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Totnes has been in the news for being in the top ten most funky places in the world to live and more recently for the blue gnome debacle. Now the little town is in the news for a battle against Coffee giant Costa. Totnes is a town that thrives on individualism and independent retailers so the prospect of putting a multi million pound giant in to the mix to compete with the plethora of small coffee houses in Totnes did not go down well with local businesses.
Much debate, press coverage and a petition of 5749 signatures later Costa has decided to withdraw.
Costa are claiming to be sympathetic to the feelings and needs of the town but from the point of view of a business owner I would say that they are responding to the unsolicited market research they received!
Business basics dictate that with no market there’s no business. Flogging that dead horse is a common mistake amongst inexperienced entrepreneurs but apparently Costa has the wherewithal to avoid that particular pitfall.

Anyway all’s well that ends well and the local Totnes press is claiming that the people of Totnes are now giving Costa a lot of credit as a caring company for backing down gracefully and allowing the small independents to carry on their business in peace.

Totnes is an ancient market town in the centre of Devon between Exeter and Plymouth. There is an unparalleled range of small independent shops, cafes and Restaurants. You can find unique and colourful gifts for friends or family or enjoy a great coffee, not from Costa, or a meal in one of the many restaurants. This is the wonder of the Totnes Shops.

The town is built on the banks of the beautiful river Dart which originates on Dartmoor (of ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ fame) down to the coast at Dartmouth. The river is home to a wide range of crafts from canoes and kayaks to luxury motor yachts. In the summer it’s possible to take a round robin trip which consists of a boat trip from Totnes to Dartmouth, a steam train ride from Dartmouth to Paignton and finally an open top bus ride from Paignton back to Totnes.

The town also boasts a Norman castle which sits high above the town overlooking the main shopping areas. The castle is now owned by English Heritage and can be visited for a small fee. There’s a great view of the town from the battlements so its well worth a look.

Nearby is the Dartington Hall estate. Dartington hall which was built in the 1300s. The estate grounds and buildings are open to the public for a donation. The gardens and architecture are very beautiful and highly recommended for a visit.

You can get to Totnes from the A38 in Devon or by Train. The town is on the main London Paddington to Penzance line and trains run regularly every day. Why not spend a whole day or a weekend visiting the shops of Totnes and the gardens of Dartington. Have breakfast in one of the hotels or Cafes and Lunch in one of the many fine restaurants.

Totnes certainly has something for everybody... except a Costa coffee shop of course.

Shopping in Totnes - An unmissable experience!

Totnes Firm Aims to Boost Business for Town

A Totnes marketing company is attempting to boost trade in the town with a website directory that makes it easy for shoppers to find whatever the need in the town and provides tempting shop window images to encourage them to visit.

The Totnes Shops website is currently a work  in progress but has already captured images of most of the shop windows in the town. Check out this promotional video...

Visitors to the website will be able to easily select the products they are looking for from a comprehensive list and will be presented with a shop window photo and a brief description of the shops they need.

The MD of Totnes Consultancy, the firm behind the web directory, explained that they are attempting to add all the shops in the Totnes area. We won't be charging any businesses to be included in the directory, the intention is to provide a service for the town.  However we may offer premium paid listings as the site becomes more popular including commercial type videos, product images and details etc.

We appealing for local businesses to take a look at the site to ensure that we've included them and that they are happy with their description, photo and categorisation. Also if they use the Facebook button to 'like' their page they will likely increase the number of browsers. Liking other businesses pages will help them too. We want to make Totnes the 'go to' place for shops, restaurants and bars in the South West area!

Totnes Consultancy was established in 2006 and is located in the Blacklers office building on the Dartington Hall estate.
Totnesconsultancy.com
Totnes@totnesconsultancy.com
01752 39 57 39

Guest house in Plymouth

Check out the video below for a great little guest house in Plymouth

This great little guest house provides great B&B in the historic Hoe / Barbican district of Plymouth

Shopping With Freshness

Christmas is coming and if you find yourself in need of unique and exciting gifts for your friends and family you should check out the Totnes shops in devon. It's easy to get there on the London / Paddington main line or by road if you're a little closer.

Plan to spend a whole day browsing the independant shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. You can see a quick glimpse of what's in store in the video....

An 1830 's historian's description of the English garden in Mount Edgecumbe.

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 The English Garden is more simply arranged than either of the others. It is of considerable extent and laid out in beds of shrubs and flowers, traversed by gravel walks, which are so managed as to conceal the real limits of the enclosure.

   It contains many beautiful and majestic trees, among which are several fine magnolias, cedars of Lebanus and Virginia, and a few large cork-trees. This delightful retreat is decorated with a square Doric paviliou, containing a sitting room, and a bath, supplied with hot and cold water from the mouths of two bronze dolphins.

A bench in the garden is inscribed with the lines from Cowper.

The path which leads from the English Garden to the Blockhouse descends into a deep excavation, overshadowed by trees, and containing a number of antique funeral urns and sarcophagi: among the heap of architectural fragments ids a fine capital of the Corinthian order, brought from the reigns of Alexandria. A short distance from this spot, and close to the beach of Barnpool, is the Blockhouse which, with the little fort on the opposite promontory of Devil’s Point, was built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth for the defence of the harbour.

guest house in devon

An 1830 's historian's description of the italian garden in Mount Edgecumbe.

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An 1830 historian’s description of the Italian Garden at Mount Edgecumbe, Cornwall.

At the bottom of the lawn, close to the waters edge are the Flower Gardens, cultivated in the English, French, and Italian styles. In the Italian Garden which is planted with evergreens of the rarest description, divided into sections by gravel walks, all radiating from a superb marble fountain in the centre from which a jet d’eau rises to a considerable height, presenting a remarkably pleasing effect. The bason from which the jet ascends is of marble, and is supported on the heads of four tastefully carved cariatides standing on a pedestal. This garden is chiefly charactised by long avenues of odoriferous orange trees, which is winter are removed for protection to a noble Doric building; 100 feet long and proportionably high and wide. This spot also contains several statues of modern workmanship among them is a bust of Ariosto.

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Mount Edgecumbe's French garden.

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An 1830, description of the French Garden at Mount Edgecumbe, Cornwall.

The French Garden is laid out in a tasteful and ingenious manner. A hedge of oak, bay, and myrtle includes a square area, arranged as parterre, ornamented in the centre by a jet d’ eau, and surrounded by trellis work, forming arches festooned with numerous species of fragrant plants. One side of the garden is occupied by an elegant octagonal room, prettily furnished, and opened into conservatories. On the removal at the back of the apartment, a beautiful antique statue of Meleager is discovered, backed by a mirror, which reflects every part of the garden, creating the pleasing illusion of a cameraobscura.  The garden also contains a statue of Mercury which has a very attractive appearance when beheld through the opening of the leafy arches. Here is also a remarkably fine magnolia, opposite to which is a votive urn, erected in memory of the late Countess of Mount Edgecumbe who died in 1806.

Near the French garden, on a point of land which commands a diversified view of Devonport, Stonehouse, the Dock-Yard and Harbour, is a small alcove, denominated “Thomson’s Seat, in homer of the poet of the “Sessons.” guest house near mount edgecumbe