Totnes Heritage Festival 2025 – A Wonderful Celebration of Our Shared History

The 2025 Totnes Heritage Festival, held at the end of September, has been another resounding success — with events fully booked and venues across the town buzzing with visitors eager to explore Totnes’ rich heritage.

Across the weekend, the town came alive with talks, tours, exhibitions and family-friendly activities celebrating Totnes’ fascinating past. Totnes Castle alone welcomed an impressive 603 visitors, including 527 local residents from the TQ9 area.

After visiting a range of events, The Mayor, Cllr Tim Bennett, said:

“I would like to thank the Totnes Heritage Trust, and all the supporting organisations and individuals involved in making this year’s festival such a success.”

A big vote of thanks also goes to Totnes Town Council for its continued support, assistance and financial contribution, helping to ensure the festival continues to thrive each year.

Local MP Caroline Voaden joined the celebrations and shared her enthusiasm for the event:

“My tour of the Heritage Festival was fascinating – from the history of the Guildhall to seeing the Town Mill working, and finding out that so many famous Americans are descended from a Totnesian! A great day and a brilliant effort by all the volunteers who made it happen.”

Celebrating Creativity – The Children’s Art Competition

The festival’s Children’s Art Competition once again inspired some wonderful entries from young artists across Totnes. A huge thank you to Sarah Bowman, artist and owner of White Space Art Gallery, for judging this year’s entries — and to Totnes Library for kindly acting as the collection point for submissions.

Sarah shared her thoughts on the winning artworks:

“I decided Floe and Alice were the winners. Lovely pieces of work, particularly Floe’s attempts on the horses, a challenge for any artist! And I thought Alice’s drawing was particularly accomplished with her use of perspective.”

Congratulations to our winners:

• Floe Wilde, aged 7 – winner of the 7 years and under category

• Alice Freedman, aged 12 – winner of the 8–12 years category

  
  

Thank you to all the entrants for sharing your creativity and enthusiasm — your work added a vibrant and joyful touch to the festival.

Thank You

The Totnes Heritage Festival is made possible by the dedication of local volunteers, community groups, and heritage organisations who work together to celebrate the stories that make Totnes so special.

From everyone at Totnes Heritage Trust, thank you to everyone who attended, supported, and contributed to this year’s festival. We look forward to seeing you all again next year for another weekend of discovery, history, and community spirit.