Tavistock Guildhall

'Ruins and Monuments' Exhibition - 1st Aug - 31st October Mines and Mining Landscapes of Devon and Cornwall 1st August – 31st October 2026 Tavistock Guildhall Heritage Centre As part of Tavistock's programme of events marking the 20th anniversary of the town's inclusion within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tavistock Guildhall Heritage Centre is proud to present 'Ruins and Monuments', an exhibition of mine photographs and paintings. The exhibition forms part of a wider project that aims to visit former mining heartlands across the South West, celebrating their rich industrial heritage and distinctive landscapes. Photographer Graham Warren has built up a diverse collection of mining images using a variety of cameras, including a traditional pinhole camera – a camera without a lens. Some of the equipment he uses is not far removed from the photographic technology available at the height of mining during the mid to late 19th century. The distinctive qualities of pinhole photography are particularly well suited to capturing the stark beauty and atmosphere of the mining remains. These evocative black and white images form the backbone of the exhibition. Artist Duncan Rice uses drawings and sketches as the starting point for his paintings of mining landscapes. A landscape designer by profession, Duncan has a keen interest in the impact of mining on the landscape and how nature has gradually transformed these industrial remains into places of remarkable beauty and historical significance. The exhibition will be on display in the Robing Room at Tavistock Guildhall Heritage Centre from 1st August to 31st October 2026. Admission is free, and visitors are welcome during the Guildhall's normal opening hours.

Join Simon Dell on this enlightening and curious stroll looking at the oddities of Tavistock which have been either overlooked or puzzled upon by many for decades. Simon walked the beat as a local policeman over a period spanning four decades so had plenty of opportunity to find lost alleyways, little known abbey remains and curiosities hidden in plain sight! You are guaranteed to end this walk saying “Well, I didn’t know that!”. The walk commences at 2pm from outside the Tavistock Visitor Information Centre in Guildhall Square and lasts for 90 minutes. Tickets are £5 per person

Discovery Team Activities - Mining Inventions Dig into Tavistock's mining past! Celebrate the inventions and ingenuity that helped shape our mining heritage. Make a miner's hat, create an inventions collage, build a Lego mining machine and discover how innovation transformed life underground. A hands-on session packed with creativity and engineering fun! • 10.00 am –1.00 pm | Guildhall Heritage Centre • FREE entry (suggested donation of £1 per child for materials) • Children must be accompanied by an adult. • Activities take place at the rear of the Guildhall Courtroom. Please enter through the main courtroom door. Step-free access is also available for those who need it.

Discovery Team Activities - Abbey Life Travel back to medieval Tavistock! Discover what life was like at Tavistock Abbey through traditional crafts and nature-inspired activities. Try your hand at calligraphy, plant a seed, learn about the life cycle of a bee and have a go at weaving. A relaxing and creative morning inspired by the people who once called the Abbey home. • 10.00 am –1.00 pm | Guildhall Heritage Centre • FREE entry (suggested donation of £1 per child for materials) • Children must be accompanied by an adult. • Activities take place at the rear of the Guildhall Courtroom. Please enter through the main courtroom door. Step-free access is also available for those who need it.

Changing times over the centuries have seen churches and chapels appear in the landscape to support the local community of Tavistock, from the earliest abbey buildings, the parish church in the 14th century, through to the Duke of Bedford’s imposing 19th century St Mary Magdalene. Other churches and chapels which served the community at various times have disappeared from the streetscape. This 90 minutes, predominantly flat walk, with Sue Spackman, traces the history of the religious buildings and their architecture and tells the story of their communities, some of which had interesting characters. The walk commences at 2pm from outside the Tavistock Visitor Information Centre in Guildhall Square and lasts for 90 minutes. Tickets are £5 per person

Join local guide Simon Dell for this intriguing evening stroll looking at the darker side of Tavistock which he patrolled as a police officer on many dark winter evenings. Murder, suicide and other dastardly occurrences will be discussed on our walk. Not for the faint hearted. Walk commences at 7.30pm from the Visitor Information Centre in Guildhall Square Tickets are £5 per person