Bannawell Street: The Street That Made Tavistock - a new guided walk for Heritage Open Days 2026

At first glance, Bannawell Street is easy to overlook.

Tucked away between the bustle of Tavistock's town centre and the imposing railway viaduct, it appears to be a quiet residential street with little to hint at its remarkable past. Yet appearances can be deceptive. Few places in Tavistock encapsulate so many centuries of the town's history in such a short distance.

This year's Heritage Open Days introduces a fascinating new guided walk that uncovers the hidden stories of "the street that made Tavistock."

Led by residents and local historians, the walk follows Bannawell Street from the former workhouse to the viaduct, revealing a place where almost every chapter of Tavistock's history has left its mark.

Long before there were houses or railways, this was an important route into the medieval town.

The name itself recalls one of Tavistock's ancient water sources, while the surrounding landscape was shaped by the Abbey that dominated the town for centuries.

As Tavistock evolved, so did Bannawell Street.

The area witnessed the arrival of monks, traders and craftsmen before becoming home to generations of working families whose lives were shaped by mining, industry and changing fortunes. During the Victorian period it stood close to the heart of one of the busiest industrial communities in the South West, while the towering railway viaduct transformed both the skyline and the lives of local people.

But this is not simply a walk about buildings.

It is about the people who lived here.

The families who struggled through poverty. The workers who left each morning for the mines. The children who grew up in modest cottages. The residents who experienced prosperity, hardship, illness and celebration in equal measure. Their stories reflect this year's Heritage Open Days theme, Everyday Histories, reminding us that the history of Tavistock is not only the story of abbots, dukes and industrialists, but also of ordinary people whose lives shaped the community we know today.

Along the way, visitors will hear tales of resilience and reinvention, of sanitation and social reform, of industry and innovation, and of how one unassuming street became a microcosm of Tavistock's wider story.

The walk also celebrates the power of community history. It has been created by people who know Bannawell Street best: its residents. Drawing together local memories, historical research and a genuine affection for the neighbourhood, they reveal a side of Tavistock that many visitors, and even lifelong residents, have never experienced.

Heritage Open Days is all about opening doors and uncovering hidden stories. Sometimes those stories are found in grand buildings or spectacular landscapes. Sometimes they are hidden in the quiet streets we walk past every day.

Bannawell Street is one of those places.

By the end of the walk, visitors are likely to see it with entirely new eyes. What first appears to be an ordinary residential street becomes a remarkable thread running through more than a thousand years of Tavistock's history, connecting the medieval Abbey, the Industrial Revolution, the coming of the railway and the lives of countless local families.

This is a unique opportunity to discover one of Tavistock's hidden gems through the eyes of the people who know it best. Places are limited and, as with many Heritage Open Days events, advance booking is essential.

Don't miss the chance to experience one of the festival's newest and most intriguing walks. Scan or click the QR code below to book, reserve your free place, and discover why Bannawell Street really is the street that made Tavistock.

Scan or click the QR Code to book this walk