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Totnes
By the time we reached Totnes, the weather had cleared, and so we conducted our explorations of this lovely, livable little town in clement weather. Totnes is a sort of English Mendocino, a mecca for long-hairs and artists; three health food stores and two vegetarian restaurants ... and, to Chad's amusement, a castle. | ||
 the curving stairs below Totnes Castle | |
While Chad went off in search of the internet café, Rochelle and I visited the castle, a perfect round hill fort situated above the city.
Until recently, Totnes sat as far up the river Dart as ships could navigate. Thus hidden from coastal marauders and situated amongst woods and fertile fields, this has been a rich and thriving place for centuries. |
 the town in the 11th Century |
 Totnes from the ramparts | This modest ring fort, under the protection of the National Trust, provides a wonderful way to understand the town and how it was shaped, before plunging into the bustle of present day life. Comparing the artist's visualizations with present reality, we could see the way walls, long dismantled, still shape the town's access ways and roads. |
 artist's idea of the old town | |
 Reconstruction of the castle in the 14th Century |
Like any town designed defensively around a hill fort, the streets are made for walkers and maybe horses, but are now invaded by hoardes of tourists and cars, which makes walking challenging, and, as we discovered, renders driving even more exciting. The puzzle for the future of Totnes and indeed any town with history is, how do you make changes necessary for future livability. Here, and in many other English towns, it seems that the future is choked by history, to the detriment of both.
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The weather turned nasty on us, but we had a lovely visit in Totnes due in large part to our pleasant and welcoming Servas host, a veteran school teacher who shared, not surprisingly, many of Rochelle's thoughts about teaching 8- and 9-year-olds. We also visited the home of Green Books, Chelsea Green's British publishing partner. |
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