743 



DEVONSHIRE. 



DEVONSHIRE. 



744 



opulation 1557, a an ancient stannary town, situated 

 near the right bank of the Teign, and not far from the border of 

 Dartmoor Forest at it* north-eastern angle, 16 mile* W. by S. from 

 Exeter. Thin unall town lies in a picturesque situation at the foot 

 of tome rugged and lofty hills. The houses, irregularly arranged, 

 are of antique appearance. A brook flows through the middle of 

 the street. The church is an ancient structure of the native granite. 

 There is a bridge of three arches over the Teign, half a mile above 

 the town. Many of the population are engaged in agriculture. A 

 few are employed in the woollen manufacture. The market is on 

 Thursday, and there are four fairs in the year. There are places of 

 worship for Wesleyan Methodists and Calvinistic Baptists. Towards 

 the close of the 17th century the town was portly destroyed 

 by fire. 



Chulwtleiyk, or Clumleigh, population 1711, is a small town on the 

 right bank of the Little Dart, just above its junction with the Taw. 

 It is on the road from Exeter to Barnstaple, about 21 4 miles N.W. 

 from Kzeter. Many of the population are engaged in agriculture. 

 The church, dedicated to SL Mary Magdalen, was much damaged by 

 lightning in 1797. It has a fine tower, and contains some ancient 

 screen work. The church was formerly collegiate. There are two 

 chapels for Dissenters, two Endowed Charity schools, and a British 

 school. The manor of Chulmleigh once belonged to the Courtenays, 

 earls of Devon, who had a castle here. The market is on Thursday ; 

 there are three fairs in the year. 



Cidmttoel, or C'olumbttocl; population 1224, is on the border of 

 Somersetshire, on the upper part of the river Culm, 19 milea N.E. 

 from Exeter. There is a market-house. The market is held on 

 Friday. There are two fairs in the year. The clothing trade, which 

 once flourished in this place, has much decreased. The church 

 contains a fine stone screen, and a rich doorway, canopied with 

 foliage. Thero are places of worship for Quakers and Wesleyan 

 Methodists. 



Uatherleiglt, population 1710, situated about 28 miles W.N.W. 

 from Exeter, is on the right bank of a branch of the Torridge, a 

 short distance from its junction with the Okement. Most of the 

 inhabitants are engaged in agriculture ; a few are employed in the 

 manufacture of woollens. The town is very irregularly laid out, and 

 the houses have a mean appearance. The market is on Friday; 

 there are four cattle fain in the year, and a large cattle market on 

 the Friday nearest the 21st of March. Petty sessions are held here. 

 There are five almshouses and a Free school in the town. 



ifoJItury, population of the parish 1858, is on a rivulet whose 

 waters flow into the Erme : 34 miles S.W. from Exeter. The popu- 

 lation is chiefly engaged in agriculture. The town consists principally 

 of four streets crossing each other at right angles. The houses are 

 in general fronted with slate The church is spacious and handsome, 

 the spire is 134 feet high. There are meeting-houses for Baptists, 

 Independents, Quakers, and Methodists. Some ruins are left of the 

 ancient mansion of the Champernouneg, who held the manor of 

 Modbury, and lived here in great splendour in the reign of Edward II. 

 Modbury is a borough, though without a charter of incorporation : it 

 ent representatives to Parliament in the reign of Edward I. There 

 was an alien priory of Benedictines here as early as the reign of 

 Stephen; it was suppressed by Henry VI. and its revenues given to 

 Eton College. The market is on Thursday : there is a great market 

 the second Tuesday in every month ; also a fair in the mouth of 

 May. There are here a Charity school, a British school, and two 

 Infant schools. A barrack stands in the outskirts of the town. 



ilortton Hamptttad, population of the parish 1858, is 11 miles 

 W.S.W. from Exeter, near the eastern border of Dartmoor Forest 

 The town is romantically situated on a gentle eminence bounded 

 on almost every side by lofty hills. The principal street runs for 

 about half a mile along the Exeter and Plymouth road. Besides the 

 church, which is ancient, there are meeting-houses for Independents, 

 Baptist*, Methodist*, and Unitarians; also a Free school, a school 

 partly supported by endowment, and Infant schools. There are 

 several tan-yards, a rope manufactory, and some granite quarries in 

 the neighbourhood. The market is on Saturday ; and there are two 

 great market* and two cattle fairs in the year. The townspeople 

 are in general strong and healthy, and remarkable for singularity of 

 diaKct and manners, owing probably to their secluded situation. In 



e vicinity arc a rocking stone, a cromlech, and the remains of a 

 Druidical temple. 



i'fculm, or Ufculau, population 2098, is on the right bank of the 

 river Culm, feeder of the Kx, 16 miles N.E. by E. from Exeter. 

 Many of the inhabitant* are engaged in agriculture. Uffculm was 

 towards the close of the last century, a considerable manufac- 

 * uri , n tow ' 1 : JT*" 1 I""*"! of serge was made and exported to 

 Holland by the Tivcrton merchant* Flannels were afterwards made, 

 but these manufactures have ceased. The market is on Wednesday 

 there are three fain in the year, but the fain have declined. The 

 church, dedicated to St. Mary, contain* some ancient monuments and 

 a richly carved wood screen. There are place* of worship for Inde- 

 pendent* and Baptist*. The Grammar Mhool, founded in 1701, has 

 an income of 461. 10*. GA, and had 10 scholar, in* Ml, of whom one 

 was free. 



The following are some of the more important Tillage*, with the 



population in 1851, and a few other particulars : Axmouih, popula- 

 tion 680, is situated at the mouth of the river Axe, 21 miles E. from 

 Exeter. The mouth of the river ban, by means of piers, been con- 

 verted into a harbour capable of receiving vessels of 100 tons burden. 

