Great Torrington (often abbreviated to
Torrington, though the villages of
Little Torrington and
Black Torrington are situated in the same region) is a small
market town in the north of
Devon,
England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the
River Torridge below. The centre of the town therefore commands spectacular views, though lower-lying parts are prone to occasional
flooding. Torrington is in the very heart of Tarka Country, a landscape captured by
Henry Williamson in his novel
Tarka the Otter in 1927. Great Torrington has the most active volunteering community in the United Kingdom.