Get out with Totnes Ramblers

Totnes Ramblers have launched the Franklin Trail information board they have installed on the Plains in Totnes, so local people and visitors to the town can find out more and look at a map of the trail.

The Franklin Trail is a circular walk around Totnes which came to life as part of a legacy bequest from a member of the Totnes Ramblers, Mr Edward Franklin. It is a 6¾ mile, waymarked, circular walk, starting on the Plains in the centre of Totnes, with several points of interest along the way including

Totnes Riverside Station and Fishchowter’s Lane. Totnes Ramblers launched the Trail in 2017 and this year made improvements including the information board, benches and additional fingerposts. The new features have been installed thanks to the efforts of committee members, including Chairman Andrew Chadwick, Footpath Officer Trevor Walker, Chris Leigh and Anna Lunk.

Two benches have been installed, the first is above the Follaton Oaks development and has views across to Haytor on Dartmoor. The second bench is on Fishchowter’s Lane and as well as good views over the town it provides a welcome rest as you walk up the hill. To guide walkers around the Trail five new finger posts were installed on Fishchowter’s Lane, Copland Lane, Barrack Hill, Riverside near Brutus Bridge and near the Hydropower scheme on the River Dart.

Totnes Ramblers Chairman Andrew Chadwick said: “We are delighted to launch the new information board and encourage locals and visitors alike to come and look at it and try the Franklin Trail for themselves.”

More information about the Franklin Trail and a downloadable map can be found on the Totnes Ramblers website www.ramblers.org.uk/totnes. The website also includes details of the group’s walks programme. Totnes Ramblers welcome newcomers to join them for a walk in the beautiful countryside of South Devon.

Members of Totnes Ramblers join Chairman Andrew Chadwick (third from
left) to launch the Franklin Trail information board on the Plains, Totnes (photo credit, Alan
Fuller).

Plans for St Mary’s Church

The idea for a giant map on the floor of St Mary’s came when we were discussing ideas around the exhibition space with Rev Steve and another trustee, Emily Price. We were full of ideas – we would have a giant screen, a huge wooden wish tree (I still love this idea), a free-standing, stained glass panel of modern Totnes (also still love this idea), but it was the giant map that really caught on. I’ve been stopped by quite a few visitors in town asking where this and that and the castle are. Most residents have. The town maps we do have displayed are lovely but worn and out of date. We’d been discussing as a council, how we would get new ones and so the idea was fresh in my mind. The original thought was to have a great slate floor with a map inscribed into it, but that, of course, turned out to be too costly and as we wanted it to be very detailed that was going to be tricky in slate. The exhibition designer suggested polished black linoleum, which sounded perfect. We as a trust, are trying to raise an enormous sum of money to repair St Mary’s. We don’t only want to repair it, we want to add a toilet and a kitchen and make it a wonderful resource in the centre of town. It should be, it’s a beautiful building and we lack community space in Totnes. I am not a church-goer myself, but I am fully behind restoring this gorgeous building and opening it up to the wider community. We are planning on making it an exhibition space, a theatre, a place for community gathering. This doesn’t mean it won’t continue as a church; of course, it will, we just want to really make it accessible as an asset to everyone. The map will contribute to this. It’ll be huge, 15 square meters and situated at the back of the church by the back door. It’ll stretch from St Johns in Bridgetown to the Bay Horse in Totnes. We have chosen an artist, Anna Ventura, whose details I was sent by someone on Facebook when I asked for suggestions. She runs a gallery in Kingsbridge, The Tidal Gallery and is expert at very detailed line drawings. She’d done a drawing on the High St a few years ago and the style was just what we wanted. How to pay for all this though? We are a charity, we were supposed to be making money, not spending it, so we decided to ask the shops lining the route of the map if they would like to be specially featured and if they decided to, then that meant their names would be added to the drawing and some details of their shops etc. In that way, we have managed to pay the artist. I wanted it to be a snapshot of Totnes in 2018/19, so we were going to add some extra details; Christopher McCabe fighting his way out of his freezer with a black pudding, Graham Walker selling his Scum Bags on the High Street, XR doing a die in on the market? We will be asking for ideas from everyone soon. Anna is displaying some of her preliminary drawings of the map in the church for the next two weeks, so it would be great if people could come and comment. I will also be photographing every building pretty much from St John’s to the Bay, so if you have any particular stories about any of the buildings, which you would like to let us know about then that would be wonderful.

Watersports in Totnes

As we move into 2019, being active and healthy is top of the agenda for many people. It can be a struggle to get motivated during winter, as gyms can be expensive as well as overcrowded and temperatures outside plummet, making outdoor exercise very unappealing.

Weaving healthy activities into a weekend away is a great way to stay active whilst having fun. From canoeing in the Isle of Wight to hiking in the Lake District, last-minute holiday marketplace, Snaptrip has compiled the best spots in the UK to get some fresh air and stay active this January.

Watersports in Totnes

Totnes is bursting with outstanding natural beauty. Sitting at the head of the estuary of the River Dart, it’s the perfect location for watersport enthusiasts. There’s plenty of spots perfect for paddle boarding or exploring the river by inflatable SUP. The river winds its way through both Dartmouth and Totnes, so there’s a chance to explore both towns too. Paddle the river during the summer months and you’ll be welcomed by rolling hills and flourishing greenery.

Focus on Fitness!

Totnes Pavilion Leisure Centre has seen many changes in the last twenty months with these being extremely positive in the last six months. They are offering you a chance to register for a free day pass so that you can try the facilities for yourself and find out more about what they have to offer. Before the current management structure under Fusion Lifestyle was agreed in 2017 the site was being managed by two separate organisations. The Pool, Gym and Sauna by Totnes and District Swimming Pool Association (TADpool) and the Reception, Sports Hall, Dance Studio, Meeting Room, Tennis Courts and outdoor pitches by Tone Leisure Ltd. Even prior to 2006 the site had been under the control of TADpool and South Hams District Council. Despite the dual management arrangement having many positives over a number of years the flaws in the partnership started to show. A combined approach under the management of one organisation was the ultimate solution which has now enabled a longer-term business plan to be activated allowing some previously hard to come by investment. Fusion Lifestyle, a London based not for profit organisation with over 80 sites in their portfolio, were contracted to take on the management of the site and to draw up plans for updating the facilities. This has led to the following investments so far with the expectation of more to come in a phase two development (tbc). May 2018 o New pool filters and a circulation pump which has improved water quality, temperature and reliability issues o New Sauna installed and opened July/August 2018 o Main entrance/facade repainted o Fitness Class Studio extended and redecorated o New equipment added for fitness classes o Fitness suite redecorated and a completely new set of equipment installed September 2018 o New accessibility Hoist for the Swimming Pool installed To register for a free day pass and to find more information on the centre click here: www.fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/totnes-leisure-centre/

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