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Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot (Devon)
Newton Abbot

Newton Abbot shown within Devon
Population 23,580 (Census 2001[1])
OS grid reference SX860713
Parish Newton Abbot
District Teignbridge
Shire county Devon
Region South West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NEWTON ABBOT
Postcode district TQ12
Dialling code 01626
Police Devon and Cornwall
Fire Devon and Somerset
Ambulance South Western
European Parliament South West England
UK Parliament Teignbridge
List of places: UK • England • Devon

Coordinates: 50°32′25″N 3°36′31″W / 50.5403, -3.6087

Newton Abbot is a market town in Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580 (2001 census). Newton Abbot will be a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Settlements Teignbridge contains the following towns and villages Abbotskerswell Ashburton Ashcombe Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Torquay postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Brixham, Buckfastleigh, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall in The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service or FRS, covering the counties of Devon and Somerset; it Divisions & Stations The trust is split into 2 divisions West - Devon and Cornwall including West Divisional HQ 999 and PTS Control at South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Teignbridge is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of settlements and places of interest in Devon, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The River Teign (tiːn is a river in the County of Devon, England.

Newton Abbot has a racecourse and boasts three country parks; Decoy, Stover and Bradley. Newton Abbot Racecourse is a Thoroughbred horse racing venue located on the north bank of the River Teign between Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton Part of Newton Abbot's heritage is the historic Cheese and Onion Fayre, originally held on 5,6,7 November in honour of Saint Leonard. It is still held to this day, but earlier in the year at the beginning of September. The town grew very rapidly in the Victorian era as it was home to the South Devon Railway locomotive works. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities The South Devon Railway Company built and operated the Railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England This later became a major steam engine shed and was retained to service British Railways diesel locomotives, although it has now closed and is the site of an industrial estate. See also Rail transport in Great Britain, National Rail, Network Rail This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways"

Contents

History

Early history

Traces of Neolithic people have been found at Berry's Wood Hill Fort near Bradley Manor. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Berry's Wood is an Iron Age Hill fort situated close to Newton Abbot in Devon, England Bradley is small medieval Manor house located amongst woodland and meadows in the valley of the River Lemon about a half mile to the west of Newton Abbot This was a contour hill fort that enclosed about 11 acres. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Milber Down camp was built in the 1st century BC. Milber Down is an Iron Age Hill fort situated close to Newton Abbott in Devon, England Later it was occupied by the Romans - coins and a pavement have been found. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC

There are remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle on Highweek Hill. This was probably a lookout post to watch people coming up the Teign estuary. A village grew up around this castle which over the years became Highweek - the village on the high ground. On the low ground around the river Lemon arose another settlement which became part of Wolborough Manor.

The markets

The New Town of the Abbots (of Torre Abbey) was given the right to hold a weekly market on Wednesdays sometime between 1247 and 1251. Torre Abbey comprises two Grade I Listed buildings in Torquay. By 1300 the two settlements were renamed as Newton Abbot (taking the low ground) and Newton Bushel (taking the high ground). On the strength of the market it quickly became a successful thriving town and a good source of income for the Abbots.

Over the river on the Highweek side another weekly market was created. This one ran on Tuesdays and because the Bushel family were the landowners then this community became known as Newton Bushel. Over the next 200 years Newton Bushel ran more annual fairs, a number of mills were set up and the leather and wool trades started. Newton Bushel was also a convenient place for travellers to stay. Torre Abbey was dissolved in 1539 and ownership of Wolborough was granted to John Gaverock who built himself a new house at Forde.

The twin markets of Newton Abbot and Newton Bushel continued until they were merged together in 1633 as a Wednesday weekly market under the ownership of Bradley Manor. By 1751 there was also a smaller Saturday market and 3 annual fairs – a cattle fair on June 24th, a cheese and onion fair in September and a cloth fair on 6th November. The markets continued to expand so in 1826 a new market was built. Over the next 50 years the buildings became dilapidated so a substantial new market was built in 1871. The buildings included a pannier market, a corn exchange and a public hall – the Alexandra (now a cinema). The river Lemon was also covered over. Further enlargement took place in 1938 as a new cattle market and corn exchange were built. There has been a thriving market in Newton Abbot for over 750 years.

