The History of Chagford

The name of Changford comes from the combination of the word chag, which means gorse, and ford, which is due to the fact that this was a popular place to cross the River Teign.

There is evidence of human settlement in the area having begun over 4,000 years ago.

Historically, the town was based upon the local wool and tin mining industries. In the early 14th century Chagford was designated a stannary town, signifying that tin was traded there. The influx of miners who would bring their tin to town to be weighed and sold was the main business of the town for many years. The last tin mine closed in 1903 while the long running cattle market in town only ended in the 1980s.