About Appledore, Westward Ho! and Torridge

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The historic town of Holsworthy – mentioned in the Doomsday Book and with a charter dating back to the 12th century – boasts one of the busiest and largest livestock markets in the country. A variety of small shops cluster around the square, and there are several inns, cafés and tearooms nearby.

Set amid rolling green hills, Holsworthy is an ideal base for exploring the entire North Devon area. Within a short distance are the rugged cliffs of the Hartland Peninsula, the sandy beaches of Bude and nearby Widemouth Bay, the South West Coastal Path and fishing and boating on the Tamar and Roadford Lakes.

Great Torrington commands spectacular views over the River Torridge and the surrounding farmland. During the Tudor Period it was famous for glove-making, and woollen gloves continue to be made here on a small scale today. During the Civil War, Great Torrington was a Royalist garrison until it was taken by General Fairfax in one of the largest battles of the Civil War in 1646 – around 15,000 men were engaged in ferocious street fighting and 200 Royalist prisoners met an unfortunate end when the church tower in which they were imprisoned was destroyed by a large explosion of gunpowder.

Today a refurbished Victorian pannier parket houses a variety of interesting shops and stalls selling local produce, and the town is home to a selection of cafés, restaurants, pubs, a museum and an arts centre.

The name of the town is often abbreviated to Torrington, though the Great differentiates it from the nearby villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington. This is the very heart of the landscape captured by Henry Williamson in his novel Tarka the Otter, practically unchanged since he wrote it in 1927.

Great Torrington is the ideal location for a walking holiday. The 180-mile long Tarka Trail can be accessed from the former Southern Railways station here while almost entirely surrounding the town is Torrington Common – more than 20 miles of public footpaths cover these 365 acres which provide habitats for a rich collection of flora and fauna.

Must-see attractions close by include the Dartington Crystal glass factory and the Royal Horticultural Society Rosemoor Gardens.

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