Village Life
The search area centres on Harberton village in Devon, England.
Area Map
Harberton Village nestled in the Devon countryside
St Andrews Church, Harberton, Devon. www.harbertondevon.co.uk
ASHPRINGTON, or Ashpreignton, is a small neat village, picturesquely seated on a gentle slope, near the confluence of the river Harbourn with the estaury of the Dart, 2½ miles S.E. of Totnes. Its parish contains 588 souls, and 2644 acres of fertile land, including the hamlets of Washbourn and Yeatson and part of Tuckenhay, where there is a large paper mill, a corn mill, and quarries of hard stone, of which great quantities are exported in vessels of 160 tons, to London, &c., for Macadamizing roads. Richard Durant, Esq., owns a great part of the parish, and is lord of the manor of Sharpham, where he has a large and handsome freestone mansion with extensive and well-wooded grounds, descending to the western bank of the river Dart, amidst some of the most beautiful scenery of the valley. He has lately much improved the village by erecting a new inn, and rebuilding many of the cottages. This manor has been held successively by the Winard, French, Prideaux, Drewe, Giles, Yarde, Cockey, Pownall, and Bastard families. Painsford, an ancient mansion, on the banks of the river Harbourn, is the seat and property of Mr. Philip Mitchelmore, and has been successively held by the Piperell, Halwill, Somaster, Kellond, Courtenay, and other families. It was formerly much larger than at present and its dilapidated chapel, though disused since the middle of last century, still retains its pulpit, pews, and altar-piece, and has a suit of armour hanging over the communion rails. The left wing of the house has a fine row of arches. The Rev. G. T. Carwithen, Mr.W. D. Adams, C. Pearce, Esq., Mr. T. Mudge, J. Browne, Esq., and several other freeholders have estates in the parish. The Church (St. David,) is a handsome structure, in the perpendicular style, with a tower and five bells. It has lately been renovated, and new mullions and tracery of Bath stone, have been inserted, chiefly at the expense of Richard Durant, Esq. The clustered columns of the nave have foliated capitals, and in the chancel is a fine recedos, in seven compartments, of Caen stone. On the walls are several handsome marble tablets, in memory of members of the Somaster, Kellond, Bastard, and other families. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £29. 1s. 8d., and in 1831 at £560, is in the patronage of the Rev. T. G. Carwithen, and has been held by the Rev. Jacob Ley, M.A., since 1795. The Rectory House is a neat mansion, and the glebe is 28A. 3R. 17P. The tithes were commuted in 1844, for £537 per annum. The Parish School is a neat building, in the Elizabethan style, erected in 1847, by Richard Durant, Esq., at the cost of £600, and chiefly supported by him. The Church House is occupied by poor families, and here is an Almshouse for six poor persons, given by Sir Edward Giles, Kt., in 1628, but now much dilapidated, and only partially occupied.
Gages
Mill is a 14th century former Wool Mill situated on the edge of the Dartmoor
National Park, one mile from the centre of the ancient Stannary Town of
Ashburton with its many pleasant slate hung buildings and projecting first
storeys. Gages Mill stands in over an acre of lawns and gardens surrounded by
trees and farmland. The building has its original character.
TOTNES UNION comprises the parishes of Ashprington, Berry-Pomeroy, Brixham, Buckfastleigh, Churston-Ferrers, Cornworthy, Dartington, St.Petrox, St.Saviour, and Townstal, in Dartmouth Borough; Dean-Prior, Diptford, Dittisham, Halwell, Harberton, Holne, Kingswear, Little Hempston, Marldon, Morley, North Huish, Paignton, Rattery, South-Brent, Staverton, Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, and Ugborough, which embrace an area of 143 square miles, and has 34,126 inhabitants in 1841, living in 6901 houses; besides which there were 440 empty houses, and 39 building, when the census was taken. Their total average expenditure on the poor during the three years preceding the formation of the Union, was £13,879. The expenditure of the Union in 1839 was £11,893; and in 1840, £13,183. The Workhouse is a large stone building, erected in 1838-9, at the cost of about £6000, and has room for 380 paupers. W.F.Windeatt, Esq., is the union clerk and superintendent registrar; Rev.F.H.Hele, chaplain; Mr.Richard and Mrs.Martyn, master and matron of the Workhouse; and Thos. Irish and Saml. Randle are the relieving officers. The union is divided into 12 medical and 7 registration districts. Mr. Richard Harris is registrar of births and deaths for Totnes district.
Bovey Tracey is situated in South Devon and is one of the gateway towns to Dartmoor National Park. Dartmoor is an area of outstanding natural beauty, full of rivers, attractive woodland and superb views; it is much loved by the local people of Bovey Tracey. The Eastern entrance to the National Park, the 'Parke Estate' is situated on the towns' outskirts.
