Tavistock is an ancient stannary and market town on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon. It is situated on the River Tavy from which its name derives. It traces its recorded history back to at least AD 961 when Tavistock Abbey, whose ruins lie in the centre of the town, was founded. Much development of the town took place during the 19th Century by the Duke of Bedford. It is within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.