About Totnes

Situated just a few miles to the South East of Dartmoor National Park and less than 10miles from the South Devon coast, Totnes is a charming Devon town with a bustling main street and a regular Friday & Satmarket. Totnes has regular outdoor markets on Fridays and Saturdays.  Situated in the Dart Valley running through, Totnes is surrounded by woodlands, grassy fields and riverside walks. It is built on a hill rising up from the Dart. The old warehouses on the wharf have been restored preserving the character of the place.

An historic town, with its roots in Elizabethan times, Totnes has a reputation for welcoming alternative lifestyles. Consequently it is a place full of contrasts. It is the second oldest borough in England, and is full of interesting diversions for the visitor. There are museums, a riverside with steamer quay and a multitude of historic buildings, with examples of properties dating back to Norman, Medieval and Tudor times. There are 66 houses in Totnes dating to before 1700.

The name Totnes derives from the Saxon word for a fort or a lookout on a ridge. The town was originally a fortified Saxon settlement, built to protect the upper reaches of the river from Viking raiding parties. It was one of the five Devon towns originally mentioned in the Domesday Book and was one of the wealthiest towns in medieval Devon. The town's wealth and prosperity came from the export of both wool from Dartmoor and locally mined tin. This was due to the location as both the highest navigable port and the lowest bridging place on the River Dart .

For more information about Totnes: http:www.devonguide.com/Totnes/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totnes

For more information about where to stay for The Alternative View visit:

The Alternative View . Room 1 . The Courtyard . Black House . Foxhole
Dartington Hall . Totnes . Devon . TQ9 6EB
Tel: 01803 840 069

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