Tavistock hotels and self catering cottage accommodation in Tavistock

Devon » Tavistock accommodation

On the western fringe of Dartmoor lies Tavistock, an attracivel town, combining delightful Victorian style with a great location right on the Tavy river. Filled with shops and cafes, this active market town features what is probably the region's best pannier market.

In the 10th century Ordgar, an Earl of Devon, began the construction of a riverside Benedictine abbey, near an almost unknown Saxon village. After being devastated by the Vikings, the abbey was reconstructed and came to amass huge fortunes and the town sprung up about it. Of its few remains, which can still be found around Tavistock, the cloisters, Court Gate, and Betsy Grimbal's Tower, are the most interesting ones.

It was Henry I who approved Tavistock's market town charter in the 12th century. A hundred years later, having discovered large tin reserves, it also became a stannary town where tin was brought for weighing and stamping, as it did in Chagford and Ashburton. The combination of both income sources made Tavistock a very prosperous town, with 2 members of parliament by the late 13th century.

After Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, the town was given to Francis Russell, Duke of Bedford, and his family. He's the reason the townlooks the way it does today. After discovering enormous amounts of copper in the 18th century, Russell went on to exploit it, making the town blossom into its modern state.
The statue of Russell, as well as many public buildings on Bedford Square, is worth a look. Nearby, another nice statue proudly displays Tavistock's most illustrious son: Sir Francis Drake, born in a local farm just outside town.

The cone-shaped peak Brent Tor overlooks Tavistock from the East, and features the church of St Michael on its top, as well as a great view.