TAVISTOCK Guidhall Interpretation Centre is set to reopen ready for the summer season on April 4, following closure over the winter.

And the Tavistock Heritage Trust, which runs the centre, is launching a series of guided Walking Tours to give an insight into the town’s history and raise some funds for the centre.The first is being held on Good Friday, April 7 from 2pm to 4pm and is a wander around the ruins of Tavistock Abbey, close to the historic Guildhall.

Described by some historians as the wealthiest abbey in the South West, Tavistock Abbey acted as a religious and administrative centre to the region for some 578 years and has a rich history, only partly understood. The second walk, on Saturday, April 15 is a heritage introduction to 1,000 years of Tavistock history, revealing abbey and churches, mineral mining and the Industrial Revolution, the building of the canal and railways and the influence of the Dukes of Bedford, which can be seen almost everywhere you look. More walks follow throughout April.

Geri Parlby, chair of the Tavistock Heritage Trust, said: ‘We are delighted to announce the launch of our 2023 Tavistock Heritage Walking Tours programme as these walks enables us to bring the rich heritage of our wonderful town to life. We also have a wonderful group of volunteers who enable us to deliver these walking tours and support all our heritage.’

See https://www.tavistockguildhall.org/events to book walks and find out more.