The resilient, enterprising spirit of its people has kept the Devon town of Totnes thriving for centuries. In the 12th century, faced with decline, the townsfolk pulled together, elected their own officials and developed a cloth trade that made the town so wealthy King John granted it a royal charter in 1206. This gave them the freedom to make laws and trade prosperously. In the 18th century, when the cloth business began to wane, the town looked to its land and river to carry on trading. And, today, it remains an extraordinary place that adapts to the times. A place where community and social responsibility are paramount. Totnes Cinema, for instance, is run as a social enterprise and supported entirely by the generosity of local people. Vegetables and flowers are grown by a group under the name Incredible Edible Totnes in public and unused spaces around the town for everyone to share. The weekly markets every Friday and Saturday bustle as tourists and locals buy antique chairs and old prints. This is a town where positive change happens – and it inspires change elsewhere.
And this resourceful attitude only gets stronger with the arrival in recent years of more small and interesting businesses setting up shop in the slate-hung buildings. Surrounded by arching fields of rich, red soil, where transformative market gardens and food cooperatives flourish together (supplying the town’s ‘plot-to-plate’ restaurants and cafes), Totnes sits above the River Dart and a visit to the town is not complete without meandering along its estuary towards the sea. Travel along high-hedged lanes, past old stone farms to discover the quaint shoreline villages and their pretty creeks and quays, the grand historic houses built in valleys and on hills overlooking the water, and finally out onto the golden beaches that define the South Hams coastline.
Five must sees in Totnes
The Narrows
Totnes is no ordinary market town and its high street is no ordinary high street. The small historic stores are filled with independent businesses, from a record shop Drift, to a microbrewery and music venue The Barrel House Ballroom. The Narrows, a narrow thoroughfare connecting the High Street and Rotherfold Square at the top of the town, is where you’ll find some of the oldest and newest shops, including Totnes institution Revival with its whacky selection of vintage fashion such as jackets, dresses, robes and knits, Butterworth’s Vintage Co selling vintage menswear, and an antique store worthy of a snoop, Not Made in China, where Susie Cooper tea sets, swan vases, Staffordshire dogs and other delights tempt you inside. Recent arrivals include SMALL-FOLK, a high-end children’s emporium, and refill store The Zero Waste Shop. Art and creativity are at every turn in Totnes and joining the clutch of galleries is A Pickled Thought, run by mother and daughter Charlie and Isabelle O’Sullivan. Around the corner in Rotherfold Square, don’t miss Me and East, a beautifully curated shop selling handmade pieces, from ceramics to jewellery, and baskets to soap.
Totnes Castle
Sitting like a crenelated cake atop a steep mound reaching high above the rooftops, the keep of Totnes Castle is always hovering just in eyesight when you wander around some parts of the town. The classic Norman motte and bailey castle was built soon after the Conquest that overthrew the Saxon town in the 11th century, and the stone shell-keep was a later addition constructed 200 years later. A clamber to the castle’s peak rewards the climber with views across to the River Dart and the countryside beyond. Trundle down the hill to find out more about the history of Totnes at Totnes Museum, based in an Elizabethan merchant’s house on Fore Street. english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/totnes-castle; totnesmuseum.org
Dartington Hall
This area has long attracted the revolutionary and avant-garde. Almost a century ago, in 1925, Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst bought the then-crumbling Dartington estate just north of Totnes and began to explore how a place could have a major impact. They set up farming, forestry and educational projects, and restored the 14th-century Dartington Hall, an experiment that piqued the interest of artists, architects, writers, philosophers and musicians, who converged here from around the world. Today, the estate remains an innovative and thought-provoking centre for learning in arts, ecology and social justice – short courses range from soil health to poetry to viticulture – and it’s also a vibrant and interesting place to visit. There’s the Grade II*-listed garden, The White Hart Pub, regular craft markets, exhibitions and events. dartington.org
Coleton Fishacre
Sailing on their yacht along the South Devon coast past Dartmouth in the 1920s, Rupert D’Oyly Carte and his wife, Lady Dorothy, spotted a valley leading down to the sea at Pudcombe Cove. Quite taken by it, they decided this was the spot to build their country home. Work started in 1925 and, a year later, they moved into Coleton Fishacre, a Lutyens-style, Arts and Crafts house, now a National Trust property. Rupert, who owned an opera company and The Savoy Hotel, would stay in London during the week, while Lady Dorothy pursued her love of fishing, gardening and sailing at their Devon house. This coastal retreat was designed for entertaining, and weekend guests included the conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent and painter Charles Ricketts. Today, visitors can wander the marvellous Art Deco interiors and admire the sea views at the end of the terraced garden. nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/coleton-fishacre
Blackpool Sands
Surrounded by magnificent, unspoilt scenery of green fields, evergreens and pines, this golden beach near Dartmouth is one of the finest beaches to visit in the South Hams. There’s something old-fashioned about this spot that makes you feel as if you’ve wandered into the 1930s. While you’re here, make sure you seek out Blackpool Gardens, a secret garden behind the beach that was established in 1896 by Robert Lydston Newman, deputy governor of the Bank of England. It has recently been restored and features rare and unusual plants. blackpoolsands.co.uk
Where to eat in Totnes
River Shack, Stoke Gabriel
This waterside cafe in the village of Stoke Gabriel serves wholesome, heartwarming breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The menus change but there’s usually wood-fired pizza and potted Brixham crab alongside fresh and original vegetarian dishes. therivershackdevon.co.uk
Gather
For contemporary dining that’s out of the ordinary, head to Gather on Fore Street, which serves tantalising delights using locally sourced and foraged ingredients. gathertotnes.com
Taguchi-Ya
This simple, relaxed and informal Japanese canteen offers food cooked to order by Yoshimi Taguchi and Keiko Storey. taguchiyacanteen.com
Where to stay in Totnes
The Bull Inn
If there’s one place that captures the essence of Totnes, it’s The Bull Inn. Owned by Geetie and Guy Singh-Watson – Guy founded veg box company Riverford and the couple also run The Baddaford Collective on their nearby farm – this ethical pub with rooms stands for honest, organic food, and for sustainability, collaboration, and grassroots economy. The recently restored, Grade II-listed building with its charmingly wonky floors and ceilings is filled with antiques and vintage furniture and fabrics, many bought by Geetie at the Totnes market and updated or reworked, alongside art, lighting and handmade touches by small makers and businesses. The restaurant draws food lovers from miles around and the breakfasts alone are an event in themselves. bullinntotnes.co.uk
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