The Pannier Market is the social and commercial heart of Tavistock. Built in 1857 on the orders of the seventh Duke of Bedford as part of his rebuilding of the town centre, it is a handsome stone-and-glass hall behind a granite arcade on Bedford Square. Markets have been held on this spot since the abbey days, with a charter granted by Henry I.
It still trades five or six days a week. Tuesdays bring local farmers and butchers with Dartmoor lamb, Tamar Valley cheeses, and bread from the small bakeries around Devon and Cornwall. Wednesdays and Fridays are antiques and bric-a-brac; Saturdays a general market with crafts and produce. It is the right place to put together a picnic before heading onto the moor.