TAVISTOCK’S volunteer-run visitor information centre (VIC) welcomed nearly 1,300 people through its doors during August, while also helping many more over the telephone and by email.

Popular enquiries included walking on Dartmoor, cycling routes, beauty spots in the Tamar Valley and recommendations on how to spend an afternoon in Tavistock, plus accommodation advice. Many visitors were also curious about the town’s history and Tavistock’s status as a World Heritage Site.

The VIC is managed by the charity Tavistock Heritage Trust, which has recruited a group of 40 volunteers to staff the centre.

Trustee Tom Graham said: ‘This is an excellent start for us and reflects the hard work of our volunteers and the help of our supporters in the town. The VIC was only open for 15 days during August and we still received well over 1,000 visitors — it shows just how much demand there is for information about our town.’

From September, the VIC will operate longer hours and will also open on Tuesdays. A small selection of retail products, with a focus on maps, walking guides and introductions to Tavistock’s history will be available.

‘We’ve only reached this stage because of the help we’ve gratefully received from a variety of sources,’ Tom added. ‘But for the VIC service to be sustainable we need continued support from both local businesses and local people. We’ll soon be launching a Friends of Tavistock VIC scheme so that those people who recognise the VIC’s value to the town can support the centre.’

To contact the VIC, email [email protected] or call 01822 612938. The centre is open from Tuesday to Saturday each week, between 10.30am and 4pm.

For more information on the Friends of Tavistock VIC, visit www.heritageintavistock.org/vic