Walkhampton
Encyclopedia
Walkhampton is a village and civil parish on the western side of Dartmoor
in the county of Devon
, England. The village lies on the Black Brook, a tributary of the River Walkham
, about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south-east of Tavistock, near the villages of Horrabridge
, Yelverton
and Dousland
. Burrator Reservoir
, constructed in 1898, is to the south-east.
In 2001 the population of the parish was 863. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of Meavy
and Sheepstor
to form Burrator Parish Council
, and for electoral purposes it is grouped with the same two parishes to form Burrator Ward
.
The village has a pub, the Walkhampton Inn, dating from the 17th century, and a primary school named Lady Modiford's School which was founded in 1719, though the present building with its distinctive bell and clock tower dates from the second half of the 19th century. In 2004 the school had 119 pupils in four classes.
Walkhampton church, which is Grade I listed, is on an ancient elevated site about half a mile north-west of the village. Unlike most churches which face east, it faces north-east, the direction of the rising sun on the longest day. The present building, which is built of granite and has a tower with four prominent pinnacles, dates from the 15th century, with much later alteration. For 400 years until 1985 the church had no dedication and was known simply as "Walkhampton Church", but in that year it was dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Research has indicated that it may have been originally dedicated to St Dionisius of Walkynton.
Church House, bearing the date 1698, but substantially 16th century in construction, is near the church. It was once an inn. Also nearby is an ancient stone cross which was reconstructed from parts found in a hedge. The base and shaft were re-erected in 1984 by relatives of the Lieutenant Goldsmith who in 1903 had discovered a cross on the moor; a head was added in 1991.
On the moorland above the village is Walkhampton Common which contains many important archaeological sites including at least eight stone row
s, many cairn
s, cist
s, hut circle
s and reave
s dating to the Bronze Age
. There is also much evidence of tin mining
from medieval times and later.
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
in the county 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. The village lies on the Black Brook, a tributary of the River Walkham
River Walkham
The Walkham is a river whose source is on Dartmoor, Devon, England. Flowing under Merivale and Huckworthy Bridges, the river reaches Horrabridge. About three miles further on, by a footbridge on the West Devon Way, it joins the River Tavy.-See also:...
, about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south-east of Tavistock, near the villages of Horrabridge
Horrabridge
Horrabridge is a village in West Devon, England with a population of 2,115 people in 2006, down from 2,204 in 1991. It is located approximately 12 miles north of the city of Plymouth and 4 miles south of Tavistock and is within the Dartmoor National Park....
, Yelverton
Yelverton, Devon
Yelverton is a large village on the south-western edge of Dartmoor, Devon, in England.When the village's railway station opened in the 19th century, the village became a popular residence for Plymouth commuters...
and Dousland
Dousland
Dousland is a small settlement in Devon, England. It is near the A386 road and is northeast of the city of Plymouth....
. Burrator Reservoir
Burrator Reservoir
Burrator Reservoir is a reservoir on the south side of Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. It is one of a number of reservoirs and dams that were built over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries in the area now covered by Dartmoor National Park to supply drinking water to the rapidly...
, constructed in 1898, is to the south-east.
In 2001 the population of the parish was 863. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of Meavy
Meavy
Meavy is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Devon. Meavy forms part of the district of West Devon. It lies a mile or so east of Yelverton. The River Meavy runs near the village...
and Sheepstor
Sheepstor
Sheepstor is a village and civil parish on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. In 2001 its population was 53, down from 95 in 1901. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of Meavy and Walkhampton to form Burrator Parish Council, and for...
to form Burrator Parish Council
Burrator
Burrator is a civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is entirely within the boundaries of the Dartmoor National Park and was formed from the older parishes of Meavy, Sheepstor and Walkhampton....
, and for electoral purposes it is grouped with the same two parishes to form Burrator Ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
.
The village has a pub, the Walkhampton Inn, dating from the 17th century, and a primary school named Lady Modiford's School which was founded in 1719, though the present building with its distinctive bell and clock tower dates from the second half of the 19th century. In 2004 the school had 119 pupils in four classes.
Walkhampton church, which is Grade I listed, is on an ancient elevated site about half a mile north-west of the village. Unlike most churches which face east, it faces north-east, the direction of the rising sun on the longest day. The present building, which is built of granite and has a tower with four prominent pinnacles, dates from the 15th century, with much later alteration. For 400 years until 1985 the church had no dedication and was known simply as "Walkhampton Church", but in that year it was dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Research has indicated that it may have been originally dedicated to St Dionisius of Walkynton.
Church House, bearing the date 1698, but substantially 16th century in construction, is near the church. It was once an inn. Also nearby is an ancient stone cross which was reconstructed from parts found in a hedge. The base and shaft were re-erected in 1984 by relatives of the Lieutenant Goldsmith who in 1903 had discovered a cross on the moor; a head was added in 1991.
On the moorland above the village is Walkhampton Common which contains many important archaeological sites including at least eight stone row
Stone row
A stone row , is a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones set at intervals along a common axis or series of axes, usually dating from the later Neolithic or Bronze Age. Rows may be individual or grouped, and three or more stones aligned can constitute a stone row...
s, many cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s, cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....
s, hut circle
Roundhouse (dwelling)
The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, originally built in western Europe before the Roman occupation using walls made either of stone or of wooden posts joined by wattle-and-daub panels and a conical thatched roof. Roundhouses ranged in size from less than 5m in diameter to over 15m...
s and reave
Reave
A reave is a long and generally straight boundary wall made of stone that was built during the Bronze Age. Reaves were identified as prehistoric features on Dartmoor in Devon, England in 1972, and although they had been described by antiquarians in the 1820s, the knowledge of their origins had been...
s dating to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
. There is also much evidence of tin mining
Dartmoor tin-mining
The Dartmoor tin mining industry is thought to have originated in pre-Roman times, and continued right through to the 20th century. From the 12th century onwards tin mining was regulated by a Stannary Parliament which had its own laws....
from medieval times and later.