ONE of the farms that acted as inspiration for Michael Morpurgo's best selling children's novel War Horse is now home to a museum dedicated to the book writes Tom French.

The War Horse Valley Museum at Parsonage Farm near Iddesleigh opened on July 15, with exhibits dedicated to the novel and its characters, as well as housing agricultural machinery and equipment from both the early 20th century and the modern day, alongside world war I memorabilia and artefacts.

Other attractions include a tea room serving local produce, exhibits looking at modern and old traditional breeds of pigs and sheep, and a farm trail with directions on granite rollers.

Graham and Rosemary Ward own the organic dairy farm, and have set up the museum in a converted 16th century barn and a piggery shed, split into 12 sections to represent life on a farm during each month of the year.

The farm is one of three that helped to inspire Morpurgo when writing the chapters of the book set in Devon.

Names of fields mentioned in the book belong to Parsonage Farm.

Morpurgo's first book, All Around the Year, which includes poems by former poet laureate Ted Hughes, is about the farm. The author sent a letter of support for the museum to the planning authority before the project was given its approval.

Mr and Mrs Ward are involved with the charity Farms for City Children, set up by Morpurgo in 1976 to give disadvantaged youngsters living in inner-city areas the chance to experience the workings of farm life and enjoy the countryside.

During their stay at Nethercott House, youngsters get to see how the dairy farm works and see livestock first-hand.

As well as inviting members of the public and local school children to the museum, children staying at Nethercott House as part of FFCC's work will be able to visit the museum and get a greater understanding of how farm life has evolved into what it is today.

Interest in the book, first published in 1982, is sky high after it was adapted into a successful stage play in 2007, and a Hollywood blockbuster directed by Steven Spielberg in 2011.

The story describes the extraordinary journey of Joey, a beloved horse sold to the cavalry and shipped to France to take part in world war I.

The story follows his struggles through the war, and his owner Albert's dangerous mission to bring him home to Dartmoor.