North Tawton
Encyclopedia
North Tawton is a small town
in Devon
, England
, situated on the river Taw
.
between Isca Dumnoniorum
(Exeter
) and Okehampton
. In addition, the site of a temporary marching camp has been identified half a mile to the north.
By the time of the Domesday survey (1086), there were six farm / manor holdings in what is now North Tawton Parish, including that of Tawton which was the forerunner of the town we know today.
St Peter's Church is first recorded in 1257. Only the tower of the present building dates from that time, with the rest being mostly 14th and 15th century. The tower is on the west and is topped by an oak-shingled spire. There are two aisles with granite arcades and a number of old benchends.
North Tawton was already a market town by the end of the 12th century. Agriculture and the woollen industry provided the chief sources of employment for many centuries, but the former has much declined as a source of employment and the latter has gone altogether, the last town woollen mill closing in 1930.
The railway came to North Tawton in 1865. North Tawton railway station
(now closed) lies a mile or two outside the town on the line from Exeter to Okehampton which continued on to Plymouth and Cornwall. It closed to through passenger traffic in 1968, although a shuttle service between Okehampton
and Exeter continued until 1972.
The town has become something of a centre for light industry. There are three significant employers in the town: the haulier Gregory Distribution, which grew from a local concern founded in the 1920s and now employs 300 locally, the Taw Valley Creamery--a cheese factory originally built by Express Dairies in 1974, employing over 100, and the pet products wholesaler Vital Pet Products, also employing over 100 people.
The population currently stands at around 1,750. This is small for a "town", but as a former market town North Tawton has retained this title, and is designated a Post Town
by the Royal Mail
.
There are a number of bus services:
(1811–1880) was born in the town, son of Samuel Budd, the local surgeon. His researches into the incidence of typhoid during an epidemic in the town led to him establishing that typhoid fever was spread contagiously, and in particular that the infection was excreted and could be contracted by drinking contaminated water. This discovery contributed to national improvements in public health through improved sanitation.
(1930–1998) bought a house, Court Green
, in North Tawton in 1961 with his then-wife Sylvia Plath
(1932–1963), who lived there briefly with him until their separation in December 1962. Ted Hughes moved his partner Assia Wevill
into Court Green where Assia helped care for Hughes' and Plath's two children, Frieda
and Nicholas
. In due course Hughes made North Tawton his permanent home, until his fatal myocardial infarction
in a Southwark
, London, hospital on 28 October 1998, while undergoing treatment for colon cancer.
' BBC television series Jam & Jerusalem. The town represents the fictional Clatterford St Mary. The Church and Town Hall feature prominently in the series, and some of the acting 'extras' for the series were recruited locally.
The minister cried out, "That is false doctrine, that is predestination."
Then the roar began; to second which they had brought a huntsman with his hounds: but the dogs were wiser than the men; for they could not bring them to make any noise at all. One of the gentlemen supplied their place. He assured us he was such, or none would have suspected it; for his language was as base, foul, and porterly, as ever was heard at Billingsgate. Dog, rascal, puppy, and the like terms, adorned almost every sentence. Finding there was no probability of a quiet hearing, I left him the field, and withdrew to my lodging."
and the residents local to it were featured in a four-part BBC documentary called Windfarm Wars. Broadcast in 2011, the documentary covered the seven years of legal processes involved with the windfarm receiving planning permission.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 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...
, situated on the river Taw
River Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
.
History
The Romans crossed the River Taw at what is now Newland Mill, a little outside the present town, and established a succession of military camps there over the years. The Roman fort is believed to have had the name Nemetostatio, meaning "The road-station of the sacred groves", and may have been located on the site of an ancient druidic sanctuary. It covered an area of roughly 600 ft (185m) east-west by 390 ft (120m), and was located adjoining the Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
between Isca Dumnoniorum
Isca Dumnoniorum
Isca Dumnoniorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia and the capital of Dumnonia in the sub-Roman period. Today it is known as Exeter, located in the English county of Devon.-Fortress:...
(Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
) and Okehampton
Okehampton
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and has an estimated population of 7,155.-History:...
. In addition, the site of a temporary marching camp has been identified half a mile to the north.
St Peter's Church is first recorded in 1257. Only the tower of the present building dates from that time, with the rest being mostly 14th and 15th century. The tower is on the west and is topped by an oak-shingled spire. There are two aisles with granite arcades and a number of old benchends.
The railway came to North Tawton in 1865. North Tawton railway station
North Tawton railway station
North Tawton railway station was a railway station serving the town of North Tawton in Devon, England. North Tawton lies on the river Taw.- History :The station was originally opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1865...