Wool and Leather

In medieval times Devon was an important sheep rearing county. Many towns had their own wool and cloth industries and Newton Abbot had woolen mills, fullers, dyers, spinners, weavers and tailors. In particular, fellmongering (where wool is removed from the sheepskin) was well established in the town. In 1724 Daniel Defoe wrote that Newton Abbot had a thriving serge industry that sent goods to Holland via Exeter. Daniel Defoe (1659/1661 — April 24, 1731 was an English Writer, Journalist, and Pamphleteer, who gained enduring fame for The annual cloth fair was the town’s busiest fair. Over the 19th century Vicary’s mills became an important employer in the town and by the 1920’s they employed over 400 men. However, by 1972 business had declined and the works finally closed down.

Associated with the woolen industry was the leather one. The hides left after the fellmongering process were made into leather. Tanners, boot and shoe makers, glovers and saddlers were all in business in Newton Abbot. As with the wool industry business flourished over 600 years until after the Second World War.

The Newfoundland Trade

In 1583 Humphrey Gilbert – a local adventurer – landed at St John’s in Newfoundland and claimed the area as a British colony. Sir Humphrey Gilbert (c 1539 &ndash 9 September 1583was an English murderer Adventurer, Explorer, Member of parliament, and soldier from Devon The fisheries quickly developed. Between 1600 and 1850 there was a steady trade between Newton Abbot and the cod fisheries off Newfoundland. Every year men from the town would gather at the Dartmouth Inn or Newfoundland Inn in East Street in the hope of being hired for a season’s work. In the autumn the dried cod was stored in depots and sometimes used as payment. There was considerable economic spin off from this trade. Fish hooks, knives, waterproof boots were all made in the town as was rope making. The Rope Walk still remains in the town together with the names of Newfoundland Way and St John’s Street.

Ball clay and the Stover Canal

Just 2 miles (3. 2 km) NW of Newton Abbot lie the ball clay workings of Bovey basin. Ball clays are kaolinitic Sedimentary Clays that commonly consist of 20-80% kaolinite 10-25% Mica, 6-65% Quartz. This basin took millions of years to fill from rivers that flowed out of Dartmoor. Dartmoor is an area of Moorland in the centre of Devon, England. The sediments included clay derived from the rotted granite. The natural deposition has resulted in a clay that is purer and more refined than many others. It has been used to make materials ranging from bricks to porcelain.

Bovey clay was being used to make pipes around 1680. By 1700, it was being shipped from Teignmouth, and its incorporation in the Wedgwood pottery business made it a success. Teignmouth (ˈtɪnməθ is a Town in Devon, England, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign. The clay was extracted by simply digging out the lumps on courses – rather like peat cutting. The bulky clay was transported by packhorse. A packhorse (UK or pack horse (USA refers generally to an Equid such as a Horse, Mule, Donkey or Pony used for carrying

Towards the end of the 18th century, the ball clay industry was steadily expanding. A local landowner called James Templar built the Stover Canal in 1792 to help ship clay from the Bovey beds to Newton Abbot, and thence by barge to the port of Teignmouth. The Stover Canal is a Canal located in Devon, England. It was opened in 1792 and served the Ball clay industry until it closed in Coal, manure and agricultural produce was also freighted along the canal. By 1820 the granite quarries of Haytor were being used to supply stone for major works like the new London bridge. Haytor or Hay Tor is a Granite Tor on Dartmoor in the English County of Devon. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. The canal was extended to cope with this, and the industry fared well until 1858 when they were out-competed by the more economic Cornish coastal quarries. The Stover canal reverted back to shipping ball clay - which only really stopped by 1939.

The ball clay industry is now highly mechanised and very successful. Road haulage takes most of the clay traffic.

