Established by Charter in 1105, a market has been held continuously in Tavistock for over 900 years. The Pannier Market was built when the Duke of Bedford remodelled the town centre, financed by the mid-19th century mining boom. Today it's home to themed markets five days a week, offering everything from unusual gifts and crafts to hammers and nails - and its pedestrian perimeter is filled with cafés and shops.

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Housed around Grade I listed Court Gate - one of the original entrances to the Abbey - the Museum displays a wide range of fascinating exhibits. Run by volunteers, it provides an insight into Tavistock life across the centuries.

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Legend has it that cream teas originated in Tavistock, served by monks to workers restoring the Abbey after a Viking attack. There are plenty of opportunities around town to enjoy this delicacy today in the atmospheric surroundings of its original home!

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Discover the 28 ‘blue plaques’ on places of note throughout the town - a booklet about them is available from the town's museum. Or pick up a copy of the Heritage Trail leaflet from the Visitor Information Centre and learn the story of Tavistock as you wander between the town’s historic sites.

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The beautiful parish church of Tavistock was consecrated in 1318. It has grown over the centuries, including an additional fourth aisle, completed in 1447 and funded by wool merchants. Remains of the cloister of Tavistock Abbey, destroyed during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, can be seen in the churchyard.

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A ‘gateway’ centre for information about the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site (WHS), the Guildhall also tells the story of Tavistock’s mining past and of the building itself as one of England’s first purpose-built combined court and police stations.

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Take a walk alongside the tumbling river Tavy, past old Abbey walls and into ‘The Meadows’. With a well-equipped playground for the children, its the perfect spot for an ice-cream or picnic on the grass. Follow the canal - built in the early 1800’s as a link to Morwellham Quay - right into the Crowndale Valley.

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Tavistock town centre is a magnet for shopaholics, boasting a very wide range of independent businesses. Everything from clothes, crafts, artwork, traditional butchers, delicatessens and bakers to bookshops, very few towns of a similar size can compare with their number - complemented by a few national retailers.

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Held on Bedford Square on the second and fourth Saturday morning of the month, this is a must for discovering fantastic meats, vegetables, cheeses, liqueurs, flowers and fruits, all produced locally by passionate growers and farmers.

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Set by the historic Tavistock Canal, you can go swimming at

Meadowlands, use the gym or try an exercise class. If that seems a

little too energetic, catch a matinée or evening film at The Wharf, or see one of the many live music events staged at this popular

entertainment centre.

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