Heritage & Tourism
The town of Ivybridge enjoys both a magnificent natural setting and centuries of history as a mill town and a staging post on the London Road.
Tumbling from the moors, the River Erme has formed the lifeblood of the town. Originally providing power for three mills (one of which still exists today), the river now provides a wonderful feature for the town centre and is the start of walks south along with Erme Valley Trail and north to Dartmoor; the town itself marks the start of the “Two Moors Way”.
Crossing the river at the northern end of the town centre is the medieval packhorse bridge, the “Ivy Bridge”, a feature immortalised by a number of important artists including J M W Turner. Spanning the valley a little further upstream, the railway viaduct provides a striking backdrop to the town and is a favourite with photographers; nearby are the publicly owned Longtimber Woods where the pillars remaining from the original 1848 Brunel structure can be seen.
Ivybridge provides a warm welcome to visitors who are guaranteed a varied and unique experience including -
- shopping in specialist shops run by retailers who really care
- enjoying snacks and lunches in the town’s friendly hostelries and cafes
- strolling by the river
- letting off steam at the South Dartmoor Leisure Centre and the South Devon Tennis Centre
….. to name just a few activities.
So why not make today the day that you sample for yourself just what the town has to offer.