Totnes hotels and self catering cottage accommodation in Totnes

Devon » Totnes accommodation

Located in the valley of the River Dart, amidst wooded hillsides but standing on a hill of its own, Totnes is a delightful town, complete with a busy main street and active marketplaces throughout the whole year. Formerly a fortified emplacement built by the Saxons against the Vikings (as a matter of fact, Totnes means 'fort' in Saxon), this town's wool exportation and tin mining made it one of the richest villages in medieval Devon. The second oldest English borough, Totnes, with its welcoming atmosphere, offers many museums, castles and different activities for visitors.

In the upper part of town, a maze of narrow winding streets called the Narrows lead to the Kingsbridge Inn and the Three Leech Wells, fed by natural springs and supposed to have healing powers.

The Old Steamer Quay, which lies at the base of the village, is a hub for river cruises, many going to close-by Dartmouth. Fore Street leads up from the quay and into Totnes, featuring many 16th-17th century houses. One of these homes, the Elizabethan House, is highly representative of the period and, on its inside, contains the local museum. Displays include the town’s history featuring many of the earliest computers, since Charles Babbage, who invented the computer, is a former resident.

Located on Ramparts Walk and dating back to the 16th century, the Totnes Guildhall, still used for town council meetings, after having been a school, a courthouse and a guildhall. Among other things, it holds a table at which Oliver Cromwell sat in 1646.

Two castles can be found in and around the town. Totnes Castle, of Norman architecture, which overlooks the whole town and valley; and Berry Pomeroy Castle, of late medieval age, and reputedly haunted.