Moretonhampstead is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

and ancient manor in

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 ...

, situated on the north-eastern edge of

Dartmoor Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers . The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...

, within the

Dartmoor National Park Dartmoor is an highland (geography), upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National parks of England and Wales, National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers ...

. The parish now includes the hamlet of Doccombe (), and it is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of

Drewsteignton Drewsteignton is a village, civil parish and former manor within the administrative area of West Devon, England, also lying within the Dartmoor National Park. It is located in the valley of the River Teign, west of Exeter and south east of O ...

Dunsford Dunsford is a village in Devon, England; it is located just inside the Dartmoor National Park. The hamlet of ''Butts'' is sited about one mile to the west; it generally considered to be part of the village, as is ''Reedy'', which is a similar ...

Bridford Bridford is a village and civil parish in south west England, located in the Teign Valley, Devon on the edge of Dartmoor. The parish is surrounded (clockwise from the north) by the parishes of Dunsford, Doddiscombsleigh, Christow, and Moretonh ...

Bovey Tracey Bovey Tracey () is a town and civil parish in Devon, England. It is located on the edge of Dartmoor, which gives rise to the slogan used on the town's boundary signs: ''The Gateway to the Moor''. It is often known locally as ''Bovey''. About so ...

Lustleigh Lustleigh is a small village and civil parish in the Wray Valley, inside the Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England. It is between the towns of Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead. The village has often been named in various publications as be ...

North Bovey North Bovey is a village and civil parish situated on the south-eastern side of Dartmoor National Park, Teignbridge, Devon, England, about 11 miles WSW of the city of Exeter and 1.5 miles SSW of Moretonhampstead. The village lies above ...

and

Chagford Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign and the A382, 4 miles (6 km) west of Moretonhampstead. The name is derived from ''chag'', meaning gorse or broom, an ...

. According to the 2021 census, it had a population of 1,728, which was slightly more than the 1,703 recorded at the 2011 census. The Moorland

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

, in which Moretonhampstead lies, had a population of 2,806 in 2011. The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

is dedicated to

St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Chu ...

. Along with a few other places in Devon, it is one of the longest place names in England with 16 letters. Moretonhampstead is twinned with Betton in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Toponymy

The

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 records the manor as ''MORTONE''. This part of the name derives from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

for a town or village in moorland, referring to the town's situation on

. In 1493 the town was recorded as "Morton Hampstead" in the Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, with 'ham' and 'stede' both being Anglo-Saxon words for a home or enclosed area, but seemingly unnecessary to the historical context of the settlement. ''The Oxford Names Companion'' (1991) speculates that this may be a family name, or a nearby place. However ''The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names'' (2004) simply says the reason for the addition is unknown. The 'Hampstead' part of the name was not always used, with the Recovery Rolls from the

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

in 1692 noting it as "Moreton al. Moreton Hampstead", indicating that both long and short forms may be used. Local noted antiquarian

Cecil Torr Cecil Torr (11 October 1857, Mitcham, London – 17 December 1928) was a British antiquarian and author. Early life Torr was the son of a solicitor and was educated at Harrow School. Cecil Torr matriculated on 7 June 1876 at Trinity College, Camb ...

states that the town continued to be known simply as Moreton to the majority of people prior to the arrival of the railway, which made the station Moretonhampstead in order to distinguish it from other towns called Moreton on the railways network, with 45 other settlements called Moreton or Morton.

History

The central region of Devon was occupied by the

Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

sometime after 710. Over time, it was divided into a number of estates, and one of these divisions included all land within the boundaries of the rivers

Teign The River Teign is a river in the county of Devon, England. It is long and rises on Dartmoor, becomes an estuary just below Newton Abbot and reaches the English Channel at Teignmouth. Toponymy The river-name ''Teign'' is first attested in an ...

and Bovey, with Moreton as its major settlement. The present parish of over 6,000 acres (24 km²) is the remainder of an ancient royal estate. It remained a royal estate immediately after the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

of 1066, as is recorded in the

of 1086, where it is listed as the 45th of the 72 Devonshire holdings of

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

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 ...

. The manor was

held Held may refer to: Places * Held Glacier People Arts and media * Adolph Held (1885–1969), U.S. newspaper editor, banker, labor activist *Al Held (1928–2005), U.S. abstract expressionist painter. *Alexander Held (born 1958), German television ...

grand serjeanty Under feudalism in France and England during the Middle Ages, tenure by serjeanty () was a form of tenure in return for a specified duty other than standard knight-service. Etymology The word comes from the French noun , itself from the Latin , ...

from From may refer to: People *Isak From (born 1967), Swedish politician *Martin Severin From (1825–1895), Danish chess master * Sigfred From (1925–1998), Danish chess master Media * ''From'' (TV series), a sci-fi-horror series that debuted ...

the king by

Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and ...

(1259–1326) during the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307), for the annual yielding of one

sparrow hawk Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the subfamily Accipitrinae. "Sparrow-hawk" or sparhawk originally referred to ''Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus'', now called "Eurasian" or "northern" sparro ...

