If you rented a cottage in Totnes a few years ago you might have noticed a brilliant sign that someone had taped over the “Welcome To Totnes” sign on the A385, that thin strip of reality that stops Totnes floating off into a parallel universe and joins this unique town to the rest of the world.
“Totnes” it said in the typical Department Of Transport signage and beneath that a cardboard addendum: “Twinned With Narnia.”
Most people renting cottages in Totnes or taking their annual South Devon holiday might not know this side of Totnes beyond an encounter with the Gong Shower guy outside Arcturus, a new age bookshop that seems to pump incense out into Fore Street mixing in a strange, sweetly floral cloud as it blends with the intense sugar aroma from Roly’s Fudge opposite. But locals know exactly what it means.
Many holidaymakers arrive in the town on boat trips along the Dart that dock at the bottom of town. They saunter over The Plains, perhaps enjoy a drink at the Seven Stars and then maybe stroll up bottom half of Fore St where reassuring High St shops like WH Smith, Superdrug and Oggie’s Pasties might lull you into thinking that this was just another quaint South Devon town like any another. Most then turn around and head back to the boat to Dartmouth none the wiser.
Some may have heard of Totnes being somewhat “hippified”. Superficially it’s the new age capital of Devon and rivals Glastonbury for its crystal shops and complimentary medicine practitioners. Living here, it can seem at times that every second person you meet is an aromatherapist, Reiki healer or cranio-sacral wizard. Speaking as one who has tried virtually every alternative therapy going, I don’t mean this in any pejorative sense – it’s wonderful!
However, there’s a much deeper sense to Totnes’ claim to be the most alternative town in the UK. For a start there are four shops within walking distance of each other where you can buy organic food (Green Life, Riverford Goes To Town, Seeds Bakery and Sacks) – not one of them a chain supermarket.
With three farm shops in South Devon, the hugely popular Riverford Field Kitchen (one of the best places to eat out in the South West) and a successful box scheme, Riverford in particular is a huge asset to the town and to region. When friends visit from London or elsewhere, they are always amazed by how easy it is to find great local meat and veg and, while I haven’t done any rigorous price comparisons, lots of people tell us that it’s way cheaper than the equivalent in London. It might not be the only reason to rent a cottage in Totnes but if you’re a half decent cook the draw of some seriously good local produce is a big incentive.
Totnes is also home of the Transition movement, one of the most inspiring and influential social and environmental projects anywhere on the planet. They have events and activities throughout the year and anyone with the vaguest interest in where this planet is heading should at the very least check out what they’re doing.
Beyond the town both Dartington Hall and Schumacher College add to the rich life of the town, the former as home to arts festivals such as Ways With Words and the Home Festival and the latter as one of the leading learning centres for sustainable living. There’s even an edible forest nearby!
Don’t let all this talk of alternative thinking scare you though, if you’re not into it then it still rubs off on the town in very pleasant and unobtrusive ways. There’s more colour here than you would normally get in a small provincial town, whether it’s the buskers, the markets, the lantern parade or the Christmas markets. Being different is a good thing…