Editing Great Torrington (section)

== History ==
[[File:(Castle Hill, Torrington, England) (LOC) (16333586239).jpg|thumb|"Castle Hill, Torrington, England", ca. 1890 – 1900]]
[[File:Alderman Nathaniel Chapple, Mayor of Torrington (1871, 1879 & 1889).jpg|thumb|upright|''Alderman Nathaniel Chapple, Mayor of Torrington (1871, 1879 & 1889)'' by [[Henry Jamyn Brooks]] ]]

There were Iron Age and medieval castles and forts in Torrington, located on the [[Castle Hill, Torrington|Castle Hill]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/huntshaw-hill-fort-is-safe-but-other-historic-north-devon-sites-threatened-1-4765663|title=Huntshaw Hill Fort is 'Safe', but Other Historic North Devon Sites Threatened|access-date=15 August 2017|newspaper=North Devon Gazette|date=7 November 2016}}</ref>

Great Torrington had strategic significance in the [[English Civil War]]. In the [[Battle of Torrington]] (1646), the [[roundhead|Parliamentarians]], led by [[Sir Thomas Fairfax]], swept into the town and defeated [[Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton|Lord Hopton]]'s forces. This marked the end of [[Cavalier|Royalist]] resistance in the [[West Country]]. Today the town is recognised as an important heritage centre for the history of the 17th century, and its people can often be seen dressed in [[costume]] for historical [[Historical reenactment|re-enactment]]s, [[festival]]s and [[celebration (party)|celebrations]]. An interactive Civil War Experience, "Torrington 1646", used to mark the town's historically important role.
The Torrington jail was not big enough for more than one man so the Royalists kept all the Parliamentarian prisoners in the church. Then 70 barrels of gunpowder exploded and killed everyone held captive and many of their captors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bcw-project.org/military/english-civil-war/west-country/battle-of-torrington|title=Battle of Torrington|publisher=British Civil War Project|access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref> [[Great Torrington Town Hall]], a [[Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical style]] building, was completed in 1861.<ref>{{NHLE|desc= Town Hall, High Street|num=  1332997|access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref>

===Railway===
{{main article|Torrington railway station}}
[[File:Torringtonstation.jpg|thumb|right|Torrington station on 15 June 1969 looking towards Bideford]]
The branch line from [[Barnstaple railway station|Barnstaple]] to [[Bideford railway station|Bideford]] was extended to Great Torrington in July 1872 by the [[London and South Western Railway]], which built a railway station and [[motive power depot|locomotive depot]] in the town. The station was always named 'Torrington', not 'Great Torrington'.

The locomotive depot was closed in 1959 and the line was closed to passenger traffic as part of the [[Beeching Axe]]. It was closed to goods traffic in 1984. At the site of the old station there is still in 2015 a pub named ''The Puffing Billy''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/torrington_to_meeth |title=Torrington to Meeth |access-date=2015-03-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095548/http://www.devon.gov.uk/torrington_to_meeth |archive-date=2 April 2015 }}</ref> A few small sections of track remain, but most has been removed and replaced with a combined foot and cycle path as part of the [[Tarka Trail]]. The Tarka Trail continues to Bideford, Barnstaple and on to Braunton in one direction, and to Meeth in the other, making {{convert|32|mi|km}} of traffic free trail.
[[File:Torringtonviaduct.jpg|thumb|right|The narrow gauge wooden viaduct over the Torridge in 1905]]
[[File:Great torrington map1937.jpg|thumb|right|Great Torrington in 1937]]