Clovelly
Encyclopedia
Clovelly is a village in the Torridge
district of Devon
, England
. It is a major tourist attraction, famous for its history and beauty, its extremely steep car-free cobbled
main street, donkey
s, and its location looking out over the Bristol Channel
. Thick woods
shelter it and render the climate so mild that even tender plants flourish. As of the 2001 Census, the ward of Clovelly Bay, including Clovelly, had a total population of 1,616.
vehicles, between the car park and the harbour. There is a public road down to the harbour (followed by the Land Rover taxi), although parking at the bottom is all private, and there is a sign warning visitors against going down that road. Clovelly Visitor Centre car park is served by Stagecoach Bus service 319 between Barnstaple, Bideford and Hartland.
The estate is run by the Clovelly Estate Company, under the leadership of The Hon.John Rous, a descent of the Hamlyn family who have owned the village, estate and manor house Clovelly court
since 1738. He is the son of Hon. Mary Rous and Keith Rous, the 5th Earl of Stradbroke.
Visitors are told that revenues raised from the entrance fee are used to fund the constant maintenance of the village cottages (caring for the village is a costly business because the buildings are all repaired using traditional materials and craftmanship, and due to the severely restricted vehicle access, builders often quote up to double the standard price for repairs when Clovelly is mentioned). However, there are discrepancies to these claims, and indeed to the justification of charging a fee to walk down the village street. Critics of the post-1988 management claim that the Clovelly Estate Company has no legal basis in imposing a charge for visitors simply wishing to walk down the street (and not to visit or make use of other facilities such as the museum or film show), because the street is owned and maintained by Torridge District Council. There is also a public road leading down to the harbour and ending before the cark park. The area beyond this road, including the harbour car park, is private property.
The visitor centre opens at 09:00 every day in the peak summer season. If visitors arrive before this time, or after 6:30pm, it is possible to visit the village free of charge via a gate outside the visitor centre which is unlocked during non-business hours. If visitors arrive between 5:30 and 6:30pm, they may visit the village free of charge but are liable to pay a £4 parking fee.
cottage
s on the sides of a rocky cleft; its steep main street descends 400 feet (120 m) to the pier
, too steeply to allow wheeled traffic. Sledges are used for the movement of goods. The quaint street is lined with houses, a small number of shops, a cafe and a public house. All Saints' Church, restored
in 1866, is late Norman
, containing several monuments to the Cary family, Lords of the Manor
for 600 years.
Unusually, the village is still privately owned and has been associated with only three families since the middle of the 13th century, nearly 800 years. The scenery is famous for its richness of colour, especially in the grounds of Clovelly Court and along The Hobby, a road cut through the woods and overlooking the sea. The South West Coast Path
National Trail runs past the village and the section from Clovelly to Hartland Quay
is particularly spectacular.
lived here as a child from 1831 to 1836, while his father, the Reverend Charles Kingsley served first as Senior Curate
then as Rector
. Later, in 1855, his novel Westward Ho!
did much to stimulate interest in Clovelly and to boost its tourist trade.
Clovelly is also described by Charles Dickens
in A Message from the Sea and was painted by Rex Whistler
, whose cameos of the village were used on a china
service by Wedgwood
.
The surgeon
Campbell De Morgan
(1811–1876), who first speculated that cancer
arose locally and then spread more widely in the body, was born here.
Clovelly is mentioned in passing by Rudyard Kipling
in Stalky & Co.
as being located to the west of the boys' academy.
Clovelly is in an advert where a woman is seen rolling down the hill and out onto the pier on a trolley: John West Tuna, BMW, John Smith Beer
Turner's painting of Clovelly harbour hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
Torridge
Torridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Bideford. Other towns and villages in the district include Holsworthy, Great Torrington, Hartland and Westward Ho!. The Island of Lundy is administratively part of the District...
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...
. It is a major tourist attraction, famous for its history and beauty, its extremely steep car-free cobbled
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
main street, donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
s, and its location looking out over the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. Thick woods
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
shelter it and render the climate so mild that even tender plants flourish. As of the 2001 Census, the ward of Clovelly Bay, including Clovelly, had a total population of 1,616.
Access
The village itself is not accessible by motor vehicle and space at the harbour is limited to hotel residents and locals with permits. Visitors park at the Visitor Centre car park above the village, at the end of the B3237 road; service buses make calls at the car park also. The visitor centre consists of a cafe, gift, book and fudge shops. There are a number of tourist-oriented shop units at the car park. Visitors enter the village through the visitor centre. A taxi service operates in summer using Land RoverLand Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
vehicles, between the car park and the harbour. There is a public road down to the harbour (followed by the Land Rover taxi), although parking at the bottom is all private, and there is a sign warning visitors against going down that road. Clovelly Visitor Centre car park is served by Stagecoach Bus service 319 between Barnstaple, Bideford and Hartland.
The estate is run by the Clovelly Estate Company, under the leadership of The Hon.John Rous, a descent of the Hamlyn family who have owned the village, estate and manor house Clovelly court
Clovelly court
Clovelly Court is a privately owned country house situated in Clovelly, Devon. The house and adjacent stable block are Grade II listed buildings....
since 1738. He is the son of Hon. Mary Rous and Keith Rous, the 5th Earl of Stradbroke.
