The Shady Garden

The Shady Garden. A peaceful place at the heart of town.. , Once the site of No. 49, Fore Street , Since mediaeval times a building stood on what is now the Shady Garden site. It was probably once the home of a wealthy merchant. We know its history from the 1870s, as a homeopathic dispensary, then a milliner and draper's, a sweet shop, and finally an antiques shop (photo, right)., Fire! Fire! , One winter's night in 1954 the ancient building caught fire, with flames leaping 50 feet above the roof. Totnes Fire Brigade turned out in just 3 minutes, and was helped by townsfolk and Torbay fire service. Luckily a strong wind had died down shortly before the fire started, and heroic firefighting prevented the blaze from spreading along Fore Street., From the ashes , The shell of No. 49 had to be demolished. The following year another fire destroyed the Totnes Pannier Market building in 1990 the iconic East Gate was burnt down (photo, left). Such events have been common in ancient towns, the Great Fire of London being a famous example., Totnes responded creatively to these challenges, establishing much-needed public spaces in Shady Garden and the Market Place restoring East Gate to its former glory. Take look up the hill!, Spaces that can be Places , The site became a public garden. It had various names but was often called the shady garden because of the large tree growing there. Despite several renovations, it eventually became down at heel and little used., In 2011 a Totnes community forum set out to turn such spaces into enjoyable places for townsfolk and visitors. A Shady Garden community project was formed, which eventually came under the umbrella of Totnes Trust By 2015 a small yet inviting new piazza had been created for the town., Sweet and shady , The Honey Locust tree at the heart of this garden originates as a species from the USA, it is named for the sweet taste of its seed pods, which were eaten by native American peoples and can be used to make a type of beer!,