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Across
the square you can eat a pub lunch, sample a local real ale brew
or stay the night in The Black Horse, where the leader of the New
Model Army, Sir Thomas Fairfax, made his headquarters for the campaign.
In
the parish church is a stained glass memorial to one Thomas Fowler.
Not a familiar name? It should be - he invented a gizmo in the 18th
century called a thermo-syphon, which is still the essential heart
of almost all central heating systems.
Not to mention a highly sophisticated ternary system calculating
engine which anticipated modern computers.
The town's Heritage Museum has a new exhibit devoted to him, complete
with working models!
A flaming
success
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Click
to watch BBC Spotlight's report of "The Great Fire
of Torrington 2000 "
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But
what a pity you weren't here in late August 2000, when a local charity
group (the Cavaliers, would you believe?) torched a full-scale replica
of London's Pudding Lane at the time of the Great Fire.
In the past the Cavaliers have built full size ships and churches
but this was their most ambitious to date.
The event raises money for charity and this year's spectacular is
planned to enter the Guiness Book of Records as the World's largest
ever bonfire.
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Taddiport,
as seen from Great Torrington Common. There was a leper hospital
here in the middle ages and it was the site of the main toll.
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A gentleman
called the Rev. William Keble Martin lived and worked here.
He's the one who produced the definitive "British Flora"
in the 60's.
Every one of 1400 wild flowers painstakingly hand-painted.We can
even show you the page he was about to complete on the day he died!
This
is just a small sample of the "other" attractions which
bring visitors to our town. You want more?
The Sir Joshua connection? Walking trails over hundreds of acres
of unspoilt Commons? An eerie ghost walk.........?
I could
go on forever. I love it - I'm sure you will too.
Great
Torrington? It most certainly is!
If you would like to extol the virtues of your Home
Town drop us a line and tell us why.
E-mail
us at
devon.online@bbc.co.uk
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