Totnes
 |
Arms of Totnes Town Council |
Totnes (TOT'ness — emphasis on the first syllable) is a market town in South
Devon,
England.
Indications of its former wealth and importance are given by the number of merchants' houses built in the 16th and 17th centuries, one open to the public in the guise of the town museum. The remains of the
Norman Totnes Castle, now owned by
English Heritage may also be visited. It was built during the reign of
William I. Equally notable is the late medieval
church of St Mary built of rich red Devonian stone. The ancient
Leechwell (so named because of the supposed medicinal properties of its water, and apparently where lepers once came to wash) still provides fresh water, and is preserved from former days. At the western edge of the town is the
Dartington Hall Estate, which includes the
Schumacher College and
Dartington College of Arts.
A prominent feature of the town is the Eastgate — an arch spanning the middle of the main street. This
Elizabethan entrance to the walled town was destroyed in a fire in September 1990, before being rebuilt again. The town is built on a hill above the
River Dart, which divides Totnes from the suburb of
Bridgetown, and is tidal up to Totnes, where it meets a 17th century weir. It provides navigation to seagoing boats and until 1995 was used for the import and export of goods.
Totnes railway station is situated on the
Great Western Main Line, and has trains direct to
London and
Plymouth. Totnes is the southern end of the
South Devon Railway Trust which runs a tourist steam engine from
Buckfastleigh. The
A38 passes within 10km.
Totnes gained a reputation of being a haven for "
new age" followers in the 1990s, but the rapid rise in rents and house prices over the past ten years has now dispersed most of them. In their place are wealthy retirees and incomers with money setting up businesses to serve them. One by one the hippie shops have disappeared, to be replaced by upmarket clothes shops, expensive restaurants, and art galleries with works bearing five figure prices. Despite this, there is still some attachment felt by the peoples of Totnes to an alternative style of living.
According to much disputed local folklore, Totnes was the site where
Brutus of Troy founded Britain in ancient times.
Despite this legendary history the first authenticated history of Totnes is in AD 900 when it was fortified as part of the defensive ring of castles built around Devon by
King Alfred, replacing one built a few years earlier at nearby Halwell.
The origin of the name 'Totnes' itself is unclear. It may either be Celtic or Saxon in origin, but is thought to refer to a lookout on a high "nose" or "nes" of land &mdash this refers to the town's
Motte and Bailey Castle.
Totnes' borough charter was granted by
King John, probably around 1206. Totnes lost its borough status in local government reorganisation in 1974. As a former borough and
mint, Totnes was once a place of some significance. Totnes celebrates the 800th anniversary of its charter in 2006.
Totnes was served by Totnes electoral borough from
1295 until the reform act of 1867, but was restored by the 1884 Franchise Act. The constituency of Totnes was abolished a second time in 1983, and formed part of the
South Hams constituency until 1997, when it was restored as the
Totnes constituency.
* The explorer
William John Wills of the
Burke and Wills expedition fame was born in Totnes. A memorial to Wills was erected, using the money from public subscriptions, in 1864. It can still be seen on the Plains. There were originally two gas lamps attached to the monument, but both have since been removed.
*
Charles Babbage had a strong family connection with the town and returned to attend the grammar school for a period before going up to Cambridge.
* Hebrew scholar,
Benjamin Kennicott was also born in Totnes.
* William Stumbels, a clockmaker lived and worked in Totnes in the 18th century. (His workshop was possibly at No. 4 Castle Street, within the town walls.) Two of his clocks: a
longcase (grandfather) and a turret clock are displayed in the museum.
*Totnes is twinned with the French town of
Vire, after which Vire Island nearby the 'Plains' is named.
*King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC) celebrated its 450th anniversary in 2003.
*
Dartington*
Dartington Hall*
Totnes Community Mag*
TOTLER magazine*
Totnes Tourist Information Centre*
Totnes web*
Pictures of Totnes*
Totnes museum*
Community website*
Sharpham*
Shiny hippy people (The Observer)