. After that time it was the seat of Sir Philip de Courtenay (killed at Stirling 1314), second son of Sir Hugh de Courtenay (died 1292),

feudal baron of Okehampton The feudal barony of Okehampton was a very large feudal barony, the largest mediaeval fiefdom in the county of Devon, England,Thorn & Thorn, part 2, chapter 16 whose ''caput'' was Okehampton Castle and manor. It was one of eight feudal baronie ...

, by his wife Eleanor le Despenser (died 1328), sister of

Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester Hugh le Despenser (1 March 126127 October 1326), sometimes referred to as "the Elder Despenser", was for a time the chief adviser to King Edward II of England. He was created a baron in 1295 and Earl of Winchester in 1322. One day after being ...

, and younger brother of

Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon (14 September 1276 – 23 December 1340). of Tiverton Castle, Okehampton Castle, Plympton Castle and Colcombe Castle, all in Devon, feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, was an Englis ...

(1276–1340) of

Tiverton Castle Tiverton Castle is the remains of a medieval castle dismantled after the English Civil War and thereafter converted in the 17th century into a country house. It occupies a defensive position above the banks of the River Exe at Tiverton, Devo ...

. When he died childless Moretonhampstead was inherited by his elder brother the

Earl of Devon Earl of Devon is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. It was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the Redvers family (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.), and later by the Courtenay famil ...

, Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.263 who gave Moretonhampstead to his third son Robert de Courtenay, Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) ''The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620''. Exeter, 1895. p.244 who made it his seat. Robert's grandson William de Courtenay (1377–1388) died childless, and eventually the manor became the property of Sir Philip Courtenay (1340–1406) of Powderham, 5th or 6th son of

Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon Sir Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd/10th Earl of Devon (12 July 1303 – 2 May 1377), 2nd Baron Courtenay, feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, played an important role in the Hundred Years War in the service of King Edward III. H ...

(1303–1377). Thenceforth it descended with the Powderham estate and, in the time of Pole (died 1635), belonged to Francis Courtenay (1576–1638), ''de jure'' 4th

Wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

and (in later years) the manufacture of woollen cloth formed the basis of the town's economy for over 700 years. The economy was evidently healthy when Moretonhampstead established a water-powered

fulling mill Fulling, also known as tucking or walking ( Scots: ''waukin'', hence often spelt waulking in Scottish English), is a step in woollen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of woven cloth (particularly wool) to eliminate (lanolin) oils, dirt, ...

before the end of the 13th century. In 1207 King John granted a weekly market and an annual five-day

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

, indicating that Moretonhampstead had developed into an important local community. The town grew steadily through the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

and remained prosperous until the end of the 17th century, when the wool industry began to decline. The town continued to be a local trading centre and a rest stop for travellers on the difficult routes across Dartmoor and from

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

and

Newton Abbot Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Teign in the Teignbridge, Teignbridge District of Devon, England. Its population was 24,029 in 2011, and was estimated at 26,655 in 2019. It grew rapidly in ...

. A series of fires in the 20th century destroyed many of Moretonhampstead's ancient buildings, but sufficient still remain to demonstrate the Saxon and medieval heritage, and its later industrial prosperity. Much of the town is a designated

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

, with many

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

s being of architectural and historic interest. The whole parish lies within

The sparrowhawk

When King John granted the town its

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

during the 13th century, the rent was set as one

sparrowhawk Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the subfamily Accipitrinae The Accipitrinae are the Family (biology), subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks. The subfamily contains 73 s ...

per year. The bird has become something of a symbol for the town and is to be incorporated into works of public art under development by an artist in residence, Roger Dean.

Notable residents

Rev Dr James Fynes (1695 – 1774), a kinsman of the

Dukes of Newcastle Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne was a title that was created three times, once in the Peerage of England and twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first grant of the title was made in 1665 to William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle u ...

, served as Rector from 1735 until his death. Previously Vice-President of

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

, he married Elizabeth Bertie but they had no children, and his property in Moretonhampstead was inherited by his nephew, also James Fynes (died 1798).

George Parker Bidder George Parker Bidder (13 June 1806 – 20 September 1878) was an English engineer and calculating prodigy. W. W. Rouse Ball (1960) ''Calculating Prodigies'', in Mathematical Recreations and Essays, Macmillan, New York, chapter 13. Early life ...

(13 June 1806 – 20 September 1878), known as "the calculating boy", a calculating prodigy and

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

: the house where he was born burned down in 1926. Hoskins, W.G., ''A New Survey of England: Devon'', Newton Abbot: David & Charles. New edition, 1972. p. 440.

Places of interest

The Cross Tree

The Cross Tree, immortalised by R. D. Blackmore in his 1882 novel '' Christowell'', is now only represented by a

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

minus its shaft, which is enclosed near the

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...

s. This famous dancing tree, a fine old elm, cut and clipped in the form of a

punch bowl A punch bowl or punchbowl is a bowl, often large and wide, for serving mixed drinks such as hippocras, punch (drink), punch or mulled wine, with a Ladle (spoon), ladle.''The Language of Drink'' Graham and Sue Edwards 1988, Alan Sutton Publishi ...

