Editing Great Torrington

{{Short description|Town in Devon, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox UK place
|official_name=           Great Torrington
|static_image_name=       Town hall torrington 050416.jpg
|static_image_caption=    [[Great Torrington Town Hall]] in the centre of the town
|static_image_2_name=     Escutcheon of Great Torrington Town Council.svg
|static_image_2_caption=  Coat of arms
|static_image_2_width=    80px
|country =                England
|coordinates = {{coord|50.953|-4.141|display=inline,title}}
|shire_district=          [[Torridge District|Torridge]]
|shire_county =           [[Devon]]
|region=                  South West England
|post_town=               TORRINGTON
|postcode_district=       EX38
|postcode_area=           EX
|dial_code=               01805
|os_grid_reference=       SS4919
|population = 5,953 
|population_ref = (2021 Census)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/devon/E63006277__great_torrington/ | title=Great Torrington (Devon, South West England, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information }}</ref>
|constituency_westminster=[[Torridge and West Devon (UK Parliament constituency)|Torridge and West Devon]]
}}

'''Great Torrington''' (often abbreviated to '''Torrington''', though the villages of [[Little Torrington]] and [[Black Torrington]] are situated in the same region) is a [[market town]] in [[Devon]], England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the [[River Torridge]] below, with the lower-lying parts of the town prone to occasional [[flood]]ing. Torrington is in the centre of Tarka Country, a landscape captured by [[Henry Williamson]] in his novel ''[[Tarka the Otter]]'' in 1927. Great Torrington has one of the most active volunteering communities in the United Kingdom.<ref>Edwards, Goodwin and Woods (2003), Citizenship, community and participation in small towns: a case study of regeneration partnerships, in Imrie and Raco (eds), Urban Renaissance?: New Labour, community and urban policy, Policy Press, Bristol</ref>

In July 2019, Great Torrington was reported to be the healthiest place to live in Britain. Researchers from the [[University of Liverpool]] found that the area had low levels of pollution, good access to green space and health services, along with few retail outlets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jul/01/soho-is-britains-unhealthiest-place-to-live-study-finds|title=Soho is Britain's unhealthiest place to live, study finds|last=Badshah|first=Nadeem|date=2019-07-01|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-07-01|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

== 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]]

==Descent of the manor==
The manor of Great Torrington was granted by [[Mary I of England|Queen Mary]] to [[James Bassett (clergy)|James Basset]] (1526–1558),<ref name="Alexander, p.64">Alexander, p.64</ref> [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]], a younger son of [[Sir John Bassett]] (1462 – 31 Jan 1529) of [[Umberleigh]]. James's son Philip Bassett sold it to Sir John Fortescue ({{circa|1531}}–1607) of Ponsbourne,<ref name="Alexander, p.64"/> near [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]], Hertfordshire, the eldest son of [[Adrian Fortescue (martyr)|Sir Adrian Fortescue]] (1476–1539), descended from Richard Fortescue, younger brother of [[Henry Fortescue (Lord Chief Justice)|Henry Fortescue]] ([[fl.]] 1426), [[Chief Justice of the Common Pleas|Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas]] in Ireland and of [[John Fortescue (judge)|Sir John Fortescue]] (ca. 1394–1480), [[Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales]].<ref>Vivian, Heralds' Visitation of Devon, 1895, p.353</ref> [[Denys Rolle (1614–1638)|Denys Rolle]] (1614–1638) of nearby [[Stevenstone]] in the parish of [[St Giles in the Wood]], acquired the [[Lord of the manor|lordship of the manor]] of Great Torrington from his descendant Sir William Fortescue.<ref name="Alexander, p.64"/> Denys Rolle (1614–1638) founded the [[Charity school|Bluecoat School]] in Torrington<ref>Alexander, J.J. & Hooper, W.R., History of Great Torrington, Sutton, 1948, p.64</ref> The fountain and clock in the square were given in 1870 by [[Mark Rolle]] (1835–1907)<ref name="Alexander, p.64"/> A number of family portraits were given to the town by the heirs of Mark Rolle, some of which remain on display in the Great Torrington Town Hall, some of the more valuable ones having been sold, including a portrait of [[John Rolle Walter]] (c.1714–1779) by [[Pompeo Batoni]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/exeter-wins-bid-to-save-rolle-s-portrait-7389882|title=Exeter wins bid to save Rolle's portrait|newspaper=Exeter Journal|date=17 November 2008|access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref>

== Torrington Common ==

'''Torrington Common''' is an area of [[common land]] which surrounds the town on all but the eastern side. The common is administered by a body called "The Commons Conservators". The Common covers {{convert|365|acres|0|abbr=on}} and has over {{convert|20|mi|0|abbr=off}} of public rights of way. The landscape features a variety of habitats, flora and fauna.

