Why?
This colourful Devonian market town is famed for its bohemian vibe, fierce independence and social innovation. But the pioneering Totnes Pound, which can only be spent in the town, is being taken out of circulation next Sunday, and the Lexus set are moving in. Locals say that times are a-changin’ — so visit now.
What you do
Start with some radical eco-history. Transition Town Totnes, the social collective that started the local currency in an effort to reinvigorate the town’s economy, runs a monthly tour of its environmental projects (suggested £20 donation; transitiontowntotnes.org). It finishes with a pint of Totnes Stout (£3.30) at the indie New Lion Brewery.
From here, loop round to the Narrows, a medieval high street crammed with independent shops that set the bar for hipsters, vegans and druids. Find your new favourite band while scouring the walls of vinyl at the Drift record store (driftrecords.com), or set your pulses racing at Earth Food Love, a zero-waste grocery with jars of lentils, seeds and spices (thezerowasteshop.co.uk). Then visit the trendy Hairy Barista for an eye-twitchingly strong espresso — you won’t see the likes of Costa here, after all (£2.30; facebook.com/thehairybarista).
Now you’re ready to storm Totnes Castle, which looms over the town on its Norman motte-and-bailey earthworks. From its battlements, you can see the tangle of streets — and lots of solar panels (£5; english-heritage.org.uk). It only takes half an hour to look around (if you’re slow), so walk down to the East Gate Arch, a sign of the town’s rich trading history, and visit the Guildhall to see the table where Oliver Cromwell sat when he stopped here in 1646 during the Civil War (Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm; free).
The market is a window into the town’s soul: a muddle of traditional, eccentric and progressive Englishness. Pitched in front of the (solar-panelled) civic hall, it sells yak’s wool blankets, antiques and piles of hemp products on Fridays and Saturdays. It turns into an Elizabethan-themed fair every Tuesday in summer, complete with town crier (totnesmarket.co.uk).
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For adventure, drive south to Stoke Gabriel and hire a kayak for the day (£40; totneskayaks.co.uk). The strong-armed can paddle up the Dart to Totnes, tie up outside the Steam Packet Inn and hop over the fence into its pub garden (steampacketinn.co.uk). Or stop halfway at the vineyards of Sharpham Wine & Cheese for a guided tour and tasting (from £12.50; sharpham.com).
Ten minutes’ north is Dartington Hall, a medieval manor that became a hub for artists and progressive thinkers in the 1920s. You can stroll round the manicured gardens, admiring the Henry Moore sculpture, free of charge.
Where you stay
Across the Dart in Bridgetown, the 600-year-old Old Forge is a wisteria-shrouded B&B where cooked-to-order breakfasts are served in a pretty garden lined with apple trees. Room 10 was once a courthouse, and you can still see the barred window of a prison cell (doubles from £110, B&B; oldforgetotnes.com). In the town centre, the Royal Seven Stars Hotel has four-posters and a bar with a terrace (doubles from £111, B&B; royalsevenstars.co.uk).
Where you eat
Bianca e Massimo, the town’s new Italian, is molto Totnes — 100% organic, vegan-friendly and run by a performance artist and her partner. It has just three tables, but the flavours are expansive (mains £15; biancaemassimo.business.site). At the Curator Kitchen, delicious, complex dishes are cooked in front of you: watch chef Matteo toss your pheasant ragu as you sip a fiery Puglian red (mains from £11; italianfoodheroes.com).
The writer was a guest of the Old Forge. For more information, see visittotnes.co.uk
