The Guildhall, Ramparts Walk (behind St Mary's Church)

OPENING TIMES - 2009

 

Monday - Friday 10.30am - 4.30pm
(last entry 4.00pm)

Admission
Adults: £1.00    Children 25p

FREE to Totnes residents

VOLUNTEERS WANTED!!
If you are willing to sit in this beautiful Tudor building for two hours each week
to welcome visitors, please contact Nicky on (01803) 862147 or Alan (01803) 863821

Saxons: founded as a fortified town by the Saxons at the beginning of the 10th century AD, Totnes became a Royal burgh with its own mint.

Normans: William the Conqueror invaded the South West in 1069 and Totnes was awarded to Judhael, one of his lords. Judhael built the castle straddling the original town defences. 19 years later he founded the Benedictine Priory of St Mary in 1088.

King John's Charter: in 1206 King John granted a Charter to Totnes making Totnes a free town, able to draw up its own laws and not accountable to the Shire. The merchants also obtained permission to set up their own Guild which, by the middle of the 13th century, had some 120 members. The original Guildhall was situated at No.8 High Street.

Tudors: the Priory remained occupied until it was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536. Somehow the building that was to become the present Guildhall was not completely flattened as were the rest of the Priory buildings, however, the roof and timbers were removed.

On 30 June 1553, a week before he died, Edward VI gave Totnes a Charter authorising the reuse of the building as a Guildhall and the creation of two schools – a grammar school and a choristers' school (housed in the building east of the Guildhall).   

Under the Tudors, Totnes became the second wealthiest town in Devon. It's merchants traded with French and Spanish ports, the cloth trade was at its peak, and tin exports from Dartmoor were booming. In 1611, a separate building was built in front of the church and used as a meeting room for the merchants. The Guildhall was then converted into a courthouse in 1624. It remained in use as a Magistrate's court until 1974.

Civil War: the Royalists occupied the South Hams in 1642, and made repeated demands for money. They were duly supplied with clothing, food, officers' and soldiers' wages, ammunition and weapons. Finally, the Parliamentarian army entered Totnes in January 1646, commanded by Lord Fairfax. When Oliver Cromwell arrived on 24 January, he made a speech to the inhabitants - and immediately recruited 3000 men into the New Model Army. A table in the Council chamber is reputed to be the one at which Cromwell and Fairfax sat to plan their next moves. From then on, until the end of the Civil War, soldiers were billeted in the Guildhall and surrounding buildings.

Present day: the Guildhall remained a Magistrate's court until 27 August 1974. It is still used for regular Town Council meetings and other ceremonies such as Mayor Choosing.

GROUND FLOOR

A. The lower chamber: originally the refectory of the Priory of St Mary, the present foundations and some of the walls date back to 1088. In 1553, it became a Guildhall until it was converted into a Magistrate's court in 1624. The Purbeck marble slabs were laid over the priory floor in 1553.

On the East wall is the list of Mayors dating back to 1359, when the first Mayor was officially appointed from the members of the Guild. There is a gap of 17 years between 1360 – 1377, which some believe reflects the impact of the Black Death.

The Mayor Choosing ceremony has occurred here since 1553, and takes place in this chamber every May. The robes used in this ceremony and others are on display in the Mayor's Parlour. Above the Mayor's canopy is the coat of arms of King Edward VI, installed on the founding of the new Guildhall.

B. Passage: this was the original passage and staircase leading to the upper floor from Priory days until 1624. The stair treads can still be seen in the walls.

C. D. & E. Town Gaol: originally the Priory kitchen, this area became the town gaol in 1624. The walls date back to Priory days.

C. The men's cell 1624 – 1887: this windowless, and no doubt airless, cell became known locally as the "dark house".

D. Prison administration area: the window surround has the original iron strapping and bars. The alcoves at the rear are the prisoners' latrines - from which one prisoner famously escaped!

E. The women's cell 1624-1887: subsequently the town mortuary.

 

FIRST FLOOR

F. Public Gallery: this gallery for the court and staircase leading to it were built in 1624. This area contains exhibits on Cromwell and the Civil War, also the Wills – Burke expedition across Austrailia (1860-61).

G. The Council Chamber: The Town Council meets here once a month. On the walls are photographs of previous Mayors from the end of last century to present day.  A delicate frieze made in 1624 runs around the chamber above the picture rail. A bomb blast during World War II behind the Guildhall caused part of it to collapse above the window. It was restored by an Italian craftsman after the war. 

The large oak tables in the centre of the room are where Lord Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell sat to discuss their next plan of action.

There is a splendid view of the Old Priory lands from the window.

 H. Mayor's Parlour: this contains the gowns used in Civic Ceremonies, a piece of the original chestnut timber from the Priory roof, and other exhibits. 

WHAT TO SEE OUTSIDE

The granite pillars were placed here in 1897. They came from the 'Alottery' building which Richard Lee presented to the town in 1616. His name is inscribed at the top of two of the pillars. The building originally stood on High Street in front of the church and was demolished in 1878.

Arrow sharpening marks can be seen on some of the red sandstone blocks by the Guildhall main entrance and at the east end of St. Mary's Church. Archery practise used to take place in the Church yard.

East of the Guildhall: in 1553 the grammar school was adapted from Priory domestic buildings built over vaults. It was rebuilt in 1630 as a 2 storey building. The school then moved to the Mansion (36 Fore Street) in 1887. The building was immediately demolished and rebuilt as a police station with new cells between it and the Guildhall. Built in the same style as the original grammar school, it now houses the Town Council offices.

In the cobbled area to the right of the lamp post can be seen 'L.A. 1615. Lawrence Adams who was Mayor in 1615, donated money to have the Ramparts Walk cobbled.

West of the Guildhall: in the corner, under the window of the Mayor's Parlour, is a stone plaque commemorating the setting up of a fund in 1624 to help destitute prisoners. Further on is the Guildhall Cottage which was originally the Priory bakery and alehouse.