Totnes Castle

Totnes Castle is one of the best preserved examples of a Norman motte and bailey castle in England. It is situated in the town of Totnes on the River Dart in Devon. The surviving stone keep and curtain wall date from around the 14th century.

History

The castle occupies a commanding position atop a large hill above the town, and guards the approach to three valleys.

The first castle on this site is believed to have been built by the Breton Juhel of Totnes (also known as Judhael) who was one of William the Conqueror's lieutenants. The feudal barony of Totnes was granted to him in 1068, and in order to cement his control over the area he constructed a fortification and founded Totnes Priory within the town. This first construction probably consisted of a wooden palisade and tower. On the death of King William I, Juhel lost his lands, possibly as a result of his support for the Rebellion of 1088. The feudal barony of Totnes was then granted to Roger de Nonant, whose descendants appear to have held it for the next three generations. Following this it came into the possession of William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber, who is probably responsible for constructing the first stone shell keep and walls on the site.

Totnes

Coordinates: 50°25′55″N 3°41′02″W / 50.432°N 3.684°W / 50.432; -3.684

Totnes (/ˈtɒtnᵻs/ or /tɒtˈnɛs/) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about 22 miles (35 km) south of the city of Exeter and is the administrative centre of the South Hams District Council.

Totnes has a long recorded history, dating back to AD 907 when its first castle was built; it was already an important market town by the 12th century. Indications of its former wealth and importance are given by the number of merchants' houses built in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Today, the town is a thriving centre for music, art, theatre and natural health. It has a sizeable alternative and "New Age" community, and is known as a place where one can live a bohemian lifestyle. Two electoral wards mention Totnes (Bridgetown and Town). Their combined populations at the 2011 census was 8,076.

History

Ancient and medieval history

Totnes (UK Parliament constituency)

Totnes is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Sarah Wollaston, a Conservative.

History

The current constituency was formed for the 1997 general election, from parts of the former South Hams constituency. This had largely replaced the previous Totnes constituency, which had existed in a wide form since 1885, but in a much narrower form from the Model Parliament.

An original parliamentary borough of Totnes or Totness had been created in 1295. It returned two MPs to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was abolished under the Representation of the People Act 1867 with effect from the 1868 election.

The modern constituency has been served by two Conservatives since its 1997 recreation, which suggests a safe seat. However, during this period, while not marginal, the majority won has not been absolute and the next largest party has consistently been the Liberal Democrats.