Connections and Exchanges : A portal to Devon
If Roscoff is a departure port, Great Torrington is a point of convergence. Although it no longer has its own train station, it remains ideally located for exploring the Exmoor National Park and the wild coasts of North Devon. Trade with Britanny is also very real via the ports of Plymouth and Weymouth, with many British tourists heading back to the Johnnies to discover our coasts.
The influence of the valley : The nearby Torridge
If Roscoff has Batz Island, Torrington has its Torridge Valley. It's not an island, but it's a "world apart". Going towards the river, we leave the hustle and bustle of the market for a preserved ecosystem, classified as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It is the green lung of the city, essential to its balance, just as the ocean is for Roscoff.
Roscoff and Great Torrington, two faces of the same Celtic and historical identity
Although separated by the waters of the English Channel, Roscoff and Great Torrington share a common soul, that of the cities which have been able to transform the trials of History into an exceptional heritage.
On one side, the granite Breton city, Roscoff, looks out to sea. Its destiny was written to the rhythm of the tides, between the audacity of the Corsairs, the tenacity of the "Johnnies" and the innovation of its pioneers of thalassotherapy. On the other, the sentinel of Devon, Great Torrington, rises proudly above its valley. Its character was forged in the din of the Civil War and the excellence of its crystal craftsmanship.
The bridge between two worlds
The link between these two cities is not limited to the geographical proximity facilitated by the connections of Brittany Ferries. It lies in the capacity to preserve living traditions :
- The land and the garden : Whether through the Pink Onion of Roscoff or the garders of Rosemoor, the two cities celebrate a fertile landscape and world-renowned horticultural know-how.
- Resilience : Both have been able to reinvent themselves, moving from commercial or military strongholds to tourist destinations of excellence, favoring quality of life and respect for the environment (The Island of Batz for one, the Biosphere Reserve of Torridge for the other).
Explore Roscoff or Great Torrington
It's about taking a trip back in time.
It is discovering two cities of character which despite their differences in landscapes, perfectly embody the spirit of resistance and openness to the peoples of the Atlantic Arc.