(by which name it was also known), has long since disappeared, and in its place a

beech tree Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted species i ...

has been planted. It was around the original tree that the village lads and lasses would dance and it recorded that French officers on parole from

Dartmoor Prison HM Prison Dartmoor is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category C men's prison, located in Princetown, England, Princetown, high on Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. Its high granite walls dominate this area of the mo ...

Princetown Princetown is a villageDespite its name, Princetown is not classed as a town today – it is not included in the County Council's list of the 29 towns in Devon: located within Dartmoor national park in the English county of Devon. It is the ...

during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, "did assemble around the Cross Tree with their Band".

Almshouses

Standing behind the Cross Tree are the famous almshouses, built in solid granite. The date of 1637 on the outside is actually the date they were refurbished. Recent research has shown that the main core of these buildings are at least two hundred years older. Early in the 19th century the building was converted from two tenements into four and the facade was damaged. By 1938 they had fallen into disrepair. In 1940 they were purchased for the town and converted back into two

tenement A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, E ...

s. In 1952 they were purchased by the

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

St Andrew's Church

The

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

, dedicated to

, is at the eastern end of the town. Its imposing four-stage tower with pentagonal stair-turret was being built by 1418. The entire church is built of granite blocks although the body is

roughcast Roughcast and pebbledash are durable coarse plaster surfaces used on outside walls. They consists of lime and sometimes cement mixed with sand, small gravel and often pebbles or shells. The materials are mixed into a slurry and are then throw ...

. It has a two-storey porch, battlemented like the tower. Inside, the north and south aisles are separated from the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

by arcades of five bays, constructed of octagonal granite piers. All the windows are of standard

Perpendicular In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', � ...

design, and according to Pevsner there is "a singular absence of fitments of interest", due to the heavy restorations the church was subjected to in 1856 and in 1904–5. All the

ledger stone A ledger stone or ledgerstone is an inscribed stone slab usually laid into the floor of a church to commemorate or mark the place of the burial of an important deceased person. The term "ledger" derives from the Middle English words ''lygger'', '' ...

s were removed with the floor flagstones in the first restoration, but above the south door a wall memorial to Rev Francis Whiddon, MA (died 1656) who "was 32 years minister of this parish" survives. There is also a classical monument by Edward Bowring Stephens to a Captain John Newcombe (died 1855), and a tower screen of wood and glass of 1980. Cherry, Bridget & Pevsner, Nikolaus, ''The Buildings of England: Devon''. Yale University Press, 2004. pp. 576–8.

Tourism

Moretonhampstead relies heavily on

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, and has done so for a long time.''The Beauties of England and Wales, or Delineations, Topographical, Historical and Descriptive of Each County, Vol IV.''
John Britton and Edward Wedlake Brayley. 1803. London. Its position makes it a base to explore both Dartmoor and Devon. The central part of the town stands at an altitude of but a short stroll within the parish will elevate the walker to beyond 1,100 feet (340 m) and afford views of the surrounding area. Moretonhampstead has four

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

s and three cafes. There is a wide selection of hotels, bed and breakfast, self-catering and camping accommodation. Moretonhampstead has a good range of sporting facilities and the proximity of Dartmoor makes it popular with ramblers and cyclists, in particular for

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

Events

Moretonhampstead has an annual

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

, held in the fourth week in August which raises funds for local groups and associations. Since 2012 it has also held an annual flag festival: in 2017 it took place in mid-June. Other events include a fireworks night, annual pantomime, food and drink festival and music events spread throughout the year.

Transport

The town lies on the

A382 road The A382 is a road in South West England, connecting Newton Abbot to the A38, then to Bovey Tracey and on through Moretonhampstead to the A30. Route The road starts in Newton Abbot at the junction with the A381, continuing out through the t ...

, connecting it to the trunk A38 and A30 roads. Moretonhampstead railway station was opened by the

Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway The Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway was a broad gauge railway which linked the South Devon Railway at Newton Abbot railway station with (in the town of Bovey Tracey), and , Devon, England. History In 1861 the Moretonhampstead and ...

on the south side of the town on 26 June 1866. It closed to passengers on 28 February 1959, although goods trains continued until 6 April 1964. After this the

goods shed A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before, after, and during loading to and unloading from a train. A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, althou ...

and

engine shed A motive power depot (MPD) or locomotive depot, or traction maintenance depot (TMD), is where locomotives are usually housed, repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds" or just "sheds". Facilit ...

continued to be used for many years by a commercial road haulage business. Bus services are from the car park just west of the town centre and include services to Exeter (359/173) and Okehampton/Newton Abbot (178).

Sport and recreation

Moretonhampstead has King George's Field, a memorial to

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

. This facility includes indoor courts for basketball etc., a gym and also conference rooms to rent. It has cricket fields a camping site, football facilities and a skate park.

References

Notes

External links

Moretonhampstead History Society
* {{authority control Towns in Devon Market towns in Devon Civil parishes in Devon Dartmoor Teignbridge