Tavistock Square
N 50° 32.983 W 004° 08.660
30U E 418928 N 5600378
Compass in Tavistock Square, West Devon.
Waymark Code: WM4BN
Location: United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/30/2005
Views: 31
Tavistock, an ancient stannary (tin-assaying and tin-marketing) town lies on the south-west edge of Dartmoor National Park , about 24 km (15 miles) north of the maritime city of Plymouth. The name "Tavistock" derives from "Tavy", the River on which the town lies, and "stock" indicating that the town became a prominent agricultural market for the area, after its progressive development around a Benedictine Abbey, founded in AD974.
The importance of Tavistock's market was recognised by the granting of a Market Charter by King Henry I to the town in 1105.
Another part of Tavistock's history is that Britain's great seafarer hero, Sir Francis Drake , was born at Crowndale Farm, just south of Tavistock, in 1542. A fine statue of him can be seen not far from the town centre, on the road to Plymouth, the port from which he set sail to confront and beat the Spanish Armada.
This fine and flourishing town , the largest in West Devon (population approximately 11,000), with its architecture of local stone, wide range of interesting and practical shops, market, riverside park, leisure centre and theatre, is excellent for visitors.
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