Entrance fee & controversy
The visitor centre has been operational since 1988, before which there was no entrance fee to access the village, instead a car park fee. As of summer 2010, the entrance fee is £5.95 for adults and £3.75 for children. The fee covers all-day car parking, entry to two museums in the village - the Kingsley Museum and the Fisherman's Cottage - and a 15-minute film show telling the story of Clovelly, as well as use of the toilet facilities in the visitor centre and down the cobbled street.Visitors are told that revenues raised from the entrance fee are used to fund the constant maintenance of the village cottages (caring for the village is a costly business because the buildings are all repaired using traditional materials and craftmanship, and due to the severely restricted vehicle access, builders often quote up to double the standard price for repairs when Clovelly is mentioned). However, there are discrepancies to these claims, and indeed to the justification of charging a fee to walk down the village street. Critics of the post-1988 management claim that the Clovelly Estate Company has no legal basis in imposing a charge for visitors simply wishing to walk down the street (and not to visit or make use of other facilities such as the museum or film show), because the street is owned and maintained by Torridge District Council. There is also a public road leading down to the harbour and ending before the cark park. The area beyond this road, including the harbour car park, is private property.
The visitor centre opens at 09:00 every day in the peak summer season. If visitors arrive before this time, or after 6:30pm, it is possible to visit the village free of charge via a gate outside the visitor centre which is unlocked during non-business hours. If visitors arrive between 5:30 and 6:30pm, they may visit the village free of charge but are liable to pay a £4 parking fee.
The village
Clovelly used to be a fishing village and in 1901 had a population of 621. It is a cluster of wattle and daubWattle and daub
Wattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw...
cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s on the sides of a rocky cleft; its steep main street descends 400 feet (120 m) to the pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
, too steeply to allow wheeled traffic. Sledges are used for the movement of goods. The quaint street is lined with houses, a small number of shops, a cafe and a public house. All Saints' Church, restored
Victorian 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...
in 1866, is late 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...
, containing several monuments to the Cary family, Lords of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
for 600 years.
Unusually, the village is still privately owned and has been associated with only three families since the middle of the 13th century, nearly 800 years. The scenery is famous for its richness of colour, especially in the grounds of Clovelly Court and along The Hobby, a road cut through the woods and overlooking the sea. The South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
National Trail runs past the village and the section from Clovelly to Hartland Quay
Hartland, Devon
The town of Hartland, which incorporates the hamlet of Stoke to the west and the village of Meddon in the south, is the most north-westerly settlement in the county of Devon, England....
is particularly spectacular.
Famous residents
The novelist Charles KingsleyCharles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
lived here as a child from 1831 to 1836, while his father, the Reverend Charles Kingsley served first as Senior Curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
then as Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. Later, in 1855, his novel Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! (novel)
Westward Ho! is an 1855 British historical novel by Charles Kingsley, inspired in part by an Elizabethan travelogue by privateer Admiral Sir Richard Hawkins and by the Crimean War.-Plot summary:...
did much to stimulate interest in Clovelly and to boost its tourist trade.
Clovelly is also described by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
in A Message from the Sea and was painted by Rex Whistler
Rex Whistler
Reginald John 'Rex' Whistler was a British artist, designer and illustrator.-Biography:Rex Whistler was born in Eltham, Kent, the son of Henry and Helen Frances Mary Whistler...
, whose cameos of the village were used on a china
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
service by Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
.
The surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
Campbell De Morgan
Campbell De Morgan
Campbell Greig De Morgan was a British surgeon who first speculated that cancer arose locally and then spread, first to the lymph nodes and then more widely in the body...
(1811–1876), who first speculated that cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
arose locally and then spread more widely in the body, was born here.
Clovelly is mentioned in passing by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
in Stalky & Co.
Stalky & Co.
Stalky & Co. is a book published in 1899 by Rudyard Kipling, about adolescent boys at a British boarding school. It is a collection of linked short stories in format, with some information about the charismatic Stalky character in later life. The character Beetle, one of the main trio, is partly...
as being located to the west of the boys' academy.
Clovelly is in an advert where a woman is seen rolling down the hill and out onto the pier on a trolley: John West Tuna, BMW, John Smith Beer
Turner's painting of Clovelly harbour hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
Deliveries by sledge
The impossibility of getting vehicular access to the main street has led to deliveries being made by sledge. This is not done as a tourist attraction but as a matter of practicality. Goods being delivered are pulled down the hill from an upper car park. Refuse is pulled down the hill to a waiting vehicle at the harbour.Further reading
- Sheila Ellis, Down a Cobbled Street: The Story of Clovelly, 1987
- Charles KingsleyCharles KingsleyCharles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
, Westward Ho!Westward Ho! (novel)Westward Ho! is an 1855 British historical novel by Charles Kingsley, inspired in part by an Elizabethan travelogue by privateer Admiral Sir Richard Hawkins and by the Crimean War.-Plot summary:...
, 1855