Access to the market town of Tavistock for pupils is a short and safe five minute walk from the school. Our pupils enjoy its range of coffee shops, restaurants and cafes along with a variety of clothes shops and several supermarkets.
At the heart of the town is a vibrant and fascinating Pannier Market. There is The Wharf, a small Arts Centre where recently released films are shown, many cover bands play and pupils have been known to have performed at ‘Open Mic’ nights.
Some of our older boarders become members at the various gyms in Tavistock eg Meadowlands Leisure Centre. Pupils also play for the local sports teams and we have a good relationship with Tavistock Hockey Club who train on the Mount Kelly facility. Tavistock Athletics Club welcomes members of all ages and abilities and offers a wide range of evening activities.
Tavistock Churches Together organises a lively Youth Group for all children in the town, this is run by Catalyst workers who also visit Mount Kelly during the week for Christian Union.
The biggest event in the town’s calendar is the annual Tavistock ‘Goosey Fair‘ in October which can be traced back to the year 1116. Traditionally, the Fair was an opportunity for locals to purchase their Christmas goose, allowing plenty of time to fatten the bird before Christmas. Geese are still sold and now there are a variety of street stalls, displays of traditional country skills and a large funfair. Depending on the age of our pupils, supervised and unsupervised trips to the fair are arranged for them. Also popular with our pupils is the annual Dickensian Evening and Christmas Tree Festival, a delightful mix of carol singers, roasted chestnut stalls, street actors and shop assistants dressed in Victorian costume.
The Abbey, which was largely destroyed during the Reformation, housed one of the first printing presses in England. Birth place of Sir Francis Drake, the town is steeped in history and our teachers make full use of this, particularly with our Prep School children as they can experience for themselves how history has grown and shaped the local community.
The Bus Station is located in central Tavistock and from here Senior pupils are able to take the bus into Plymouth where there is a large cinema complex, skating rink, bowling, shopping centre and a range of tourist attractions. Plymouth also has a busy marina where Mount Kelly pupils can learn to sail.
For those wishing to relocate from busier more populated areas of the country, the busy market town of Tavistock makes an ideal location to consider.
