Moretonhampstead
Moretonhampstead | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | NEWTON ABBOT | |
Postcode district | TQ13 | |
Dialling code | 01647 | |
Police | Devon and Cornwall | |
Fire | Devon and Somerset | |
Ambulance | South Western | |
UK Parliament | ||
Website | http://www.moretonhampstead.com/ | |
Moretonhampstead is a market town,[a] parish and ancient manor in Devon, situated on the north-eastern edge of Dartmoor, within the Dartmoor National Park. The parish now includes the hamlet of Doccombe (/ˈdɒkəm/), and it is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of Drewsteignton, Dunsford, Bridford, Bovey Tracey, Lustleigh, North Bovey and Chagford.[4]
At the
Toponymy
The Domesday Book of 1086 records the manor as MORTONE.[7] This part of the name derives from the Old English for a town or village in moorland,[8] referring to the town's situation on Dartmoor.
In 1493 the town was recorded as "Morton Hampstead" in the Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem,[9] with 'ham' and 'stede' both being Anglo-Saxon words for a home or enclosed area,[10][11][12] but seemingly unnecessary to the historical context of the settlement.[13]
The Oxford Names Companion (1991) speculates that this may be a family name, or a nearby place.[14] However The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names (2004) simply says the reason for the addition is unknown.[15]
The 'Hampstead' part of the name was not always used, with the Recovery Rolls from the Court of Common Pleas in 1692 noting it as "Moreton al. Moreton Hampstead",[9] indicating that both long and short forms may be used. Local noted antiquarian Cecil Torr states that the town continued to be known simply as Moreton to the majority of people prior to the arrival of the railway, which made the station Moretonhampstead in order to distinguish it from other towns called Moreton on the railways network,[16] with 45 other settlements called Moreton or Morton.[17]
History
The central region of Devon was occupied by the
The present parish of over 6,000 acres (24 km2) is the remainder of an ancient royal estate. It remained a royal estate immediately after the
After that time it was the seat of
In 1207 King John granted a weekly market and an annual five-day fair,[2] indicating that Moretonhampstead had developed into an important local community. The town grew steadily through the Middle Ages and remained prosperous until the end of the 17th century, when the wool industry began to decline. The town continued to be a local trading centre and a rest stop for travellers on the difficult routes across Dartmoor and from Exeter and Newton Abbot.
A series of fires in the 20th century destroyed many of Moretonhampstead's ancient buildings, but sufficient still remain to demonstrate the Saxon and medieval heritage, and its later industrial prosperity. Much of the town is a designated
The sparrowhawk
When King John granted the town its charter during the 13th century, the rent was set as one sparrowhawk per year. The bird has become something of a symbol for the town and is to be incorporated into works of public art under development by an artist in residence, Roger Dean.
Notable residents
Rev Dr James Fynes (1695 – 1774), a kinsman of the Dukes of Newcastle, served as Rector from 1735 until his death. Previously Vice-President of Magdalen College, Oxford, he married Elizabeth Bertie but they had no children, and his property in Moretonhampstead was inherited by his nephew, also James Fynes (died 1798).[22]
Places of interest
The Cross Tree
The Cross Tree, immortalised by
Almshouses
Standing behind the Cross Tree are the famous almshouses, built in solid granite. The date of 1637 on the outside is actually the date they were refurbished. Recent research has shown that the main core of these buildings are at least two hundred years older. Early in the 19th century the building was converted from two tenements into four and the facade was damaged. By 1938 they had fallen into disrepair. In 1940 they were purchased for the town and converted back into two
St Andrew's Church
The
Tourism
Moretonhampstead relies heavily on tourism, and has done so for a long time.[26][failed verification] Its position makes it a base to explore both Dartmoor and Devon. The central part of the town stands at an altitude of 700 feet (210 m) but a short stroll within the parish will elevate the walker to beyond 1,100 feet (340 m) and afford views of the surrounding area. Moretonhampstead has four pubs and three cafes. There is a wide selection of hotels, bed and breakfast, self-catering and camping accommodation.
Moretonhampstead has a good range of sporting facilities and the proximity of Dartmoor makes it popular with ramblers and cyclists, in particular for mountain biking.[27]
Events
Moretonhampstead has an annual carnival, held in the fourth week in August which raises funds for local groups and associations. Since 2012 it has also held an annual flag festival: in 2017 it took place in mid-June. Other events include a fireworks night, annual pantomime, food and drink festival and music events spread throughout the year.[28]
Transport
The town lies on the
roads.Moretonhampstead railway station was opened by the Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway on the south side of the town on 26 June 1866. It closed to passengers on 28 February 1959, although goods trains continued until 6 April 1964. After this the goods shed and engine shed continued to be used for many years by a commercial road haulage business.
Bus services are from the car park just west of the town centre and include services to Exeter (359/173) and Okehampton/Newton Abbot (178).
Sport and recreation
Moretonhampstead has
See also
- Tozer, a family surname believed to have arisen in Moretonhampstead in the 15th century.
References
- ^ a b "Moretonhampstead Parish". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Devon – Moretonhampstead". Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs to 1516. history.ac.uk. 18 June 2003. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ "Map of Devon Parishes" (PDF). Devon County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Devon: Being Observations on Many Churches in Denonshire. George Oliver and John Pike Jones (editors), 1828, Exeter: E. Woolmer.
- ^ Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, Chapter 1:45
- ISBN 0198527586.
- ^ a b "Moretonhampstead". The English Place-Name Society.
- ^ "Old English Core Vocabulary". St Andrews University.
- ^ "Stede". Bosworth Toller's Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online. 20 April 2024.
- ^ "ham". Bosworth Toller's Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online. 20 April 2024.
- ISBN 9780950652535.
- ISBN 0198605617.
- ISBN 978-0-521-16855-7.
- ^ Torr, Cecil (1921). Small Talk at Wreyland: Volume II. Cambridge [Eng.] The University press. p. 29.
- ISBN 9781899383986.
- ^ Thorn, Chapter 1:1-72
- ^ Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.128
- ^ a b c Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.263
- ^ a b Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620. Exeter, 1895. p.244
- ^ www.moretonhampstead.org.uk
- ISBN 0-7153-5577-5
- ISBN 978-0-300-09596-8
- ^ Church of St Andrew, Moretonhampstead, British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- ^ The Beauties of England and Wales, or Delineations, Topographical, Historical and Descriptive of Each County, Vol IV. John Britton and Edward Wedlake Brayley. 1803. London.
- ^ www.visitmoretonhampstead.co.uk
- ^ "Annual events". Visit Moretonhampstead. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
Notes
- ^ Since 1207, Moretonhampstead has held the right to hold a regular market,[2] making it a market town. However, the parish council has not elected to give itself the status of a town as it could do under s.245(6) of the Local Government Act 1972,[3] so it does not have a town council and cannot elect a Mayor.
External links
- Moretonhampstead at Curlie
- Moretonhampstead – Moretonhampstead Development Trust
- Moretonhampstead History Society
- Moretonhampstead travel guide from Wikivoyage