Enjoyable town tour

SIR - While visiting some friends in Barnstaple recently from our home in Canada we decided to take the free Heritage Centre walking tour of the town. This provided an excellent introduction to the history of the town from a variety of perspectives, inclu

SIR - While visiting some friends in Barnstaple recently from our home in Canada we decided to take the free Heritage Centre walking tour of the town. This provided an excellent introduction to the history of the town from a variety of perspectives, including social, economic, and political; as well as its role in a broader global context, i.e. as an international trading port.

The tour, which lasts approximately one hour, starts at the Heritage Centre where the original wharf for the port was located and finishes at the Cattle Market car park. In between, visitors see historically significant locations that could easily be missed on a cursory visit. And the best part, it is run by well-informed and friendly local volunteers.

A tour like the Heritage Centre tour allows us to see that the heart and soul of these towns remain in their diverse histories.

Brian & Carol Waters

Ottawa, Canada