Totnes
Totnes | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | TOTNES | |
Postcode district | TQ9 | |
Dialling code | 01803 | |
Police | Devon and Cornwall | |
Fire | Devon and Somerset | |
Ambulance | South Western | |
UK Parliament | ||
Totnes (
Totnes has a long recorded history, dating back to 907, when its first castle was built. By the twelfth century it was already an important market town, and its former wealth and importance may be seen from the number of merchants' houses built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Today, the town has a sizeable alternative and "New Age" community, known as a place where one can live a bohemian lifestyle,[2] though has in recent times also gained a reputation as being a hotspot for conspiracy theorists within the UK.[3][4]
The
History
Ancient and medieval history
According to the Historia Regum Britanniae written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in around 1136, "the coast of Totnes" was where Brutus of Troy, the mythical founder of Britain, first came ashore on the island.[8] Set into the pavement of Fore Street is the Brutus Stone, a small granite boulder[9][10] onto which, according to local legend, Brutus first stepped from his ship. As he did so, he was supposed to have declaimed:[11]
Here I stand and here I rest. And this town shall be called Totnes.
The stone is far above the highest tides and the tradition is not likely to be of great antiquity, being first mentioned in
The
Despite this legendary history, the first authenticated history of Totnes is in AD 907, when it was fortified by King
The name Totnes (first recorded in AD 979) comes from the Old English personal name Totta and ness or headland.[18] Before reclamation and development, the low-lying areas around this hill were largely marsh or tidal wetland, giving the hill much more the appearance of a "ness" than today.
By the 12th century, Totnes was already an important market town, due to its position on one of the main roads of the South West, in conjunction with its easy access to its hinterland and the easy navigation of the River Dart.[19]
Modern history
By 1523, according to a tax assessment, Totnes was the second-richest town in Devon, and the sixteenth-richest in England, ahead of Worcester, Gloucester and Lincoln.[16] In 1553,
In 2006 Totnes become the first transition town of the transition initiative.[23]
Governance
Totnes'
In August 2009, Totnes became the first constituency to select the
Totnes has been represented by the Greens on Devon County Council since 2009.[26]
Totnes has a mayor who is elected by the sixteen town councillors each year.[27] Follaton House, on the outskirts of the town, is the headquarters of the South Hams District Council.[28] The town is twinned with the French town of Vire,[29] after which Vire Island on the River Dart near the "Plains" is named. There is also a longstanding local joke that Totnes is twinned with the fantasy land of Narnia.[30]
Geography
The town is built on a hill rising from the west bank of the River Dart, which separates Totnes from the suburb of Bridgetown. It is at the lowest bridging point of the river which here is tidal and forms a winding estuary down to the sea at Dartmouth. The river continues to be tidal for about 1 mile (1.6 km) above the town, until it meets Totnes Weir, built in the 17th century.
Today there are two road bridges, a railway bridge and a footbridge over the river in the town. Totnes Bridge is the nearest bridge to the sea and is a road bridge built in 1826–28 by Charles Fowler.
Economy
Totnes has attracted a sizeable "alternative" community, and the town is known as a place where one can live a "New Age" lifestyle.[35][36] There are a number of facilities for artists, painters and musicians, and there is a twice-weekly market offering antiques, musical instruments, second-hand books, handmade clothing from across the world, and local organically produced products. In 2007, Time magazine declared Totnes the capital of new age chic. In 2005, Highlife, the British Airways magazine, declared it one of the world's Top 10 Funky Towns.[37]
In March 2007 Totnes was the first town in Britain to introduce its own local alternative currency, the Totnes pound, to support the local economy of the town.[38] Fourteen months later, 70 businesses within the town were trading in the "Totnes Pound," accepting them as payment and offering them to shoppers as change from their purchases.[38] The initiative is part of the transition town concept, which was pioneered by Rob Hopkins, who had recently moved to Totnes.[39]
Emphasising the town's continuing history of boatbuilding, between 1998 and 2001 Pete Goss built his revolutionary but ill-fated 120-foot Team Philips catamaran there.[40]
Loss of revenue from Dartington College of Arts which moved to Falmouth in 2010 was partially offset by increased tourism due to interest in Totnes's status as a transition town.[41]
Landmarks
Totnes is said to have more listed buildings per head than any other town.[42]
The
The ancient
Transport
The A38 passes about 7 miles (11 km) to the west of Totnes, connected to the town by the A384 from Buckfastleigh and the A385 which continues to Paignton. The town also lies on the A381 between Newton Abbot and Salcombe.
.Nearby,
Bus services are provided by Stagecoach South West, Tally Ho Coaches and County Bus. Totnes also has a town minibus service provided by Bob The Bus. Lomax Tours run coach trips from Totnes.
