Our trip to Totnes

We arrived in Bristol very late…

…and next day, early morning, we went on a tour around Totnes.

We started at the Information Centre in the Town Mill…

… and then went to the River Dart.

We walked along Vire Island, named after the Normandy town twinned with Totnes..

We walked up Fore Street and could see different houses built for the town’s wealthy merchants in the 16th and 17th centuries.

We walked under East Gate Arch, once the gateway to the medieval town and reconstructed after a devastating fire in 1990, and we followed the line of the old town wall behind St Mary’s Church and got to Guildhall.

The late 15th-century Parish Church of St Mary is built of deep red Devon sandstone and it is particularly noted for its 120 foot tower and stone roodscreen.

Totnes Guildhall was built in 1553 on the ruins of the medieval priory, founded in It was the heart of the town’s administrative, legal and ceremonial life for 12 centuries, serving as court, prison and meeting place.

We left Guildhall and went to the castle.

Totnes Castle was built by Judhael, the 11th- century Norman overlord of Totnes. From the ramparts we could appreciate the castle’s superb defensive position and enjoy magnificent 360 degree views.

Where are we?

Karaoke Party. Having a blast!

Berry Pomeroy castle is situated near the small village of Berry Pomeroy. It is said be one of the most haunted buildings in the United Kingdom.

One of the ghosts is known as the White Lady, who haunts the dungeons. Her figure is associated with feelings of depression and fear. She has been identified as the ghost of Lady Margaret Pomeroy, who was imprisoned in the dungeons by her sister, Lady Eleanor. Eleanor was insanely jealous of her younger and prettier sister, and also hated her because they loved the same man. Margaret was imprisoned in the castle dungeons for nearly two decades, until she died of starvation. A blue light has been seen on a particular day every year in St Margaret's Tower, usually during the evening.

A second ghost is the Blue Lady. Dressed in a long blue cape and hood, she tries to lead men to dangerous areas of the castle, searching their death. Be careful, boys! She is the spirit of the daughter of an early Norman lord, who after an incestuous relationship, gave birth to a child. Shortly after its birth, her father strangled the baby. In another version of the story it is said that she hated the child so much that she strangled it herself. At various times, the cries of the murdered infant can be heard throughout the castle.

We looked for the ghosts in every nook and cranny

Totnes from Berry Pomeroy Castle

Dartmouth

Back in Totnes, market time …

…and in the evening, dinner out at The Dartmouth Inn.

Plymouth

The Barbican was an essential part of our visit to Plymouth. It was the early settlement port.

Mayflower Museum

We visited the Mayflower Museum where we found out that in 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for the New World and established Plymouth Colony, the second English settlement in what is now the United States of America.

Lovely day!

We walked up hill to Plymouth Hoe, where Smeaton´s Tower Lighthouse is.

On Plymouth Hoe, we could stand where Sir Francis Drake played bowls as the Spanish Armada approached. Everybody was listening carefully to Jessy, our guide.

The lighthouse was originally built on the Eddystone reef in 1759, but was taken down in the early 1880s when it was discovered that the sea was undermining the rock it was standing on. Approximately two thirds of the structure were moved stone by stone to its current resting place on the Hoe.

Having some fish and chips at The Silver Grill

At the Language School

To our dear students "We will always remember this trip as one of the best in our lives, especially thanks to your excellent behaviour. It was a pleasure to take you to England, you made our trip unforgettable! Elena, Araceli y Marta

We did great!