New Book Available - Newton Abbot Town and GWR Museum

By: Newton Abbot Museum
Added: 22 June 2020

NEWTON ABBOT IS WORTH NOTICING

Do you think you know your town? Have you ever noticed the magnificent architecture of its prominent buildings, or thought about the lives of the people who have lived and worked in them over the centuries? Noticing Newton Abbot, with its detailed descriptions, fascinating anecdotes and copious illustrations, will change the way you see this town.

Like many Newtonians, when Tess Walker visited the town centre, she seldom noticed the buildings above the shop front or behind the main streets. But when she started to look beyond the façades, she found a rich architectural heritage – magnificent buildings like Austin’s department store, the Passmore Edwards Centre and Lloyds Bank, as well as more modest but equally interesting domestic, industrial and retail premises tucked away in the side streets.

Noticing Newton Abbot is her exploration of this remarkable heritage. Local artist Ewan Walton has contributed detailed drawings, which capture the soul of the most iconic buildings, and these, along with the author’s own extensive photographs, complement a text that not only describes the architectural features of the buildings but also tells the stories of the people who lived there – tales of riots, fairs and floods, as well as tragedy and comedy.

As a spin-off from the book, there will be a project for local schools, to help give them a better understanding of their town, supported by Historic England.

The book covers the main streets of the town centre – Courtenay, Bank, Market and Wolborough Streets – as well as the smaller side streets and roads that radiate off them. It invites you to take a stroll through the town, to stop and stare, and to really notice Newton Abbot.

For more information or to buy a copy online : https://noticingnewtonabbot.co.uk (£15.00 + £5 p&p), or contact Tess Walker at hello@noticingnewtonabbot.co.uk

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Note to the media: For more information, interviews, etc. please contact Tess Walker (01626 352077, email hello@noticingnewtonabbot.co.uk ) and/or Ewan Walton (07890967467, email ewanwalton@btinternet.com).