The Birth of a Nation, the Birth of a Town
- dconn40
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
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When people think of Tavistock's history, they often picture the Abbey ruins, the Dukes of Bedford, the canal or the great mining era. Yet the story of Tavistock begins much earlier. This year's Heritage Open Days opens with two remarkable talks that transport audiences back more than a thousand years to the Anglo-Saxon world, revealing how a powerful Devon family helped shape not only Tavistock, but England itself.
These opening lectures by historian John Fletcher and Dr Geri Parlby represent a refreshing departure from the more familiar chapters of local history. Together they explore a period that is rarely discussed, yet one that explains why Tavistock exists at all.
Following the Mayor's opening of the festival, John Fletcher's Earldorman, Lord and Queen: Ordgar, Ordulf, Ælfthryth and the Beginnings of Tavistock introduces the extraordinary family whose influence reached from West Devon to the royal court.
Ordgar, the first recorded Earldorman of Devon, was a trusted adviser to King Edgar. His son, Ordulf, founded Tavistock Abbey in AD 974, creating the institution around which the town would develop. His daughter, Ælfthryth, became England's first crowned queen, while her son would reign as King Æthelred II.
Far from being an isolated settlement on the western frontier of Wessex, Tavistock emerges as a place with direct links to the highest levels of royal government and the Benedictine reforms that transformed England. It is a story set against Viking raids, political ambition and the emergence of a united English kingdom, reminding us that Tavistock's origins are woven into the national story.
John Fletcher is a historian specialising in the early medieval history of Cornwall and the South West. Author of The Western Kingdom: The Birth of Cornwall, he researches the impact of Viking and Scandinavian activity between the 9th and 11th centuries, bringing fresh insights into the people and events that shaped early medieval Britain.
He is also involved in major re-enactments of life and battles in the same period.
He probably won't be in this outfit for the lecture !
The following evening, Dr Geri Parlby continues that narrative with Temptress, Murderess, Mother and Patron: The Many Faces of Ælfthryth, Ordulf's Sister and England's First Crowned Queen. If John Fletcher introduces the remarkable family, Dr Parlby focuses on its most fascinating and controversial member.
Was Ælfthryth a pioneering queen, an astute political strategist or the victim of centuries of character assassination? Drawing on the latest scholarship, Dr Parlby examines the woman behind the legends, revealing how she navigated the dangerous world of royal politics while becoming one of the most influential women of Anglo-Saxon England.
Dr Geri Parlby is an historian, author and accredited Arts Society lecturer specialising in early medieval history, theology and art. An Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Roehampton, she is widely recognised for her engaging lectures and research into Anglo-Saxon England, early Christianity and the lives of influential historical women.
She is renowned for her engaging style, is a past Chair of THT and a stalwart of Heritage Open Days. Her opening lecture last year was completely 'sold out'.
The talks are deliberately complementary. John Fletcher provides the wider historical landscape, explaining how one Devon family came to found Tavistock Abbey at a pivotal moment in English history. Dr Parlby then explores the personality whose life illuminates many of the political and dynastic struggles of the age.
Together they offer a fascinating insight into the period that laid the foundations not only for Tavistock but also for the England we know today. They remind us that the road to 1066 did not begin with William the Conqueror crossing the Channel, but decades earlier, as kings sought to unite England, the Church expanded its influence, and Viking invasions tested the resilience of the emerging nation.
These two opening talks perfectly set the tone for Heritage Open Days 2026. They invite us to look beyond the familiar landmarks of Tavistock and discover how our town's story begins with kings, queens, monks and the creation of one of England's greatest medieval abbeys. They also remind us that understanding Tavistock's earliest history is not simply about looking back, but about recognising our town's place in the story of a nation.
We expect both of these talks to be oversubscribed and tickets at a premium.
You can book both talks by following these links
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