(now closed) lies a mile or two outside the town on the line from Exeter to Okehampton which continued on to Plymouth and Cornwall. It closed to through passenger traffic in 1968, although a shuttle service between Okehampton
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. Heritage train services currently operate on certain weekdays, weekends and bank holidays...
and Exeter continued until 1972.
Other notable buildings
The former town hall (1849) later became a cinema. Broad Hall is a house dated 1680 but it incorporates the remains of a house of the 15th century. Burton Hall is a mid-Victorian villa which was brought here from Norway. Cottles Barton is an Elizabethan manor house one mile south of the town.Modern day North Tawton
The population currently stands at around 1,750. This is small for a "town", but as a former market town North Tawton has retained this title, and is designated a Post Town
Post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system. Including the correct post town in the address increases the chances of a letter or parcel being delivered on time. Post towns are usually based upon the location of...
by the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
.
There are a number of bus services:
- 315 - Barnstaple to Exeter
- 51/51A - Hatherleigh to Exeter
- 318 - Okehampton
William Budd
The doctor William BuddWilliam Budd
William Budd was an English physician and epidemiologist known for recognizing the contagiousness of infectious diseases. He recognized that the "poisons" involved in infectious diseases multiplied in the intestines of the sick, appeared in the excretions of the sick, and could then be...
(1811–1880) was born in the town, son of Samuel Budd, the local surgeon. His researches into the incidence of typhoid during an epidemic in the town led to him establishing that typhoid fever was spread contagiously, and in particular that the infection was excreted and could be contracted by drinking contaminated water. This discovery contributed to national improvements in public health through improved sanitation.
Ted Hughes / Sylvia Plath / Assia Wevill
The poet Ted HughesTed Hughes
Edward James Hughes OM , more commonly known as Ted Hughes, was an English poet and children's writer. Critics routinely rank him as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes was British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath, from 1956 until...
(1930–1998) bought a house, Court Green
Court Green
Court Green in North Tawton, Devon, England, was the home the poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath moved to in 1961. Plath left the house in December 1962, while Hughes lived there on and off for the rest of his life.- Sylvia Plath at Court Green :...
, in North Tawton in 1961 with his then-wife Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Born in Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College, Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a professional poet and writer...
(1932–1963), who lived there briefly with him until their separation in December 1962. Ted Hughes moved his partner Assia Wevill
Assia Wevill
Assia Wevill was a German-born woman who escaped the Nazis, lived in British Palestine and later in Britain, and is best known for her relationship with the English poet Ted Hughes. She killed herself and also her four-year-old daughter Alexandra Tatiana Elise . Six years earlier, Hughes's wife...
into Court Green where Assia helped care for Hughes' and Plath's two children, Frieda
Frieda Hughes
Frieda Rebecca Hughes is an English poet and painter. She has published seven children's books and four poetry collections and has had many exhibitions.-Early life:...
and Nicholas
Nicholas Hughes
Nicholas Farrar Hughes was a fisheries biologist known as an expert in stream salmonid ecology. Hughes was the son of the American poet Sylvia Plath and English poet Ted Hughes and the younger brother of English artist and poet Frieda Hughes...
. In due course Hughes made North Tawton his permanent home, until his fatal myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in a Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, London, hospital on 28 October 1998, while undergoing treatment for colon cancer.
"Jam & Jerusalem" / Clatterford
In 2005, North Tawton was chosen as the location for the filming of Jennifer SaundersJennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
' BBC television series Jam & Jerusalem. The town represents the fictional Clatterford St Mary. The Church and Town Hall feature prominently in the series, and some of the acting 'extras' for the series were recruited locally.
John Wesley
Wednesday, 4 September, 1765 - I rode on to North Tawton, a village where several of our preachers had preached occasionally. About six I went to the door of our inn; but I had hardly ended the psalm, when a clergyman came, with two or three (by the courtesy of England called) gentlemen. After I had named my text, I said, "There may be some truths which concern some men only; but this concerns all mankind."The minister cried out, "That is false doctrine, that is predestination."
Then the roar began; to second which they had brought a huntsman with his hounds: but the dogs were wiser than the men; for they could not bring them to make any noise at all. One of the gentlemen supplied their place. He assured us he was such, or none would have suspected it; for his language was as base, foul, and porterly, as ever was heard at Billingsgate. Dog, rascal, puppy, and the like terms, adorned almost every sentence. Finding there was no probability of a quiet hearing, I left him the field, and withdrew to my lodging."
Windfarm Wars
The nearby Den Brook Wind FarmDen Brook Wind Farm
Den Brook Wind Farm is a proposed windfarm in Devon, England. The windfarm will be located south-east of North Tawton and south-west of Bow, and will comprise nine wind turbines, each high...
and the residents local to it were featured in a four-part BBC documentary called Windfarm Wars. Broadcast in 2011, the documentary covered the seven years of legal processes involved with the windfarm receiving planning permission.