Stones & Styles: Tavistock’s Architecture Through the Ages - a new walk especially created for HODs
- dconn40
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
One of this year’s most exciting new additions to Heritage Open Days is Stones & Styles, a guided walk created especially for the festival by eminent local architect and historian Sue Spackman.
Sue is one of Tavistock Heritage Trust's most popular walk leaders. She combines a working lifetime of architectural experience with a profound knowledge of the Tavistock built environment.
Tavistock is a town built in layers, and on this gentle hour-long walk you’ll discover how centuries of change have shaped the streets we know today. From the medieval cloisters of the Abbey to elegant Georgian vicarages, from the bold neo-classical façades of the 19th century to a surprising splash of Art Nouveau, Sue will reveal the craftsmanship, ambition and fashion that left their mark in stone.
As we pause at key landmarks, you’ll hear about the designers who worked here – some of national renown, others more local but no less inventive – and the patrons, from abbots to dukes, who commissioned them. Along the way Sue will explore how broader architectural trends filtered down to a West Devon market town, and how buildings that once served abbots, merchants, or schoolchildren continue to define Tavistock’s identity today.
It’s a walk that promises to change the way you look at the town – familiar streets and shopfronts take on new life when you know the story behind their arches, columns and decorative detail.
Numbers are limited, so early booking is recommended.