Tuck into a delicious Devon treacle tart, pick up a picnic with three types of scotch egg and take home a slice of artisan soap. From boutique independent stores to five different weekly markets, this authentic, unspoiled town is just a mile from Dartmoor, and yet a whole world away from the countryside.
Some Tavi best bits
- Take home a beautiful gift with a difference with a handmade, hand cut bar of soap from Odds and Suds
- Bring a copy of Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles – the Sherlock Holmes story is set not far away on the moors near here.
- For a lively festival vibe, with market stalls spread out along the Plymouth Road, visit Tavistock for the Goose Fair in October (or avoid it if you don’t like crowds!)
Park up near The Wharf Theatre on your way into Tavistock and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the river, past the ruins of the Abbey and up to the bridge. The Town Hall is now on your right, with the town beyond it. From flea markets to craft fairs and tea dances to vintage & textiles bazaars, the lively baronial style hall hosts a packed programme of events. And with five different markets on five different days, it’s a great place to stock up on a clutch of exceptional purchases.
Behind the hall you’ll find the historic indoor Tavistock Pannier Market. This feast of retail has been up and running non-stop for a whopping 900 years now - and it’s not hard to see why. There’s a simply huge selection of products and produce here. From fishing paraphernalia to plants, flowers and homewares, cake makers to watch menders and vintage cutlery to amber jewellery, pet supplies, toys and waterproofs. This is a one-stop-shop for the handmade and the hard to find.
On the main street and in the warren of streets around you’ll find retro homeware, artisan soap, specialist game butchers, cheesemongers, outdoor clothing and shoe stores, delectable patisseries and old school pharmacies.
Palmers of Tavistock has been in the same family for three generations. Now run by Archer Bird, this specialist butchers and licensed game dealers make their own sausages, pork pies, pasties, sausage rolls, faggots and hogs pudding on the premises – alongside three different types of scotch egg. All cooked meats are prepared from start to finish in the shop too and they have an impressive selection of local, Devon-made chutneys, mayonnaises and jams. Not to mention three different types of home-made scotch egg.
Stop off for a cuppa at the delightfully unassuming Coffee and Cream Patisserie on Brook Street. Sample an oh-go-on-then-I’ve-walked-a-lot-this-week-on-Dartmoor gooseberry chocolate crunch, pear gateau, Devon treacle tart or delectable French macaron.
On the main street and in the warren of streets around you’ll find retro homeware, artisan soap, specialist game butchers, cheesemongers, outdoor clothing and shoe stores, delectable patisseries and old school pharmacies.
Things here are slightly different and there are some real delights. Look out for the hairdressers in an old bank, the jigsaw shop and the delightful bit of froth that is Odds and Suds. A relative newcomer to the Tavistock scene, this delectable quality soap shop is filled with hand stirred, hand cut bars of the suddy stuff. Amazing aromas of bergamot, lavender, lemongrass and rose accompany soaps that look like miniature cakes, soaps topped with roses and huge slabs of soap stacked on vintage tables and dressers. Have your chosen bar wrapped with paper, raffia and dried flowers to make a delectable gift for a loved one – or for yourself.
After the sun sets, the cool kids pop over to John and Emma Hooker’s gorgeous gastro pub The Cornish Arms on West Street for classic seasonal combinations with plenty of flavour. Or book early to secure a table at Gorton’s restaurant for a more refined affair.
For lively nightlife try popular late night bar Jack Cham’s where there’s regularly a live band rocking it out, or sample some high quality touring tribute acts at the Wharf Theatre.
Explore this rural town of west country wonder by staying in a boutique cottage in Tavistock.