=== History of the common ===

An "area of waste called the Common" was donated to the town in 1194 by the [[English feudal barony|feudal baron of Great Torrington]]. In 1889, the rights to this land were transferred by an [[act of parliament|Act of Parliament]] to an elected "Committee of Conservators". The bill was subject of a local poll, as the document now at Devon Record Office evidences:<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Devon Record Office|year=1889|title= 48/22/13/9 Contents: Great Torrington|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/A2A/records.aspx?cat=027-4822&cid=-1#-1}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|Poll of inhabitants on "A Bill for Vesting the Management of Great Torrington Common, Castle Hill Common and other lands in the Borough of Great Torrington in the County of Devon in a Body of Conservators and to settle questions between the Commoners of Great Torrington and the Owners of the Rolle Estate and for other purposes".}}

The Rolle Estate was the largest landowner in Devon,<ref>See [[Mark Rolle]], life tenant of the Rolle Estate under the will of [[John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle]]</ref> having been built up by the Rolle family of [[Stevenstone]]. Since 2 October 1889 the Conservators have met regularly to fulfil their remit to manage the land. Early activity was mainly concerned with control over the grazing and quarrying of the common, but since 1980 grazing has stopped and instead various techniques have taken its place to prevent the common from reverting to scrub and woodland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://clintondevon.com/|title=Home|website=Clinton Devon Estates}}</ref> 

=== Features of the common ===
* '''Taddiport Bridge''' and '''Rothern Bridge''': Prior to the opening of the Town Mills Bridge, these were the only local crossings of the River Torridge.
* '''Rolle Road''': This is the site of the [[Rolle Canal]] which opened in 1827 to help transport [[clay]], [[Lime (mineral)|lime]] and other commodities between the boats on the tidal river at Landcross and the lime kilns, clay pits and farms around Torrington. It ran through common land, but was closed in 1871. Later, it was filled in to create a [[toll road]] across the Common.
* '''Waterloo Monument''': A stone [[obelisk]] erected in 1818 by "the ladies of Great Torrington" to commemorate the [[Battle of Waterloo]].

== Visitor attractions ==
[[File:Cornmarket Street, Great Torrington - geograph.org.uk - 1199206.jpg|180px|thumb|left|Cornmarket Street, Great Torrington]]
Attractions in Great Torrington include:
* [[Dartington Crystal]], Factory, Visitors Centre, Glass Shop and Restaurant of Dartington Crystal – the biggest employer in the town and the only major working glass factory in the UK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dartington.co.uk/|title=Welome to Dartington Glass|access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref>
[[File:The plough torrington 05041.jpg|180px|thumb|right|[[The Plough Arts Centre, Torrington|The Plough Arts Centre]] is Great Torrington's theatre, cinema and art gallery.]]
* [[Rosemoor Garden]], a collection of [[garden]]s, [[woodland]]s and [[park]]land owned by the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]
* The [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] [[Pannier Market, Torrington|Torrington Pannier Market]] with a glass roof, restored in 1999
* Great Torrington Heritage Museum, located next to the [[Pannier Market]]
* [[St Michael and All Angels, Great Torrington|St Michael and All Angels]], a [[Church of England parish church]] whose churchyard includes a mound said to contain the remains of 60 [[English Civil War|Civil War]] [[Cavalier|Royalist]] prisoners
* [[The Plough Arts Centre, Torrington|The Plough Arts Centre]], a small theatre, cinema and gallery
* Great Torrington also has a selection of [[pub]]s selling food and a selection of [[real ale]]s. These include The Torridge Inn, Torrington Arms, Cavalier and Royal Exchange. Torrington had a small [[brewery]] called Clearwater Brewery with its "Cavalier" and "1646" brands.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Torrington-s-Clearwater-Brewery-offers-North/story-20427222-detail/story.html |title=Torrington's Clearwater Brewery offers North Devon pubs the chance to have their own branded ale |access-date=31 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031160904/http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Torrington-s-Clearwater-Brewery-offers-North/story-20427222-detail/story.html |archive-date=31 October 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Employment ==

Torrington has long been a factory town. In the nineteenth century it was a centre of the glove making industry. The major employer today is [[Dartington Crystal]], but the shops in the town centre also provide a source of employment. Most of the shops are locally owned; however, there are branches of [[The Co-operative Food]] and [[Lidl]]. Large factories have deserted the town in recent years including the meat factory after a fire, and the milk factory which also caught fire has moved its production elsewhere. Various converted and purpose-built care homes in the town also provide a significant source of employment.

