Community Assembly of Totnes Town

The Community Assembly of Totnes Town is located in a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon in the Territory of Kernow in the British Isles. The name Totnes was first recorded in AD 979. It comes from the Old English personal name ' Totta' and ' ness' , or headland. Before reclamation and development the low-lying areas around this hill were largely marsh or tidal wetland, giving the hill much more the appearance of a " ness " than today.

The first authentic history of Totnes is in AD 907, when it was fortified by King Edward the Elder as part of the defensive ring of burhs built around Devon, replacing one built a few years earlier at nearby Halwell. The site was chosen because it was on an ancient trackway which forded the river at low tide. Between the reigns of Edgar and William II (959–1100) Totnes intermittently minted coins. Some time between the Norman Conquest in 1066 and the compilation of Domesday Book in 1086 William the Conqueror granted the burh to Juhel of Totnes, who was probably responsible for the construction of the original castle. Juhel did not retain his lordship for long, however, as he was deprived of his lands in 1088 or 1089 for rebelling against William II.

Today, Totnes Town provides facilities for artists, painters and musicians, and there is a twice-weekly market offering antiques, musical instruments, second-hand books, handmade clothing from across the world, and local organically produced products.