Wembury
Wembury is a village on the south coast of
The beach is well known for its surfing and rock pooling.
There are three pubs within the Wembury parish; the Eddystone Inn, Mussell Inn and the Odd Wheel (the Oddy). Three shops are also in Wembury.
Its
History
Wembury was visited by Mesolithic man as evidenced by flint implements found on local sites. Some Roman coins have also been found.
The name Wembury may derive from a place name containing the name
Saxons colonised south-west Devon during the 7th century and founded agricultural settlements here. There was also a church dedicated to
Wembury expanded vastly in the 20th century with areas of farmland sold off for housing. Some older buildings are still present in the village, mainly in Knighton and West Wembury.
Wembury in the public eye
Wembury is mentioned in The
Wembury was used as a location in the filming of the
Wembury parish
The
Today the parish of Wembury is divided into three principal villages; Wembury, Down Thomas, and Heybrook Bay. There are also a number of smaller hamlets; Hollacombe, Knighton, Thorn, Langdon, Andurn and Bovisand. The population of the parish was 2740 during the 2011 census.
Wembury House survives as an elegant late
Fort Bovisand, an ancient monument lies in the North West corner of the parish. The first fort on this site was built in 1845. Plans have been approved for the conversion of Bovisand Fort and associated buildings, removal of one building, and construction of new towers, an apartment building, 11 new dwellings, new quayside commercial accommodation and conservation of historic fabric, together with associated landscaping, parking and re-establishment of the link to the coastal footpath, creating a total of 81 residential units, office, teaching/studio space, event space, visitor centre and facilities, café and relocation of MOD space and additional commercial space.
The Mewstone
A distinctive feature visible from Wembury Beach is the Mewstone, a triangular island which is uninhabited. In the past it has been host to a prison and a private home, as well as a refuge for local
The island was painted several times by
The Great Mewstone and Little Mewstone is now a bird sanctuary and access is not permitted to visitors.
References
- ^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ 'Report and transactions, Volume 10'.Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science 1878. Original from the University of California. Pages 285, 299
- ISBN 1-4212-7015-3Length: 561 pages. Pages 322 and 323
- ISBN 978-1-4346-0560-3. Length: 172 pages. Page 63
- ISBN 978-1-4326-3740-8. Length: 562 pages. Page 336, 343, 344
- Gray, Todd & Rowe, Margery (Eds.), Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of The Reverend John Swete, 1789-1800, 4 vols., Tiverton, 1999, Vol.4, p.6: Swete writing in 1797 referred to "Wembury the ruinous house" and its "magnificence about a century ago"
- Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954), p.513
- ^ "Sam Wakeman Archives".
- ISBN 9780750964104.
- ^ "Wembury Beach - Wembury". South Hams. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ "The Mewstone" (PDF). Wembury Parish Council. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ Tate - Art and artists - Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Mewstone c.1823-6
- ^ BBC News - Monday, 2 June 2008 - Fine art experts in Turner U-turn