Gerry Woodcock is married to Norma the Mayor of Tavistock. Born in Leicestershire,he studied history at Cambridge and moved to Tavistock in 1966 to teach at Tavistock College. Take this tour with Gerry who is a cricket and jazz fan and loves Tavistock for its history and scenery.

One of the reasons why Tavistock retains such a hold on the affections and the imagination of both residents and visitors is that it has managed to keep a balance between preserving the old and adapting to the new.

A walk round the town will confirm this impression. The 14th century Parish Church and the 19th century Town Hall admire each other across Bedford Square. Next to the latter are other features of the Victorian redevelopment that also gave us the Guildhall, the Pannier Market and Duke Street.

Tavistock is still a busy market town

Tavistock has always been a market town, and the Market Hall is today a bustling focus for trade. The town is a shoppers paradise especially at world famous Creeber's for specialist food and local produce.

The town has character and charm and has not succumbed to the pressures which have produced so many unifrom town centres.

The canal still runs along by the Wharf and is ideal for a quiet stroll

A pleasant riverside walk for example brings you to the Meadows an area offering a range of recreational activities, with a swimming bath and a bit of open space.

A community is a group of people with shared experiences. On this definition Tavistock is certainly a community. Perhaps we share with other communities of like size - about 10,000 - the advantage of being sufficiently small to make it possible to retain this sense of identity, while on the other hand being large enough to offer an impressive range of organisations interests and activities.

Continue your tour of Tavistock