Totnes, Devon
Recently, the weather forecast has been glorious. Glorious for September at least. Sunshine and a couple of days off is enough to pack a bag and head away in the camper for a one night wonder.
The destination for the night is Totnes; a beautifully bohemian eclectic town. The town embraces a slow pace without airs and graces. You can pick your passtime from a choice of bars and restaurants, live music, cafes, artisan shops, paddleboarding, canoeing and coastal boat trips.
Dogs are welcomed into many cafes and restaurants and there are dog bowls a plenty left out by shop owners. There’s off-lead walking spaces along the Dart. The town itself is on a hill, pavements are narrow and the road is well used by cars.
There’s a choice of places to stay in walking distance of the town centre. Either the Totnes Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Steamer Quay or the council car park at Longmarsh At the time of writing, the Caravan and Motorhome Club reported that they use a sliding scale for pricing; the busier it is, then the higher the price. For a Saturday iin late September 2025, one night would cost £47.
For one night, we chose the overnight parking option at Longmarsh Car Park. And, Longmarsh is just beautiful.
Longmarsh car park is flanked by the River Dart, a large grassed area and trees. The parking is used by rowers, dog walkers and fellow campers. There isn’t anything after the car park which means there isn’t any through traffic.
River Dart from Longmarsh Car Park
The rules of overnight parking closely follow the rules of French aires and are clearly laid out at at the pay point (please see the photo of the sign at the end of the post).
Sadly, there is never enough time to visit everything, but we had a lovely meal out at Rumour Bar and Kitchen on the High Street. The food was delicious, I had a pizza and wine, the atmosphere was cosy and the place was dog friendly. We took the last table on a Saturday night so would recommend booking.
For beery fun, try The Barrel House. Truth be told, I could have found a table anywhere in the bar and spent a happy afternoon reading and people watching. Live music is staged regularly.
Park up: Longmarsh Car Park
Location: On the banks of the River Dart next to Dart Totnes Rowing Club. The car park is the end of the road, so traffic noise is minimal. however, the car park is well used by dog walkers, runners, cyclists and people coming to paddle along the Dart. BoaWhat 3 Words ///newsstand.tiptoes.drove
Cost: £15 per night. Payment to be made with coins at the machine or by card using the PayByPhone App. There isn’t an option to make a contactless payment at the machine.
Rules: All campers and motorhomes must have an onboard WC. Maximum stay of 2 nights.
Bays are a good size. The spaces at the back of the car park have room for an overhang.
Facilities: Bins, toilets in walking distance, green space along river for dog walking.
Camping rules at Longmarsh Car Park