About North Tawton

North Tawton is a small market town ideally located in the heart of beautiful Devonshire, alongside the River Taw, which rises at the Taw Head.

About North Tawton Square

Shops and Places to Eat in The Square

Barzotelli’s Gelato Ice Cream made in North Tawton, also offers delicious local dairy produce Milkshakes, Luxury Hot Chocolates, Frappes and Coffees. And stocks locally produced honey. Barzotelli Gelato Ice Cream to eat in, take out in containers, or takeaway ice cream cones.

EcoMojo Refill Shop waging war on plastic and unnecessary food packaging! Buy what you need. Bring your own container. Refill. Large selection of plastic-free and loose, dried foods and oils. Fresh local fruit and vegetables. Plastic-free gifts, homeware and essentials. 01837 880289

Emporium General Shop stocks a wide range of goods including children’s activity toys and adult puzzle books and gifts. Groceries and dairy products. Phone: 01837 82441

Jen’s CAFE serves all day breakfast and afternoon cream teas. Phone: 01837 880366

Merry Go Round Shop – Preloved second-hand children’s clothes (including school uniform), baby clothes and equipment. Books, board games and toys for all ages. Phone: 01837 82521

Graylings award-winning Fish and Chips takeaway and restaurant. Phone: 01837 89195

Pizza Pronto takeaway. Phone: 01837 880098

Post Office offers:

  • Postal and Banking Services, Foreign Currency and Utility top-ups.
  • Gift cards.
  • Stationery.
  • Quality cards and gifts.
  • Confectionery.
  • Household and DIY items.
  • Seasonal items (including hats, gloves, scarves, slippers, Christmas and Summer stock).
  • Dry cleaning and Laundry services.

Ruth Smith Gallery – Art Gallery. Art Classes in the studio. Ruth Smith Art Gallery

Spar Supermarket Store. Open 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. Phone: 01837 82275

Angels Hairdresser Salon
Phone: 01837 82430
Moda Hairdresser Salon
Phone: 01837 82042
Roots Barber Shop
Phone: 01837 89092

Pharmacy with a range of health and beauty products from leading brands.

Taw Valley Creamery Cheese Shop.
Producing award-winning cheeses since 1974.
Phone: 01837 883661

Medical Practice

North Park Veterinary

North Tawton Food Pubs

Copper Key Inn, Fore Street, EX20 2DT
Phone: 01837 338745

Fountain Inn, Exeter Street, EX20 2HB
Phone: 01837 880385

The Railway, Whiddon Down Road, EX20 2BE
Phone: 01837 82789

The White Hart, Fore Street, EX20 2DT
Phone: 01837 748257

North Tawton Business Directory

Bloggs Garage: 01837 82232
Fore Street Garage: 01837 82006
North Street Motors: 01837 82815
The Valet Master
C H Jones Blacksmith and Fabrication Engineering
Mid Devon Machinery
Gregory Distribution and Logistics for over 100 years.
Vital Pet Food Group

Car Parks

North Tawton provides free car parking in the town. Small car park fronting the Memorial Park and larger car park opposite the historic market Town Hall in The Square. On-street parking.

Chapel and Church

North Tawton places of worship: Nonconformist Chapel and Anglican Church of England.

Community Centre

North Tawton Community Centre is a multi-room amenity hosting a variety of community interest events and monthly repair cafe.

Community Primary School and Nursery

North Tawton Community Primary School is an Ofsted rated GOOD School. Little Seedlings Baby and Toddler Group during term-time.

Memorial Recreation Park

Frank Henson Gibbings Memorial Park provides adventurous play equipment and family picnic tables.

Skateboard and Bike Challenge Track recently installed along with Trampoline and You & Me Swing for young children.

North Tawton Facilities

Refurbished Public Toilet amenities accessible for disabled people and their carers.

Range of Sports Clubs and Social Groups activities for all ages, abilities and interests.

Bed and Breakfast accommodation and Self Catering accommodation available in North Tawton and surrounding villages.

Mobile Library parks up in The Square opposite North Tawton Town Hall. The Mobile Library Timetable for North Tawton, Bondleigh, Sampford Courtenay, and Bow, is updated each month.

North Tawton Defibrillators and CPR information includes the location points for the four readily available defibrillators in the town.

North Tawton Fire Station is situated on Barton Street. The Fire Station covers an area of approximately 93 square miles. In the event of an emergency dial 999.

Bow village is only 4 miles from North Tawton and boasts an impressive garden and aquatic centre.

Dartmoor National Park is situated 6 miles from North Tawton.

Okehampton town, gateway to Dartmoor, is a mere 7 miles distance.

Crediton town is 12 miles distance.

Town Twinning with Blangy-le-Chateau

North Tawton Town Twinning with Blangy-le-Chateau, Normandy, France, commenced in 1975.

William Budd – Epidemiologist

The ancient market town of North Tawton is well-known with regard to William Budd, who was born at Melhuishes in North Tawton, on September 14, 1811, to North Tawton surgeon Samuel Budd and his wife Catherine Wreford.

William Budd, physician and epidemiologist, is known for recognising the contagious nature of infectious diseases. William Budd MD FRS recognised the poisons involved in infectious diseases, and how the poisons could be transmitted to the healthy through their consumption of contaminated water.

William Budd was instrumental in vastly reducing the number of deaths caused by cholera and typhoid fever.

There are few things which concern the people of this country more deeply than to know the exact truth touching the mode in which this fatal fever is disseminated amongst them.

Every year, on an average – take the United Kingdom through – some fifteen thousand or more of their number perish prematurely from it: a population equal to that of a considerable city every year swept into the grave by a single, and, as I hope to show, a perfectly preventable plague.

William Budd M.D., F.R.S.

Budd is credited with decreasing the incidence of deaths from epidemics of cholera from 2,000 (out of a population of 140,000) in 1849 to 29 in 1866, having taken measures to protect the water supplies in Bristol.

The Journal of The Royal Society of Medicine, JRSM, published an insightful article on the life and work of William Budd and Typhoid Fever by Robert Moorhead.

Edna Eglinton – Poet

Poet and children’s writer Edna Eglinton, who lived in North Tawton, featured in a long-running series of BBC Schools learning.

Ted Hughes – Poet Laureate

The late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and his first wife Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist and short-story writer, lived at Court Green in North Tawton.

Ted Hughes Memorial Walk, focusing on Ted Hughes memorial stone situated above the River Taw on Dartmoor, was organised by local Farms for City Children charity, founded by Clare and Michael Morpurgo, on June 14, 2015.

Ted Hughes OM was the founding president of Farms for City Children.

The guided memorial walk map is available for download on Farms for City Children website.

Related articles:

Jam and Jerusalem

Jennifer Saunders’ BBC television series “Jam and Jerusalem” was filmed on location in North Tawton, and on nearby Dartmoor, with members of the local community engaged as acting extras. St Peter’s Church and the Town Hall feature prominently throughout the series, which ran from 2006 to 2008.

The Jam and Jerusalem series starred Sue Johnston, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Pauline McLynn, Maggie Steed, Joanna Lumley, David Mitchell, Doreen Mantle and Sally Phillips.

You may be interested in reading:

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