Bickleigh, Mid Devon
Encyclopedia
Bickleigh is a village and civil parish
in the Mid Devon
district of Devon
, England
, about four miles south of Tiverton. It is in the former hundred of Hayridge
. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 239. It should not be confused with Bickleigh
, a village near Plymouth
, also in Devon.
The village lies in the valley of the River Exe
at the point where it meets the much smaller River Dart. There is an attractive medieval stone bridge across the Exe.
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
as Bichelei, meaning "Bicca's meadow".
Bickleigh Castle
, the village manor house
formerly known as Bickleigh Court, has a Norman
chapel
and baptismal font
.
of 1843 detracted from its original form. Its tower houses six bells.
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 century. The family's association continued until the manor's sale in 1922.
The most notable member of the family was Bampfylde Moore Carew
(1690–1758), the son of Theodore Carew, Bickleigh's rector. After a number of adventures, Carew became a gipsy and was subsequently elected their king. He was transported to Maryland
but escaped back to Britain, and joined Bonnie Prince Charlie's army on its 1745 march to Derby
, before returning to Bickleigh until his death. He is buried in the graveyard.
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.
maze
s in a field near the village. The subjects include Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee
, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar
, the bicentenary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
and 100th anniversary of the Scouting movement
.
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, winebar and cafe. Yearlstone is now 3.5 hectares, and hosts Devon Wine Week in the last week in May each year, a celebration of local food culture. To the northwest of the village on the River Exe is The Fisherman's Cot
.
to write Bridge Over Troubled Water
. Although Simon is known to have stayed in the village in the mid-sixties, Art Garfunkel
finally put an end to the rumour in a 2003 interview, stating that Simon had taken the phrase from a Baptist hymn.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Mid Devon
Mid Devon
Mid Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Tiverton.The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tiverton and Crediton urban district together with Tiverton Rural District, and Crediton Rural...
district of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about four miles south of Tiverton. It is in the former hundred of Hayridge
Hayridge (hundred)
The hundred of Hayridge was the name of one of thirty two ancient administrative shires of Devon, England. It was originally known as Sulfretona and this name was still used in the Geldroll of 1084 but two hundred years later it was called Harigg in the hundred Role of Edward I after the place...
. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 239. It should not be confused with Bickleigh
Bickleigh, South Hams
Bickleigh is a small village on the southern edge of Dartmoor in Devon, England. It has a population of about 50 people. It is in the South Hams district, and is about seven miles north of Plymouth city centre...
, a village near Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, also in Devon.
The village lies in the valley of the River Exe
River Exe
The River Exe in England rises near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon...
at the point where it meets the much smaller River Dart. There is an attractive medieval stone bridge across the Exe.
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Bichelei, meaning "Bicca's meadow".
Bickleigh Castle
Bickleigh Castle
Bickleigh Castle is a fortified manor house that stands on the banks of the River Exe at Bickleigh in Devon, England .Once considerably larger, Bickleigh now comprises a group of buildings from various periods. A Norman motte castle of the late 11th or early 12th century was dismantled in the mid...
, the village manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
formerly known as Bickleigh Court, has a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
and baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
.
St Mary's Church
Bickleigh's church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary is a medieval church predominantly built in the 14th century, though still contains a 12th century south doorway and font. The subsequent restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
of 1843 detracted from its original form. Its tower houses six bells.
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 century. The family's association continued until the manor's sale in 1922.
The most notable member of the family was Bampfylde Moore Carew
Bampfylde Moore Carew
Bampfylde Moore Carew was an English rogue, vagabond and impostor, who claimed to be King of the Beggars.He was the son of Reverend Theodore Carew, rector of Bickleigh. The Carews were a well-established Devonshire family. Although they had a reputation for adventurousness, Bampfylde Moore Carew...
(1690–1758), the son of Theodore Carew, Bickleigh's rector. After a number of adventures, Carew became a gipsy and was subsequently elected their king. He was transported to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
but escaped back to Britain, and joined Bonnie Prince Charlie's army on its 1745 march to Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, before returning to Bickleigh until his death. He is buried in the graveyard.
The church is home to carved bench-ends depicting scenes of medieval life. Major John Gabriel Stedman
John Gabriel Stedman
John Gabriel Stedman was a distinguished British–Dutch soldier and noted author. He was born in the Netherlands in 1744 to Robert Stedman, a Scot and an officer in Holland's Scots Brigade, and his wife of Dutch noble lineage, Antoinetta Christina van Ceulen. He lived most of his childhood in...
, author of a History of Surinam, d. 1797, was buried here in an unmarked grave near the vestry door.
Attractions
Farmer Nick Lees and his family have constructed several maizeMaize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
s in a field near the village. The subjects include Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar
Trafalgar 200
Trafalgar 200 was a series of events in 2005 held mostly in the United Kingdom to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, where a British fleet led by Admiral Nelson defeated a joint Franco-Spanish fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. During the summer of 2005 there was an...
, the bicentenary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
and 100th anniversary of the Scouting movement
Scouting 2007 Centenary
The Scouting 2007 Centenary comprised celebrations around the world in which Scouts celebrated 100 years of the world Scout movement. The original celebrations were focused on the United Kingdom, such as the camp on Brownsea Island, the birthplace of Scouting, and the 21st World Scout Jamboree in...
.
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, winebar and cafe. Yearlstone is now 3.5 hectares, and hosts Devon Wine Week in the last week in May each year, a celebration of local food culture. To the northwest of the village on the River Exe is The Fisherman's Cot
The Fisherman's Cot
The Fisherman's Cot is an inn on the A3072 road to the northwest of Bickleigh near Tiverton, in northeastern Devon. It is operated by Marston's Inns and lies on the River Exe.-Accommodation:Situated on the River Exe, the inn contains 21 rooms...
.
Popular culture
A persistent myth among the residents of the area is that the village's medieval bridge over the Exe inspired Paul SimonPaul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
to write Bridge Over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list...
. Although Simon is known to have stayed in the village in the mid-sixties, Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
finally put an end to the rumour in a 2003 interview, stating that Simon had taken the phrase from a Baptist hymn.