West Devon
Properties and events in West Devon
Before heading out for your Heritage Open Days visit, please check entries for last-minute changes.
A Pair of Shoes for a Poor Child
A talk by Dr. Sue Andrew from the Devonshire Association
'Ruins and Monuments'
'Ruins and Monuments' is an ongoing project that combines photography with graphic work and paintings
“Earldorman, Lord and Queen: Ordgar, Ordulf, Ælfthryth and the Beginnings of Tavistock"
John Fletcher explores the lives of Ordgar, the first Earldorman of Devon; his daughter Ælfthryth, England's first crowned queen
“Where demons fear to tread”
A new walk for Heritage Open Days 2026
Bannawell: A guided walk through the street that made Tavistock
A HERITAGE OPEN DAYS EVENT walk led by Simon Thompson
Building a Castle
Ever wondered how castles were built? Come along for this exciting workshop to find out how, and then use your new skills to understand how the ruins of Okehampton Castle might once have looked!
Castle Drogo
High above the Teign Gorge on the edge of Dartmoor stands Castle Drogo. Reminiscent of a medieval fortress the castle was designed and built between 1910 and 1930 by renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens for self-made millionaire Julius Drewe.
Castle Drogo's Hydro Turbine Open Day
The hydro turbine house on the river Teign will be open to have a look around.
Characters from Tavistock's past - Tavistock Players - LIVE
As part of HODs FAMILY FUN DAY join the Tavistock Players as they take you back to Tavistock's medieval past and characters from it
Churchyard Stories at St Michael and All Angels, Princetown
Hear the fascinating stories of some of the individuals buried in the churchyard and find out more about the only church in England built by prisoners of war on a guided tour.
Dartmoor Prison Museum - Prisoner of War Cemetery Tour
A free walk to the Prisoner of War Cemeteries at the rear of the prison, normally off limits to the general public.
Finch Foundry
Finch Foundry was a mainstay of Dartmoor's industrial landscape for 150 years, producing up to 400 tools per day for local industry. The waterwheels and machinery are still mostly operational today. Tours of the site start on the hour from 1100-1500.
God's Work: Music from Haydn's The Creation
The Tavistock Heritage Chorus, performs extracts from Haydn's joyful choral masterpiece, inspired by Genesis and Milton's Paradise Lost. The evening closes Heritage Open Days 2026, with a brief address from Mayor Anne Johnson.
Local Lifestyles and the need for a castle
A free guided tour looking at the local lifestyles before 1066 and the changes that the Normans imposed to help explain the need for the castles.
Lydford Gorge
Explore this steep-sided river gorge, filled with temperate rainforest, carved into the western edge of Dartmoor. Descend into the Devil's Cauldron pothole on a platform over the water, and take in the 30-meter-high Whitelady Waterfall.
Lydford Law and Parliamentary Privilege
A free guided tour on the varied uses of the castle, including as a prison for many centuries. Hear the story of Richard Strode MP and how his law still stands today.
Mount Kelly School, Tavistock
Tours of Mount Kelly School led by senior pupils
Museum of Policing in Devon & Cornwall Open Day
After exploring the Guildhall — explore how a day in the life of a police officer has changed, enjoy a police-themed children's craft and perhaps meet a historic policeman.
Plymouth Road Cemetery , Tavistock
A guided tour from Chris Bellers of both the cemetery, and the usually closed Chapel of Rest Sue Spackman will also talk about the architecture of the Chapel and the work of renowned architect Henry Clutton
Rediscovering Tavistock Abbey: From Abbey to Guildhall
Explore Tavistock Abbey from its Anglo-Saxon foundation and medieval prosperity to the post-Dissolution town