The railway

Newton Abbot railway station is situated at the east end of Queen Street. Newton Abbot railway station serves the town of Newton Abbot in Devon, England. It is served by both local and long distance services.

Newton Abbot railway station
Newton Abbot railway station

The South Devon railway reached Newton Abbot in 1846 and changed the town from being just a market town with associated trades (leather and wool) to become a base for industry. The station was opened by the South Devon Railway Company on 30 December 1846. The South Devon Railway Company built and operated the Railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display A branch to Torquay was added on 18 December 1848 and one to Moretonhampstead on 26 June 1866, although the latter has since closed to passengers. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Moretonhampstead is a fairly small Market town and Civil parish in Devon, England. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Isambard Kingdom Brunel used the Teignmouth / Newton Abbot section to experiment with his atmospheric railway. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. An atmospheric railway is a Railway that uses air Pressure to provide power for propulsion Unfortunately, the experiment failed but the remains of pumping house buildings still survive at Starcross and the old Dairy Crest milk processing factory in Totnes. In 1876 the GWR bought up the railways and developed the repair and maintenance sheds into a substantial works that employed over 600 people to start with but by 1930 over 1000 men were involved. Extensive sidings were also built making a large marshalling yard. The present station was rebuilt to its current form in 1926. The large clock was gifted by the people of the town.

Many other industries were set up beside the railway station – a timber yard, iron and brass foundries, engineering works. The town’s population increased from 1,623 in 1801 to 12,518 by 1901. Terraced streets were built to house the workers and attractively styled villas sprang up around the town for the wealthier professionals and retirees.

Recent history

The town was bombed twice in air raids during World War II, killing a total of 21. There was a severe flood in December 1979, the latest in a long series, when the River Lemon burst its blanks after prolonged rain. The River Lemon is a 16km long river in the county of Devon in south west England.

Hospital

A new hospital is currently being built at the end of Jetty Marsh Road, and is set to be finished in the spring of 2009.

Notable Buildings

St Leonard's Tower.
St Leonard's Tower.

St Leonard's Tower

The centre of the town features the ancient tower of Saint Leonard. The tower is all that remains of the medieval chapel of St. Leonard, founded in 1220 and first referred to in 1350 in a document of the Bishop de Grandisson of Exeter, the main chapel being demolished in 1836. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. Adjacent to the tower is a plaque; marking the spot where the first declaration of the newly arrived William III, Prince of Orange was read in 1688. William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" It reads "The first declaration of William, Prince of Orange, the glorious defender of the Protestant Religion and the liberties of England, was read on this pedestal by the Rev John Reynall, Rector of this parish, on November 5th 1688". Although William arrived in Brixham on the 5th November he did not reach Newton Abbot until the 6th November when he stayed overnight in the town at Forde House as he made his way to London to assume the English throne. Brixham (ˈbrɪksəm is a small town in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England.

Forde House

Forde House (now known as Old Forde House) is situated in the southeast corner of the town. The present house was built in 1610 by Richard Reynell (who later became Sir Richard Reynell) and his wife Lucy. The house was built with an 'E' shaped floor plan, which is thought to be in honour of Queen Elizabeth I, who had recently died. The grounds were originally quite extensive, and included the whole of what is called Decoy (so named, because wildfowl were decoyed there to extend the house's larder), as well as a deer park.

In 1625 King Charles I stayed at the house overnight on his way to inspect the fleet at Plymouth. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. He returned a few days later and stayed for a further 2 nights.

Forde House gave shelter to Oliver Cromwell and Colonel Fairfax while on their way to besiege Royalist Dartmouth in 1646. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known Thomas Fairfax 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 1612 &ndash 12 November 1671 was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651

In 1648 the estate passed onto the Courtney family via the marriage of Margaret (the only daughter of Jane Reynell and Sir William Waller) to Sir William Courtney, who was the lord of nearby Powderham Castle. Powderham Castle, is located south of Exeter, Devon, England.

