Bickleigh, Mid Devon
Bickleigh | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Bickleigh is a village and
The village lies in the valley of the River Exe and there is an attractive medieval stone bridge across the River.
Bickleigh, as Bicanleag, is recorded as the location of a charter issued in 904 during the reign of King Edward the Elder.[1]
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Bichelei, meaning "Bicca's meadow".[2]
Bickleigh Castle, the village manor house formerly known as Bickleigh Court, has a Norman chapel and baptismal font.
St Mary's Church
Bickleigh's church, dedicated to the
The church's history is closely bound with that of the Carew family, lords of the manor, and the church is noted for its Carew family monuments that date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The family's association continued until the manor's sale in 1922.
The most notable member of the family was
The church is home to carved bench ends depicting scenes of medieval life. Major John Gabriel Stedman, author of A History of Surinam, d. 1797, was buried here in an unmarked grave near the vestry door.[5]
Attractions
Farmer Nick Lees and his family have constructed several
It is also the location of one of the biggest vineyards in the South-West of England, Yearlstone, which has a state-of-the-art winery, wine bar and cafe. Yearlstone is now 3.5 hectares and hosts Devon Wine Week in the last week of May each year, a celebration of local food culture. To the northwest of the village on the River Exe is The Fisherman's Cot.
Popular culture
A persistent myth among the residents of the area is that the village's medieval bridge over the Exe inspired
References
- ^ "Electronic Sawyer". esawyer.lib.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ James Johnson (1915). Place names of England and Wales.
- ^ a b Hoskins, W. G. (1954) Devon
- ^ Stabb, John (1908) Some Old Devon Churches, (1908-16)
- ^ a b Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1887). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 9. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ^ "Maze celebrates scouts centenary". BBC. 14 July 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ^ "Bridge rumour blown out of the water". BBC. 7 February 2003. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
External links
Media related to Bickleigh, Mid Devon at Wikimedia Commons
The Bickleigh village website.