 About a mile E. from Axmouth occurred some very remarkable land- 

 slips on the 26th of December, 1839, which caused a chasm 200 feet 

 in width and 250 feet in depth, extending for a distance of three- 

 quarters of a mile parallel with the shore. At Whitlands, a little 

 more than a mile farther to the east, occurred a second but much 

 smaller landslip on the 3rd of the following February. Seer, 19 miles 

 K. by S. from Exeter, population 1281, a small cove and village, 

 inhabited by fishermen, and celebrated formerly for smuggling, is 

 situated in a narrow glen through which a stream runs and falls into 

 the sea in a beautiful cascade. A small church and an Independent 

 chapel are in the village ; the sum of 7000/. was lea by the late Lady 

 Rolle for the purpose of founding and endowing various charitable 

 institutions. About a mile from the village is a large cavern extend- 

 ing a quarter of a mile under ground ; its depth is about 300 feet 

 from the surface. Berry Pomeroy, 23 miles S. by W. from Exeter : 

 population of the parish, 1038. The church is a fine structure, and 

 contains a handsome screen and several monuments. On an elevated 

 rock in a narrow valley are the picturesque and ivy-covered ruins of 

 Berry Pomeroy Castle, the oldest part of which was built in the reign 

 of William I. by Ralph de la Pomeroy. The ruins are of great extent, 

 and have a very impressive appearance. litey Traceg, 13 miles 

 S.S.W. from Exeter : population of the parish, 2086. The church is 

 ancient, and contains a coloured stone pulpit. In an open space in 

 the village are the shaft and steps of an ancient cross. Close to the 

 village is a pottery, established in 1 772. In the vicinity are found sands 

 and clays suitable for the manufacture of fine porcelain. It is hero 

 that the lignite, known as Bovey coal, which is used for fuel, is found. 

 The market has been discontinued : there are two fairs, one in March 

 and one in November. Sov>, 16 miles K.N. K. from Exeter, population 

 of parish 994, a small town ; many of the houses are cob-built, aud 

 the place has a poor appearance. A great market is held in March, 

 and fairs are held in May and November. Jirantcumbe, 18 miles W. 

 by S. from Exeter, population 1017, is beautifully situated at the 

 junction of three valleys, through each of which a stream descends, 

 and uniting here flow together into the sea at Brauscombe Mouth. 

 In tlio neighbourhood are numerous petrifying springs. Suctland 

 Monadiorum, 32 miles S.W. by W. from Exeter : population, 1548. 

 The church, a very handsome building, contains a uiouumcut liy 

 Bacon to Lord Heathfiold, the heroic defender of Gibraltar. A little 

 to the south of the village is Buckland Abbey, the favourite residence 

 of Sir Francis Drake. BiuUei'jh Satierton, 12 miles S.E. from Exeter, 

 population included in East Budleigb, is a small but favourite watering- 

 place. The village is built along the bottom of a valley running to 

 the sea, and the buildings extend on both sides up the hill : a small 

 brook of water runs through the main street, over which are placed 

 at intervals rustic wooden bridges. About a mile to the north is the 

 cob-built village of Jludleiyh Eatt : population of the parish, 2447. In 

 this parish is Hayes Barton, the birthplace of Sir Walter Kaleigh ; it 

 is now a farmhouse. Clorclly, 47 miles N.W. from Exeter, population 

 937, a picturesque little fishing village on the side of a steep rock 

 adjoining the sea. The church is a neat building. Clovelly is cele- 

 brated for its hcrriug-fi jhrry ; as many as 9000 herrings have been 

 taken off here at a haul Above the village is Clovelly Court, the seat 

 of the lord of the manor. Combe Martin, 42 miles N.N.W. from 

 Exeter : population, 1441. The church is in the perpendicular style, 

 constructed of light red stone, and is distinguished by a very hand- 

 some tower. There is a chapel for Wesleyan Methodists. The trade 

 of Combe Martin is inconsiderable. Welsh coal is imported, and corn 

 and bark are exported. The market formerly held here has been long 

 discontinued. In the neighbourhood are several silver-lead mines, 

 which have been worked at various times since the reign of Edward I. 

 Drcvttdgnton, 12 miles W. from Exeter : population, 1232. This 

 village is chiefly remarkable for its numerous Druidical remains. 

 Besides these there are some remains of British camps on the river, 

 aud some other antiquities in the neighbourhood. Hartland, 54 milra 

 N.W. from Exeter : population of the parish, which is extensive and 

 contains several villages, 2183. A market is held on Saturdays, and 

 there are two cattle fain in the year. The church stands about a 

 mile from the town, near the sea. At Hartland quay corn is exported, 

 aud coal and limestone imported. The Independents have a chapel 

 here. Hartland Abbey was founded by the wife of Earl Godwin for 

 secular priests ; some portions of the cloisters still remain : they arc 

 in the early English style. J/emyocl; 20 miles N.E. from Exeter : 

 population, 1185. The church has been lately rebuilt ; it contains au 

 old font of Purbeck stone in the early decorated style. Thero are 

 some slight remains of a Norman castle in the neighbourhood. Kenton, 

 61 miles S. by E. from Exeter, population 2067, anciently a borough 

 town : a market and fair were formerly held here, but have long been 

 discontinued. The church appears to have been built in the reign of 

 Edward III.; it is a handsome building constructed of red stone ; the 

 tower is 100 feet high ; the church contains a fine screen. Lidford, 

 31 miles W. by S. from Exeter : population, 271. During the Saxon 

 Heptarchy this was one of the principal towns in Devonshire ; it con- 

 sist* now of merely a few small cottages. In the village are the ruins 