The town is situated near the river Bovey and was originally founded as a small borough by the Tracey family, resulting in the name Bovey Tracey.
The Mill
The Church
"BROADHEMPSTON, a village and parish, 4 1/2 miles N. of Totnes, has 747 souls, and 2047A. 1R. 28P. of land, including the hamlets, &c., of Ford, Bearton, Wenton, Halswill, and Bicaton. Mr. Edward Palk is lord of the manor, but most of the soil belongs to Rt. Michelmore, J. Harris, W. and J. Blackler, W. Venning, G. Bowden, C. Skinner, T. Luscombe, and a few smaller owners. The manor anciently belonged to the Cantelupes, and its lords had the power of inflicting capital punishment. The Church is a large and antique fabric, with a tower and five bells. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £25. 6s. 8d., and in 1831, at £366, is in the patronage of the Crown, and incumbency of the Rev. J. Pitman, B.C.L., who has a good residence and 37A. 2r. 26P. of glebe. . . ." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]
Buckfastleigh. Set on the southern edge of the Dartmoor National Park surrounded by woods and meadows, the quiet town of Buckfastleigh is best known for the nearby Buckfast Abbey and the South Devon Valley Railway. The steam railway follows the old Ashburton line, along the river Dart through Staverton to Totnes, some 7 miles (11km) away.
The station in Buckfastleigh is adjacent to the Buckfast Butterfly Farm and the Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary. The Butterfly Farm is a large tropical hot house, where the butterflies fly around in a semi-natural environment.
In the town's churchyard are the ruins of an old 'chantry' chapel and the strange mausoleum erected over the tomb of Richard Carbell in 1677 to contain his 'unquiet spirit'. Richard Carbell was believed by the local population to be in league with the Devil. The local stories of black dogs howling and breathing fire around his tomb are believed to inspired Conan Doyle when he was researching his novel 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.
Buckfast Abbey
Buckfastleigh
Dean Prior ~ St George The Matyr
"DEAN-PRIOR parish, from 3 to 5 miles S.S.W. of Ashburton, has 552 souls, and about 4000 acres of land, including nearly 1400 acres of open common, on the eastern side of Dartmoor Forest. Its villages are Dean Town and Dean Church Town, on the Exeter and Plymouth road, where there are several woolcombers, and where the gentlemen and hounds of the celebrated Dean Hunt usually assemble. The manor of Dean Prior was held by the Prior of Plympton, and now belongs, with that of Skerraton, to Sir J.B.Y. Buller, but Sir W.R. Carew, and a few smaller owners, have estates here. Dean Court, a large Tudor mansion, formerly a seat of the Giles and Yarde families, is occupied by a farmer. The Church (St. George,) has lately been rebuilt, except the tower, at the cost of about £1500, by Sir J.B.Y. Buller, who is impropriator of the rectory, and patron of the vicarage, valued in K.B. at £21, and in 1831 at £309. The Rev. R.C. Kitson, who is the incumbent, has a good residence, and 23A. 1R. 17P. of glebe. . . ." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]
"IPPLEPEN (ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST), a parish, in the union of NEWTON-ABBOTT, hundred of HAYTOR, Teignbridge and S. divisions of DEVON, 3 3/4 miles (S. S. W.) from Newton-Abbott; containing, with the chapelry of Woodland, 1172 inhabitants. It comprises 2726 acres, of which 180 are common or waste. The church has a handsome screen, and an enriched wooden pulpit; it formerly belonged, with some adjoining lands, to the priory of St. Peter de Fulgeriis in Brlttany, and attached to it was a cell to that establishment. The Wesleyans have a place of worship." [From Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of England (1844)]
"ST. MARYCHURCH, a handsome village and picturesque parish, with many neat mansions and marine cottages, overlooking Babbicombe Bay, may be considered as a suburb of Torquay, being from only one to two miles north of that "queen of watering places." The parish had 1688 inhabitants in 1841, but it has now more than 2000, about 100 houses having been built here in the last seven years. It comprises 2589A. 2R. 35P. of land, including the hamlets of Babbicombe, Barton, Combe-Pafford, Edginswell, and Collaton-Shiphay, all situated near the bold and rugged rocky cliffs of the southern recess of Babbicombe Bay, . . . Here are two good inns, and on the beach are two bathing machines, about 20 fishing boats, two yachts, and a coast guard station. A little south of Babbicombe is Kent's Hole, a large cavern, which has been explored about 600 feet, to the point where water prevents any further ingress. . . . The Church (St. Mary,) is a large ancient structure, with a tower and four bells, and stands on a bold eminence. . . . The Rev. W. Maskell, M.A., is the incumbent, and has a good residence, but only an acre of glebe. . . . " [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]
Torquay - St Marychurch
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