1863, of the new covered Pannier Market.

  • South Molton - The Town Hall and Pannier market as we now know it potentially taken late 19th century (tbc).

  • South Molton - Shows The Old Market House built in 1810. The first floor was later used as the Mechanic's Institute and a library.

Young Voices in Heritage™

This project uses Ace Holds The Space's proprietary Young Voices in Heritage™ methodology - an evidence-based, audio-first approach to heritage documentation that creates psychological safety whilst building young people's professional skills.

WHY THIS WORKS:

Evidence-Based Results:

✓ 100% participant satisfaction at previous heritage programmes

✓ Validated through partnership with Museum of London Archaeology

✓ Proven confidence improvement through rigorous evaluation

✓ Participant → Volunteer → Employment pathway demonstrated

Audio-First Approach:

✓ Creates psychological safety for authentic storytelling

✓ Removes barriers for neurodivergent participants

✓ Enables intergenerational connection

✓ Produces professional broadcast-quality heritage content

Community Co-Production:

✓ Not extractive consultation - genuine community leadership

✓ Local knowledge respected and centred

✓ Young people positioned as skilled professionals, not tokens

✓ Heritage shaped by those who lived it

Trauma-Informed Practice:

✓ Removes fear first, builds trust, enables empowerment

✓ Participant autonomy and choice respected throughout

✓ Safe spaces for sharing difficult histories

✓ Ethical documentation standards maintained

Learn more about Young Voices in Heritage™

THE PARTNERS

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK's heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players, they support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Since 1994, they have awarded £9.5 billion to over 53,000 projects.

Stuart McLeod, National Lottery Heritage Fund:

"Thanks to National Lottery players, we're proud to support South Molton Town Council in restoring the iconic Victorian roof lights of the Pannier Market. This project not only protects a unique piece of the town's heritage but also brings the community together to celebrate its history and ensure the market continues to thrive for generations to come."

TOTAL SOUTH MOLTON GRANT: £234,000

·       Roof restoration funding

·       Heritage programme delivery

·       Community engagement activities

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

South Molton Town Council owns and operates the Pannier Market.

The council commissioned this heritage project to secure the building's future whilst celebrating its community importance.

Emily Abbott, Community Development Officer:

Manages the roof restoration project and partnership coordination with Heritage Lottery Fund.

Market Manager Adam Nichols:

"Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund these projects will bring to life the story of the landmark building for the whole community to enjoy. South Molton is part of the UNESCO Biosphere reserve in North Devon and saving this heritage will secure this vital community space for generations."

South Molton Town Council

Ace Holds The Space Group Ltd is a Devon-based heritage and media organisation specialising in community co-production and heritage project management.

Roshani Carmen Ramass, Heritage Officer:

Provides Heritage Officer services for the 6-month heritage programme, including youth worksahop delivery, community engagement facilitation, volunteer coordination, oral history collection, and heritage display co-creation.

OUR ROLE:

  • Commissioned delivery partner providing Heritage Officer services

  • Delivering 11-week youth workshop programme (starting Saturday afternoons, flexible to participant availability, ages 11-25)

  • Facilitating community engagement activities (coffee mornings, market presence)

  • Collecting and curating oral histories in collaboration with community stakeholders

  • Co-creating heritage display with community members and heritage experts

  • Contributing to the Market Heritage Celebration Day

  • Monthly reporting to South Molton Town Council

"This is YOUR heritage. We're not telling South Molton's story – the community is. South Molton Town Council has commissioned Ace Holds The Space to facilitate this process, ensuring authentic community voices shape heritage outcomes whilst building real skills for our young participants through our Young Voices in Heritage™ methodology." - Roshani Carmen Ramass, Heritage Officer

Ace Holds The Space

WITH SUPPORT FROM:

South Molton Museum | South Molton Pannier Market | Libraries Unlimited

Supporting through venue access, community connections, and project facilitation.

Built in 1863

The South Molton Pannier Market was built by the town council to replace the original outdoor market and provide a permanent weatherproof place for traders and shoppers.

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE:

  • Victorian Patent Glass rooflights extending 77 metres

  • One of the largest glazed market hall roofs in the country

  • Grade II listed heritage building

  • At the heart of South Molton for over 160 years

AWARD-WINNING MARKET TODAY

The Pannier Market remains a vibrant community hub, home to more than 60 stalls offering:

  • Fresh local produce from Devon farms

  • Handmade crafts and artisan goods

  • Unique gifts and everyday essentials

  • Delicious food and drink

Open all year round, the market plays a vital role in South Molton's economic and social landscape.

South Molton Pannier Market Heritage Project Then and Now. Celebrating our community stories. Restoring our Victorian heritage.

Project ownership and funding: South Molton Town Council, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (£234,000 grant)

Heritage Officer services: Ace Holds The Space (commissioned by South Molton Town Council). Heritage Officer: Roshani Carmen Ramass

Programme: January to July 2026 

Heritage Celebration Day: Saturday 4 July 2026 (date dependent on roof completion)

This project is supported using public funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.

(Keep the existing statutory footer with registered company numbers as it is. "Ltd" is correct there.)

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Email: assist@aceholdsthespace.com Phone: 01271 593161 / 07832 511119

PROJECT OWNERSHIP & FUNDING:

South Molton Town Council
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (£234,000 grant)

HERITAGE OFFICER SERVICES PROVIDED BY:

Ace Holds The Space Group Ltd
(Commissioned by South Molton Town Council)

Heritage Officer: Roshani Carmen Ramass

PROJECT TIMELINE:

Programme Duration: January - June 2026

Youth Programme: 11-week youth workshop programme (starting Saturday afternoons, flexible thereafter)

Community Engagement: Coffee mornings throughout project (all ages welcome)

Young People's Showcase: Community invited, certificates presented (date to be confirmed)

Market Celebration Heritage Open Day: May 2026 (date dependent on roof completion) - theatre, vintage costume, heritage exhibit unveiling

ABOUT THE NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK's heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players, they support projects that connect people and communities to heritage.

Website: heritagefund.org.uk
Follow: @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Hashtags: #NationalLottery #HeritageFund

LEARN MORE:

CONTACT:

Project Enquiries: assist@aceholdsthespace.com
Phone: 01271 593161 | 07832 511119

© 2026 South Molton Town Council | Ace Holds The Space Group Ltd

This project is supported using public funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to the Heritage Lottery players.

South Molton Pannier Market Heritage Project

Celebrating our community stories | Restoring our Victorian heritage