Bovey Tracey is a small market town on the edge of the UK's largest National Park, Dartmoor, which offers a landscape of natural beauty, wildlife and adventure. As the ‘Gateway to Dartmoor’ the town provides a mixture of scenic parklands, historic buildings, attractions, many restaurants, pubs, independent shops and a whisky distillery. It also hosts a farmers market selling local produce and has a renowned Arts Centre situated in the 19th century water mill.
The town of Bovey Tracey has a long and colourful history. Its name is derived from a combination of the River Bovi, which flows through the western edge of the town, and the De Tracey family who ruled over the town after the Norman Conquest.
The restored 19th century mill is home to the renowned Devon Guild of Crafts which holds its annual Contemporary Craft Festival in the town every June, drawing creative craftsmen from all over the world to showcase their skills.
Other historical buildings including Parke House (Dartmoor National Park Headquarters) which was handed to the National Trust in 1974. Cromwell’s Arch is the last remains of a monastery which was demolished in 1822 and is a reminder of the town's connection with the Civil War.
In 1820 George Templer built an 8 mile granite tramway (Templer Way) to connect the granite quarries at Haytor to the Stover Canal at Teigngrace, to enable him to transport granite down the River Teign to the Coast.
The Grade II listed Railway station positioned on the line between Newton Abbot and Mortenhampstead, built in 1866 and closed in 1959, is now home to the Bovey Tracey Heritage Trust.
The town has close links to the pottery industry as it is positioned on the edge of the Bovey Basin - an area known for its valuable clay deposits. Bottle kilns and examples of the pottery can be seen today at a museum in the House of Marbles. Today this is an attraction showcasing glass blowing and has the largest collection of marbles and the biggest marble run in the world!