In 2006, Tesco sought to open a {{convert|30000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} store in the town; however, this was opposed by many locals and the planning application was rejected.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6180605.stm |title=Tesco town store plans rejected |date=14 December 2006 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

== Sports and culture ==
Local radio is provided by [[The Voice (North Devon)|The Voice]], a station based in nearby [[Barnstaple]] that broadcasts across North Devon on FM and DAB. Most of the content on the station is locally produced.<ref name=VoicePublicFile>{{cite web|url=https://www.thevoicefm.co.uk/public-file/|website=The Voice|title=The Voice Public File|access-date=15 June 2020}}</ref>

Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC South West]] and [[ITV West Country]]. Television signals are received from the nearby [[Huntshaw Cross transmitting station|Huntshaw Cross]] TV transmitter situated north east of the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Huntshaw_Cross|title=Full Freeview on the Huntshaw Cross (Devon, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|access-date=20 August 2024}}</ref>

[[BBC Local Radio]] station that broadcast to the town is [[BBC Radio Devon]] on 94.8 FM.

The regional radio station [[Heart West]] can be received in the town on FM and DAB. The station is a part of the [[Heart (radio network)|Heart]] network and broadcasts across the South West of England. Most of the shows broadcast are national shows from the Heart London studios, rather than region-specific ones.<ref name=HeartWest>{{cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2019/05/heart-drivetime-show-presenters-announced-by-global/|title=Heart drivetime show presenters announced by Global|date=20 May 2019|access-date=15 June 2020|website=Radio Today|author=Roy Martin}}</ref> Region-specific content includes the weekday Drivetime show produced in [[Bristol]], and local advertising.

The local newspaper is the ''[[North Devon Journal]]'' also based in Barnstaple. The ''[[Western Morning News]]'' is a regional paper widely available. Most households receive a copy of the ''[[North Devon Gazette]]'' every week. ''The Crier'' is the community newsletter and diary delivered free to most households in the town and surrounding area for ten months of the year.

Torrington's [[Football (soccer)|football]] teams are [[Torrington F.C.]] and [[Torridgeside A.F.C.]] There are also rugby, netball, tennis and swimming teams. Torrington nine-hole Golf Course is {{convert|1.2|mi|km|sigfig=1}} northwest of the town centre. Great Torrington Bowling Club, established in 1645, is the third oldest bowling club in England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greattorringtonbowlingclub.co.uk/ |title=Great Torrington Bowling Club|access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref> As of 2024 Torrington is also home to North Devon’s first and only Baseball Club, the Torrington Riptides.

Great Torrington is twinned with the French port town of [[Roscoff]],<ref name="Archant twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |title=British towns twinned with French towns |access-date=2013-07-11 |work=Archant Community Media Ltd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |archive-date=5 July 2013 }}</ref> situated in northern Brittany. Roscoff is served by the [[Brittany Ferries]] service from [[Plymouth]] and is a popular destination for school trips from the area.

==Transport==
Torrington is served by 43 local bus services mostly operated by Stagecoach South West. Some only operate one way and a number are weekly only service.

Belle Vue Airfield is a single runway airfield about 2.5 miles northeast of Great Torrington in North Devon, England. It is for private aviation only, operating restricted flying hours and is frequented by Microlight and hang-gliding clubs. The 580-metre (1,902-foot) runway is grass.<ref>[http://latitude.to/articles-by-country/gb/united-kingdom/328559/belle-vue-airfield Latitude and longitude of Belle Vue Airfield] "latitude.to"</ref>
	
Exeter Airport {{convert|35|mi}} away operates scheduled flights from [[Shannon Airport]], Eire and the Channel Islands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitdevon.co.uk/northdevon/whats-on/gardens-and-nature|title=Gardens & Nature Events &#124; North Devon|website=www.visitdevon.co.uk}}</ref>

The nearest ferry port is Plymouth {{convert|40|mi}} away, at which Brittany Ferries offer a regular service from [[Roscoff]] in Brittany.
There is a summertime-only ferry service based at Bideford Harbour (7 miles away) to and from [[Lundy Island]].

Torrington has no direct train services; [[Umberleigh railway station|Umberleigh]] (8 miles away) is served by the Tarka Line from Exeter St David's. Bus connections are available to and from Barnstaple station (11 miles away).

==Notable people==
* [[Thomas Fowler (inventor)|Thomas Fowler]] (1777–1843), inventor
* [[Elizabeth Johnson (pamphleteer)|Elizabeth Johnson]] (1721–1800), pamphleteer
* [[William Johnson Cory]] (1823–1892), educator and poet
* [[William Keble Martin]] (1877–1969), reverend, botanist and author
*[[William Sandford]] (1841–1932), pioneer of the Australian iron and steel industry.

==See also==
* [[Great Torrington School]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk Great Torrington Town Council]
*[https://www.onegreattorrington.uk www.OneGreatTorrington.uk]

{{Devon}}
{{Torridge}}
{{Devon parishes}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Great Torrington| ]]
[[Category:Former manors in Devon]]
[[Category:Market towns in Devon]]
[[Category:Towns in Devon]]
[[Category:Torridge District]]
[[Category:Deaneries of the Church of England]]