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27th June 2019
Categories: Visitor News
This year, Kingsbridge will be celebrating 800 years of continuous trading in the town!
The history of this market town began in 1219, when the Abbot of Buckfast granted Kingsbridge the right to hold a market and in doing so, created the town. The Abbot recognised that the tidal waters of the estuary, as well as Kingsbridge’s central position in South Devon, would improve the transport of goods from the producers to the customers and to this day, Kingsbridge proudly supports independent retailers and champions locally sourced produce.
On Saturday 14th September, the town will celebrate their 800th anniversary by holding a market on the Town Square with all the stallholders selling honey, jams and chutneys, jewellery, and showcasing traditional crafts such as woodturning and spinning, much like the item that would have been sold at the first few markets. There will be a historic carousel, medieval musicians and an 'Imaginarium' in a circus tent on the Town Square to help visitors immerse themselves in the town’s history. In the Market Hall, there will be a Bayeaux tapestry for children to complete, and a storyteller.
Visitors are invited to stroll further into the town, to browse the various shops, find talks on the history of the town and see a display of birds of prey which will be in the gardens of the Cookworthy Museum.
Later in the day there will be padddleboard jousting, a medieval banquet and the opportunity to put some local celebrities in the stocks!
You don’t have to wait until the 14th September to visit though. This year Kingsbridge is in the Champion of Champions category of the RHS In Bloom competition. Up against St Helier, Durham, Perth and Castlecaulfield, the town have really had to excel this year and the floral displays around the town are looking superb. With an emphasis on wildlife and pollinators this year, as you walk around the town you will see knitted bees everywhere, hanging from trees, doorways and arches, as well as a swarm that has been travelling from shop window to shop window since the start of May.
There’s never been a better time to visit the town, do come and join in the celebrations!
© Visit Devon Community Interest Company
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