Bovey Tracey is a small market town that dates back to Saxon times that was known as Boffa. After the Norman conquest, the Lords of the manor were the de Tracey family. Sir William De Tracey was reumoured to have been involved in the murderv of Thomas a Becket in Canterbury cathedral and later built a number of churches as a penance. He also added his name to the town.

Bovey Tracey was also involved in the civil war. It is rumoured that some Royalists escaped from an inn by throwing coins out of the window to the poorly paid roundheads.
There is some debate as to which inn it was, as although the Cromwell arms has the name, the description of the incident more matches the Riverside Inn. Either way, there can be no better way to debate the issue than by enjoying a beverage in both venues and the Thatched Inn looks just as welcoming!

The following day after that incident there was the battle of Bovey Heath nearby which has had some interesting atifacts from that battle. There is an arch named Cromwell's arch near the main street and Cromwell's bridge.

The quality of its clay deposits, resulted in Bovey Tracey having a pottery industry that at one time employed 200 people. The pottery is now the Teign valley Glass and House of Marbles. There was also a trainline to Newton Abbot and the now disused station is the Bovey Heritage Centre.

Bovey Tracey is near some interesting tors and natural granite formations. A number of these are named after their shapes. Haytor rocks is the most accessible while Bowerman’s Nose looks like the profile of a face and there are stories about a man who was turned to stone after disturbing witches. Nearby there is a deserted Hound Tor Medieval village an iron age village used until medieval times