Bampton, Devon
Bampton | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | TIVERTON | |
Postcode district | EX16 | |
Dialling code | 01398 | |
Police | Devon and Cornwall | |
Fire | Devon and Somerset | |
Ambulance | South Western | |
Tiverton & Honiton | ||
Bampton is a small town and parish in northeast
History
Pre-Norman
The history of Bampton is thought to have started with a
Norman
The 11th-century Norman Bampton Castle was built in about 1067 by Walter Douai or his son, Robert. Originally it probably had a timber tower on top of the Motte. To the east of the mound was a rectangular bailey, defended to the south by the steep slope down to the River Batherm. Following a dispute with King Stephen about the ownership of lands around Uffculme, Robert Douai rebelled against King Stephen. Stephen then besieged the castle which eventually surrendered. Robert’s fled into exile and his lands were granted to Henry de Tracy.[4][5]
Civil War
The English Civil War reached Bampton in 1645, when Royalists from Tiverton Castle burnt the town, so that few buildings earlier than the 17th century survive.[3]
Landmarks
Bampton now has over 70
Bampton Fair
History
The annual Bampton Fair was established by
As well as trade, the fair has also always offered entertainments of various kinds. In the early years these would have been
In the 1920s, a miners strike caused large sell off of pit ponies and prices at Bampton collapsed. In 1928, some ponies were given away for free. In 1972, Mr Baxter leased the right to take tolls at the far to the town council. This agreement included a clause that the council would pay the business rates associated with the fair, and be responsible for running the fair and cleaning up afterwards. The first payment to Mr Baxter was set at £25. This entailed a lot of organisation by the council such as providing road signs to the fair, cleaning up waste and litter after the fair and traffic management. From 1972, Brook Street was shut to traffic on fair days. The Station Car Park became the site of the funfair in 1973. By 1984, the receipts from the fair were £1040.
After the end of pony sales in 1985, the revenue from the fair began to decline with fewer stallholders than previously and there was an increase in the number of food stalls. In response to this. Bampton Fair Working Group was set up in 1990 which still continues. The fair is now let for a nominal £100.
Livestock and Cattle Markets and Fairs
The Great Cattle Market at Bampton which started in the 13th century, took place on the last Wednesday of the month and at one time up to 14,000 sheep were sold at Bampton Fair. After the Second World War the site of the market at King's Close was sold to developers and the great cattle market closed.
Pony sales
Bampton Fair only began to be well known for the sale of ponies when in 1856, Frederick Knight began selling his ponies at the fair. Exmoor Ponies used to be rounded up on the moors during the so-called Autumn Drift and driven by road to be sold at the fair. After being driven from the moors via Dulverton and Exebridge, the ponies were brought to an old orchard behind the Tiverton Hotel (now called the Quarryman's Rest) where they were kept in wooden pens. The auction ring was a small round pen nearby. Large numbers of fair-goers would pay an entrance fee to see the pony pens. In 1979, the Dartmoor Preservation Society wrote to the RSPCA about suspected cruelty to the ponies at the fair. Then in 1984, a meeting was held between the RSPCA inspectors, vets and the council. A number of recommendations were made to improve the welfare of the ponies, although the meeting did reach a consensus that the fair was more trouble free than any other. At the end of the 1984 fair the RSPCA were satisfied with the way the fair was organised and in 1985 Bampton again received no official complaints about the pony fair. However, the RSPCA and the auctioneers did request a number of improvements to the way ponies were loaded onto lorries and repairs to some of the pens. While alternative sites were offered to hold the sales, the council was unwilling to spend the money needed to fulfil the obligations for an event which was only held once a year. The Ministry of Agriculture and Devon County Council were asked for help but none was provided. From 2004 to 2013, farm-tackle, Exmoor ponies and other livestock were auctioned as part of the Fair again, a little way out of town, at Luttrell Quarry. However, due to a reduction in demand for pony sales and Luttrell Farm becoming unavailable for the auction this has ended.[11]
The fair today
The fair is still a popular event, not least for its timing during the school
Twin towns
Villers-Bocage, Calvados, France since 1975[13]
Historic estates
References
- ^ ISBN 1841143146.
- ^ "Clare & Shuttern ward 2011". Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Bampton: The History Section". Bampton in Devon. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Bampton Castle". castlesfortsbattles.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Castles of England - Bampton Castle". Britain - Ireland Castles.com. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Bampton's Listed Buildings". Bampton in Devon. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ Mid Devon District Council. Bampton Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (PDF). p. 6. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Bampton's Historic Inns". Bampton in Devon. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Townspeople join in a celebration of 750-year tradition at Bampton Fair". Western Morning News. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "A Brief History of the Fair". Bampton Charter Fair. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ "Homepage". Bampton Charter Fair. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ Tony Rose songs; Bampton Fair; mainlynorfolk.info
- ^ "Bampton Twinning Association". Bampton in Devon. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
External links
- Bampton in Devon - town website
- Media related to Bampton, Devon at Wikimedia Commons
- Bampton, Devon at Curlie
- Bampton in the Domesday Book