Goodleigh is a village,

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

and former manor in North

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, England. The village lies about north-east of the historic centre of

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The town lies at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from ...

. Apart from one adjunct at the south, it is generally a linear settlement. The parish church of St Gregory is a grade II* listed building with surviving ancient parts but was largely rebuilt in 1881.

Manor

Robert Newton Incledon (1761–1846) of

Yeotown, Goodleigh Yeotown was a historic estate situated in the parish of Goodleigh, North Devon, about 1 1/2 miles north-east of the historic centre of Barnstaple. The mansion house was remodelled in about 1807 in the neo-gothic style by Robert Newton Incledon ...

, purchased from the

Rashleigh family Rashleigh is a surname of a prominent family from Cornwall and Devon in south western Britain, which originated in the 14th century or before at the estate of Rashleigh, Wembworthy, Rashleigh in the parish of Wembworthy, Devon. The principal bra ...

the manor of Goodleigh,

Historic estates

Combe

Combe was the residence of a junior branch of the

Acland family Acland is an English language, English surname. The Aclands of Devon (often Dyke Acland: see Acland baronets, Dyke Acland baronets) were an influential family, whose name was derived from Acland, Landkey, Acland near Barnstaple. Notable people wit ...

, which originated in the 12th century at the estate of Acland, to the south in the parish of

Landkey Landkey is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. The parish has a population of 2,302 according to the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census. It is situated from the nearest town of Barnsta ...

. Two 17th–century mural monuments survive in Goodleigh Church to members of the Acland family of Combe. The descent was as follows: *James I Acland of Combe, who married Margaret Markham of Barnstaple. James was the younger son of Anthony Acland (d.1568) of

Hawkridge, Chittlehampton Hawkridge in the parish of Chittlehampton in North Devon, England, is an historic estate, anciently the seat of a junior branch of the Acland family which originated at nearby Acland, in the parish of Landkey and later achieved great wealth and ...

, the younger son of John V Acland of

Acland, Landkey The Estate in land, estate of Acland (''alias'' Accelana,Risdon, p.325 Akeland etc.) in the parish of Landkey, near Barnstaple in North Devon, England, was from 1155 the earliest known seat of the influential and wealthy family of Acland, to wh ...

. The senior line of this family, of

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

origin and first recorded at Acland in 1155, later became

Acland Baronets There have been four baronetcies created for members of the Acland family, two in the Baronetage of England and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. The family originated in the 12th century at the estate of Acland in the parish of Lan ...

and from the 18th century were one of the wealthiest and most prominent land-owning families in Devon, seated at

Killerton Killerton is an 18th-century house in Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, England, which, with its hillside garden and estate, has been owned by the National Trust since 1944 and is open to the public. The National Trust displays the house as a comforta ...

in Devon and at Holnicote in Somerset. *Thomas I Acland (d.1635), eldest son and heir, who married Katherine Palmer (d.1622, buried Goodleigh) of Barnstaple. *James II Acland (1630–1655), grandson, who died without progeny. His mural monument survives in Goodleigh Church. He was the son and heir of Thomas II Acland (1609–1633) (whose mural monument survives in Goodleigh Church), (son and heir apparent of Thomas I Acland (d.1635) (whom he predeceased)) by his wife (whom he married at

Braunton Braunton is a large village, civil parishes in England, civil parish, ecclesiastical parish and former Manorialism, manor in Devon. The village is situated west of Barnstaple. It is one of the largest villages in Devon with a population at th ...

) Agnes Shepherd. Agnes survived him and remarried to Rev. Josias Gole.Vivian, p.7

Yeotown

Yeotown is situated in the sequestered wooded valley of the small River Yeo, about south-west of the village of Goodleigh. The mansion house formerly owned by the Beavis family was remodelled in about 1807 in the neo-gothic style by Robert Newton Incledon (1761–1846), husband of Elizabeth Beavis and eldest son of

Benjamin Incledon Benjamin Incledon (1730–1796) (pronounced "Ingledon") of Pilton House, Pilton, near Barnstaple in North Devon, was an English antiquarian and genealogist. He served as Recorder of Barnstaple (1758–1796). Origins Incledon was baptised at P ...

(1730–1796) of

Pilton House, Pilton Pilton House in the parish of Pilton, near Barnstaple, North Devon, Ex31, is an historic grade II listed Georgian mansion house built in 1746 by Robert Incledon (1676-1758), twice Mayor of Barnstaple, who was from nearby Braunton. It is situ ...

, near Barnstaple, an

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic si ...

and genealogist and

Recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...

of the Borough of Barnstaple (1758–1796). It was demolished during his lifetime and today only one of the large gatehouse survives, since converted into a farmhouse known as Ivy Lodge.

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in Devon