HelpHound

I must admit I am a sometimes visitor to Newton Abbot as my mum used to live in nearby Kingsteignton. We always popped into town while I was visiting (although I am not quite sure why!) The shopping is very average. All the usual shops can be found but nothing new and exciting I''m afraid. Just outside the town though is a trading estate with stores such as Richleys in which a bargain can always be found. Newton Abbot is in a lovely part of Devon. The moors are not far away, you are mid way between Plymouth and Exeter and not far from the sea either (although the drive into Torquay can get a tad busy on a summer weekend! The market in Newton Abbot is pretty good though - you can get everything from fruit and veg to the very best clotted cream I have ever had - and its all under cover. Haven''t been to Newton Abbot for a while now but my taste buds are tingling for some of that cream! Worth driving to from West Sussex for that! Also the restaurant at the race course used to do a great carvery on a Sunday lunchtime - wonder if they still do it?????

Newton Abbot is famous for its horse racing track and also as being the big changover point for the trains going on down to Plymouth and Cornwall, or on to Paignton along the historic coastal line. I have been to the stadium many time as they hold huge boot sales twice a month on Sundays in the summer, (wear comfortable shoes, it''s a lot of walking!) and also regular antique fairs, bike shows, CAMRA exhibitions etc. The town itself is a market town with the river lemon running through it which you can see at odd places throughout the town. At the top end you can see the livestock market which still takes place every week. The beautiful library is built with granite taken from nearby Dartmoor and it is a stunning building. In the centre of the town is St Leonards Tower, which was part of a church originally built in the 14th Century. This is the place where William of Orange (after landing in Brixham) was first declared King, as he made his way to London to claim the crown. The shopping is pretty much normal fare for any town in the country but Newton Abbot apparently boasts more pubs per mile than any other town in Devon, including the famous Cider bar!