Tavistock

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Many thanks to Tavistock Rotary Club and The West Devon Club for facilitating this camera's location and to the Westcountry Rivers Trust for capitally funding its installation. Tavistock, a historically significant market town located in West Devon on the banks of the River Tavy, derives its name from this very river. Its origins can be traced back to at least AD 961 when Tavistock Abbey was founded, and the remains of this abbey can still be found at the center of the town. Notably, Tavistock is renowned as the birthplace of Sir Francis Drake, an illustrious figure in history. The River Tavy, celebrated for its abundant salmon and sea trout populations, originates in the elevated regions of Dartmoor and gracefully winds its way through Tavistock until it converges with the Tamar estuary, situated north of Plymouth. Our webcam is strategically positioned on the Abbey Wall, offering a picturesque view of Abbey Bridge.
The Tavistock area, previously known as Tavistoke, has been inhabited since ancient times, preceding any recorded history. The region boasts a wealth of archaeological remnants from the Bronze and Iron Ages, providing evidence of a settlement on the current town site long before the official establishment of the Abbey. This area, characterized by the broad and shallow flow of the River Tavy, facilitating easy crossing, combined with its close proximity to the secure elevated terrain of Dartmoor, has played a significant role throughout history. Around 1540 (some sources state 1542 as the precise year), Sir Francis Drake was born at Crowndale Farm, located just west of what is now Tavistock College. A Blue Plaque adorns the farmhouse, believed to be the birthplace of Drake, while the original farmhouse was dismantled and its stone repurposed in Lew Trenchard. Drake emerged as a prominent figure of his era, serving as a champion of Queen Elizabeth, becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world from 1577 to 1580, and playing a crucial role as one of the English commanders in the victory against the Spanish Armada in 1588.The famous statue of Drake on Plymouth Hoe is a replica of the one found on a roundabout on the A386 at the western end of the town, although the panels on the Hoe copy do not mirror those on the original. Drake later made his home at Buckland Abbey, situated approximately eight miles (13 km) away towards Plymouth. This historic site is jointly owned and managed by Plymouth City Council and the National Trust, now serving as a museum dedicated to Drake.