Situated alongside the River Taw, from which it gets its name, North Tawton is a picturesque market town located in the heart of the Devonshire countryside.
Dartmoor National Park, only a few miles away, provides a dramatic backdrop to an ancient settlement whose history began long before the Romans built their fort and temporary marching camps here.
The town owes its early prosperity to the heyday of the wool trade, with agriculture and the woollen industry providing the chief sources of employment for many centuries. Even though the last town woollen mill closed in 1930, North Tawton still celebrates its strong links to the trade by hosting annual ‘Wool Weeks’ and participating in its fair share of community ‘yarn bombing’ events.
The ancient market town of North Tawton is also well-known for its association with many notable figures throughout history. Physician and epidemiologist Dr William Budd, known for recognising the contagious nature of infectious diseases and subsequently vastly reducing the number of deaths caused by cholera and typhoid fever, was born here in 1811.
Furthermore, the late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and his first wife Sylvia Plath – American poet, novelist, and short-story writer – lived at Court Green, North Tawton in the early 1960’s. After his subsequent marriage to Carol Orchard in 1970, Hughes and his family returned to North Tawton with Hughes’ children, Frieda and Nicholas. The town remained his home until his death.
In more recent history, Jennifer Saunders’ BBC television series “Jam and Jerusalem” was filmed on location in North Tawton, and on nearby Dartmoor, with members of the local community engaged as acting extras. St Peter’s Church and North Tawton Town Hall feature prominently throughout the series, which ran from 2006 to 2008.
North Tawton is also well-known for being part of the popular ‘Tarka Trail,’ a wonderful walk inspired by Henry Williamson’s much-loved novel, ‘Tarka the Otter’ that runs alongside the river Taw. Following in the footsteps of the character of Tarka, the trail runs in a figure of eight, through the northern part of the county and an ever-changing variety of some of the wonderful Devon scenery described in the book.
Within easy reach of Dartmoor, Castle Drogo and the town of Okehampton, there is plenty to explore when visiting North Tawton. What’s more, for those who fancy a break from outdoor activities, the town also has some wonderful places to shop and eat if you’re looking for a friendly place to relax and enjoy your stunning surroundings.
