Malmsmead is a hamlet on the border between the English counties of
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 ...
and
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
. The nearest town is
Lynton
Lynton is a town on the Exmoor coast in the North Devon district in the county of Devon, England, approximately north-east of Barnstaple and west of Minehead, and close to the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers. Lynton sits dire ...
, which lies approximately west of the hamlet. The hamlet is situated in the
Doone Valley within the
Exmoor National Park
Exmoor () is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simons ...
.
History
Malmsmead is not directly mentioned in the
Doomsday Book, a record of survey done under
William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...
, however it was likely included in the entry for nearby
Oare, Somerset
Oare is a village and civil parish on Oare Water on Exmoor in Somerset, England. It is located east of Lynton and the parish includes the hamlet of Oareford and the village of Culbone which contains its own tiny church.
History
The village ...
.
The border between the counties is along
Badgworthy Water
Badgworthy Water is a small river which flows through Malmsmead on Exmoor, close to the border between Devon and Somerset, England.
It merges with Oare Water to become the East Lyn River.
On the banks of the river are the remains of a few dw ...
, which is crossed by the 17th-century
Malmsmead Bridge
Malmsmead Bridge is a 17th-century stone bridge which crosses Badgworthy Water in the hamlet of Malmsmead, on the road between Oare, Somerset, Oare and Brendon. The Badgworthy Water forms the boundary between the counties of Somerset and Devon, a ...
and an even older adjacent ford. Badgworthy Water is also the boundary between the parishes of
Oare (Somerset) and
Brendon and Countisbury
Brendon and Countisbury is an England, English civil parish in the district of North Devon and the county of Devon.
The civil parish was created on 1 April 2013, by the merger of the previous civil parishes of Brendon and Countisbury.
Referenc ...
(Devon).
Malmsmead is both on the route of the
Coleridge Way
The Coleridge Way is a long-distance trail in Somerset and Devon, England.
It was opened in April 2005, and the route links several sites associated with the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge starting from Coleridge Cottage at Nether Stowey. Ori ...
and
Samaritans Way South West
Samaritans Way South West is a Long-distance footpath in South West England. It was officially opened on 21 April 2004 by the Ramblers Vice Chairman, the Samaritans (charity) Chief Executive and a farmer from Gloucestershire who headed the Far ...
. Just to the north of the hamlet, Badgworthy Water merges with
Oare Water
Oare Water passes through the village of Oare, Somerset, Oare, on Exmoor in Somerset, England.
It joins Badgworthy Water before flowing to Watersmeet House, Watersmeet and the Bristol Channel, as the East Lyn River.
Oare bridge is an 18th-centu ...
to form the
East Lyn River
The East Lyn is a river which rises high in Exmoor, in the English county of Somerset. It flows through the East Lyn Valley in Devon.
Watercourse
The river is formed as the Upper East Lyn at Malmsmead from two minor tributaries, the Oare ...
that flows into the sea at
Lynmouth
Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the northern edge of Exmoor. The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn River, West Lyn and East Lyn River, East Lyn rivers, in a gorge directly below the neighbouring town of Lynton, w ...
.
References
External links
*
Hamlets in Devon
Hamlets in Somerset
Exmoor
{{Somerset-geo-stub