UK Travel Guide

 
 

 

Totnes in Devon

Being notorious for being cowardly can have its up-side. The defenders of Totnes Castle were known for their lack of desire to fight and quickness to surrender. Therefore, the castle hardly suffered any battle damage leaving the formidable castle in superb condition. The beautiful castle is an excellent example of a Norman motte- and-bailey castle even though the motte has now been filled and lined with gardens and houses. As a former a trade center with France, Totnes attained much of its economic success. Around the sixteenth century delicate cloth was exchanged with France for wine. Today, however, Totnes remains a simple artesian town with only one moderately functional port off the river Dart. Its fruitful land yields corn and various other fruits and vegetables that support the town’s weekly market. There are a few famous people that have left their great mark in this handsome little town. The most notable of which was the mathematician Charles Babbage, whose genius produced an analytical engine that was the forerunner to the computer.