Great Torrington & District Through Time

Great Torrington, or Cheping Torrington as it was once known, was a considerable town, even in medieval times. It grew steadily from its agricultural roots through an industrial phase, and was at the centre of road, canal and railway links. In Victorian times it had cornmills, sawmills, grist mills and tucking mills, lime kilns and a glove-making factory, which employed 1,000 people. In the twentieth century, a milk and butter processing plant and glass works were built here. One of Devon's largest landowners, the Rolles, made their home here in Stevenstone, the grandest house in North Devon, and they remain in the area at Heanton Satchville. Further back in history, the town was the scene of a bloody battle during the Civil War. Many artefacts from Torrington s colourful past can still be found here: the thirteenth-century castle area, the remains of the canal, opened in 1827, and an early narrow gauge railway.