Since the River Dart is navigable to seagoing boats as far as Totnes, the estuary was used for the import and export of goods from the town until 1995.[46]
Education
King Edward VI Community College more popularly known as KEVICC, is the local secondary school which shares its name with the former grammar school set up by King Edward VI over 450 years ago. At the western edge of the town is the Dartington Hall Estate, which includes the Schumacher College and, until July 2010, included Dartington College of Arts. There are also a number of alternative private schools in the Totnes area, providing primary and secondary education.
Media
Local TV coverage is provided by BBC South West and ITV West Country. Television signals are received from the nearby Beacon Hill TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter. [47]
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Devon on 104.3 FM, Heart West on 100.5 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Devon on 105.5 FM and Soundart Radio, a community based station which broadcast on 102.5 FM and also online. [48]
Type | Local newspaper |
---|---|
Headquarters | Totnes, South Hams, Devon |
City | Totnes |
Country | England |
|
The Totnes Times is a local newspaper serving the town and the surrounding
Notable people
Notable people from Totnes include:
- Pegaret Anthony, World War II artist, was born in the town in 1915
- Charles Babbage had a strong family connection with the town and returned to attend the King Edward VI Grammar School for a period before going up to Cambridge.
- The novelist Desmond Bagley lived in Totnes from 1966 to 1976.
- William Brockedon, Artist and inventor, 1787–1854. Son of Philip Brockedon, Clockmaker.
- Rajah of Sarawak, spent his final years in nearby Burrator, and Brooke's biographer claims "there is little doubt ... he was carnally involved with the rough trade of Totnes."[52]
- Richard Burthogge, physician, magistrate and philosopher (1637/38–1705)
- Actor and dancer Emrhys Cooper grew up in Totnes.[53]
- Sophie Dix, actress, born in Totnes.
- Sir William Elford, 1st Baronet, Recorder of the borough and artist
- Historian James Anthony Froude, author of History of England From the fall of cardinal Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada, was born in Totnes.
- His brother Richard Hurrell Froude was a theologian; he belonged to a group of Anglicans who initiated the Oxford Movementin 1833.
- Television screenwriter and author David Gilman lives in Totnes.
- Humorous poet Matt Harvey is a resident.
- Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition movement.
- Folk singer-songwriter Ben Howard was brought up and lives in Totnes.
- Singer-songwriter and filmmaker Cosmo Jarvis was raised in Totnes.
- Comic-book artists Jock, Dom Reardon and Lee O'Connorlive and work in Totnes.
- Hebrew scholar, Benjamin Kennicott was also born in Totnes.
- Keith Law, Songwriter for Velvett Fogg lives in Totnes
- Linguist Anglo-Saxon, was born in Totnes.
- Rik Mayall previously lived in Totnes and is buried on his family estate, Hutcherleigh.[54]
- Admiral Sir Frederick Thomas Michell (1788–1873) mayor of Totnes 1855 to 1858.
- Captain Reynell Michell (1732-1802) Lord Mayor of Totnes from 1784 to 1802[55]
- Mike Edwards, former cellist with the Electric Light Orchestra from 1972 to 1975, lived in Totnes in the later years of his life until his death in 2010.
- Joseph Mount, musician and frontman of the band Metronomy, was born in Totnes.
- Playwright Seán O'Casey lived in the town from 1938 to 1954.
- John Princewas vicar of Totnes in the late 17th century, was author of The Worthies of Devon, a major biographical work. He was also involved in a scandal, the court records of which were made into a book and stage play in the early 2000s.
- William Reeve, composer, musician and actor, was organist of the church from 1781 to 1783 before moving to London to compose for Sadler's Wells and the Lyceum Theatre
- Sam Richards, musician and music teacher lives in Totnes
- Matt Roper, a character stand-up comic.
- Oliver St John represented the town in both the Short and the Long parliaments. One of the outstanding political leaders of the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War. His reputation was made when he acted as lead counsel for John Hampden in the Ship Money case.
- Dharma
- Novelist Mary Wesley, author of The Camomile Lawn, spent her final years in Totnes.
- The explorer William John Wills of Burke and Wills expedition fame was born in Totnes. A memorial to Wills was erected using 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.
- Film-score composer and mystery writer Bruce Montgomery (penname Edmund Crispin) lived in Totnes in the 1950s–60s.
- The poet and writer John Lancaster lives in Totnes.
- Writer and activist George Monbiot lives in Totnes.
