Discover Tavistock, Devon

Tavistock town center: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tavistock_town_centre.jpg
Author: Ron Strutt


Tavistock is a market town in the district of West Devon, in Devon, England. It is famous for being the birthplace of Sir Francis Drake. The town has a population of 11,000 people (2012 estimate).

The area around Tavistock has been inhabited long before recorded history. Prehistoric remains from the Bronze and Iron Ages have been recovered here, providing glimpses of life from long past.

The history of Tavistock goes back to the founding of Tavistock Abbey in AD 961. In 1105 the town received a royal charter from King Henry I, giving it the rights to hold a weekly market on Fridays. This market is still being held today. In 1116, an annual three-day fair was also granted to the town, to mark the feast of Saint Ruman, while annual Goosey Fair was held on the second Wednesday of October.

Tavistock, Devon, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tavistock_01.jpg
Author: Calips


Sir Francis Drake was born here in 1540 (or 1542, according to some sources). The farmhouse where he was born has long been dismantled, but a Blue Plaque is mounted on the current farmhouse located in front of the original building. At the roundabout to the west of town is the original statue of Drake, a replica of which is the famous one in Plymouth Hoe.

Today Tavistock relies on tourism as one of its chief income earners. It was named the gateway to the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site in 2006, helping bring more tourists to the town.

Visiting Tavistock

Take the M5 motorway from Manchester to Exeter, then continue on the A30 road until Sourton Down, where you take the A386 road heading south till you reach Tavistock.

Tavistock Abbey: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tavistock_Abbey_from_south_east.jpg
Author: Raggatt2000

Places of Interest in Tavistock

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.