Arms
|
See also
- Totnes Museum
- Totnes Costume Museum
- Totnes Castle
- Totnes Community Hospital
References
- ^ "Totnes Town Council Website". Totnes Town Council. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ Edwards, Adam (10 November 2007). "Property in Totnes: Wizards of the wacky West". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "The Light: Inside the UK's conspiracy theory newspaper that shares violence and hate". BBC News. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "TOTNES in Devon (South West England)". www.citypopulation.de.en.uk. Citypopulation. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "Totnes Town ward 2011". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ "Totnes Bridgetown ward 2011". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ Brown, Theo (1955). "The Trojans in Devon". Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 87: 63.
- ^ "Brutus Stone to Front of Nos 51/53, Totnes". British Listed Buildings. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Brutus Stone at the front of 51 Fore Street, Totnes". www.heritagegateway.org. Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Brown, Theo (1955). "The Trojans in Devon". Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 87: 68–69.
- ^ Brie, Friedrich W. D., ed. (1906–1908), "Chapter 4", The Brut or the Chronicles of England, editted from Ms. Raw. B171, Bodleian Library, &c., Early English Text Society, vol. 131, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, pp. 10–11, (part 1)
- ^ Carew, Richard (1769) [1602]. The Survey of Cornwall. And An Epistle concerning the Excellencies of the English Tongue. E. Law and J. Hewett.
- ^ Clark, John (June 2016). "Trojans at Totnes and Giants on the Hoe: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historical Fiction and Geographical Reality" (PDF). Reports and Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 148: 92. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
- ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth. . Historia Regum Britanniae. Chapter 4 – via Wikisource.
- ^ ISBN 0-904066-36-3.
- ^ a b Hoskins, W. G. (1954). A New Survey of England: Devon. London: Collins. pp. 504–508.
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- ^ Totnes Guildhall Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Whatsonwhen Archived 21 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
- Visit Britain, UK.
- ^ "MIDAS CONSTRUCTION WILL BE REFURBISHING TOTNES AFTER THE FIRE". Construction News. 4 October 1990. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ "The Transition movement: Today Totnes... tomorrow the world". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
- ^ "Transition Initiatives Directory". Archived from the original on 5 January 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Devon County Council elections 2009". Devon County Council. 5 June 2009. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
- ^ "Welcome to Totnes Town Council". Totnes Town Council. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ "Follaton House, its History and Architecture". South Hams District Council. 2005. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ "National Commission for Decentralised cooperation". Délégation pour l’Action Extérieure des Collectivités Territoriales (Ministère des Affaires étrangères) (in French). Archived from the original on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^ "Twin town's return to Narnia". This is Devon. 15 March 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-14-071050-7.
- ^ Russell, Percy (1984). The Good Town of Totnes (Second impression with Introduction ed.). Exeter: The Devonshire Association. p. 26.
- ^ Russell 1984, p.xv.
- ^ Taylor, Alan; Treglown, Peter (May 1999). South Devon Railway – A Visitors Guide. South Devon Railway Trust. pp. 23–28.
- ^ Siegle, Lucy (8 May 2005). "Shiny hippy people". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ Totnes, Devon: the home of boho chic Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 4 December 2008)
- ^ Siegle, Lucy (8 May 2005). "Shiny hippy people". Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ a b Sharp, Rob (1 May 2008). "They don't just shop local in Totnes – they have their very own currency". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ "Take note – Totnes will be quids in!" in Totnes Times 7 March 2007, p.6
- ^ "Team Philips wreckage found on island". BBC Devon News. 23 January 2002. Archived from the original on 24 October 2004. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
- ^ Town's Transition boosting economy (retrieved 30 November 2010)
- ISBN 978-1740593380) p. 381
- ^ Iconic arch rebuilt after devastating 1990 fire
- ^ "Totnes Town Trail". South Devon Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ "Totnes Elizabethan House Museum". Devon Museums Group. Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ "Local Food and Relocalisation: a Totnes case study: a section from my forthcoming thesis..." Transition Culture. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ^ "Freeview Light on the Totnes (Devon, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Soundart Radio". Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "About Totnes Times". Totnes Times. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ Willing's Press Guide. Willing's Press Service. 1931. p. 216.
- ^ "Totnes Museum, Totnes". South Hams Events. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ Barley, N. (2003) White Rajah, Abacas: London, p. 208.
- ^ Totnes actor has his sights set on becoming the next Bond (retrieved 18 January 2015)
- ^ "Knowhere: Totnes, Devon, Local Heroes, Famous Residents". Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2007.
- ^ "Reynell Michell (1732-1802)". Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ Bellchambers, J. K. (1962) Devonshire Clockmakers. Torquay: The Devonshire Press.
- ^ "Civic Heraldry of England". Robert Young. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.