William of Orange stayed at the house in 1688 on the way to his coronation in London, having landed in Brixham a few days earlier. William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" The house remained the main residence of a succession of Courtneys until 1762 when the house was let to a succession of occupiers.

The Courtney family sold the house in 1936 to Mr Stephen Simpson, who sold it two years later to Mrs M Sellick. Teignbridge District Council bought the house in 1978 and remain the current owners. It has been refurbished by the Council and is now used as office and conference space as well as being used for weddings and other events.

The east front of Bradley.
The east front of Bradley.

Bradley Manor

At the opposite end of Newton Abbot is the National Trust property, Bradley Manor. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales Bradley is small medieval Manor house located amongst woodland and meadows in the valley of the River Lemon about a half mile to the west of Newton Abbot This is a 15th century (circa 1420) manor house in its own secluded woodland setting, with a notable great hall - emblazoned with the royal coat of Arms of Elizabeth I.

The Passmore Edwards Public Library

The Passmore Edwards Public Library.
The Passmore Edwards Public Library.

John Passmore Edwards originally wanted to have a hospital built for the Town in memory of his mother. John Passmore Edwards ( March 24 1823 - April 22, 1911) was a Victorian Journalist, newspaper owner and Philanthropist. However as the Town already had a hospital, and since he wanted to give something for the benefit of Newton Abbot, he decided on a Public Library, which was opened in 1904. The building is one of the most impressive in Newton Abbot, and originally housed both the library and a Science, Art and Technical School (which the Council wanted to include). The building was designed by the architect Sylvanus Trevail. The style is elaborate Renaissance, and much use is made of terracotta mouldings over the windows and doorways. Passmore Edwards donated £2500, while the County Council and a public subscription paid for the rest of the building.

Almshouses

There are several sets of almshouses in Newton Abbot. Almshouses are charitable Housing provided to enable people (typically elderly people who can no longer work to earn enough to pay

The Workhouse

The original Newton Abbot poorhouse was based in East Street, and the cellar of the Devon Arms was used as the oakum picking room — where paupers were assigned the unpleasant job of untwisting old rope to provide oakum, used to seal the seams of wooden boats. Newton Bushel had its own poorhouse, not far from present day Dyrons.

The 1834 Poor Law Act required changes and incorporation, so in 1839, a new workhouse was built in East Street and was used to house paupers from the surrounding areas. The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 sometimes abbreviated to PLAA was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig Over time, the workhouse became more of a hospital for the sick, infirm, and aged poor. By 1890 there were nearly 400 inmates, and reports of cruel treatment. A new infirmary was built, and during the wars some of the buildings were used as a military hospital. By 1950, the workhouse buildings were incorporated into the present-day hospital.

Tucker's Maltings.
Tucker's Maltings.

Tucker's Maltings

Close to the railway station is Tucker's Maltings, the only traditional malthouse in the UK open to the public. The malthouse — which offers the visitor hour-long guided tours, from the barley to beer discovery centre — produces malt for over 30 breweries, and enough to brew 15 million pints of beer per annum. In April every year, the maltings hosts a three-day beer festival, one of the finest in the country, where over 200 different real ales can be sampled.

The Cider Bar.
The Cider Bar.

Ye Olde Cider Bar

Said to be one of only four remaining cider houses in the United Kingdom[1], the Cider Bar in East Street sells only cider, perry, country wines and soft drinks. A cider house is an establishment often little more than a room in a farmhouse or cottage selling Cider only for consumption on the premises For the non-alcoholic beverage commonly known in the US as "cider" see Apple cider. Perry is an Alcoholic beverage made of fermented Pear Juice. It is similar to Cider, in that it is made using a similar "Elderberry Wine" redirects here For the Elton John song of the same name see Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. Its interior and the simple wooden furniture have remained relatively unchanged for over thirty years.

Newton Abbot Town & G. W. R. Museum

A small museum adjacent to the Town Hall details the history of Newton Abbot and of the Great Western Railway. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West

Famous people

See also

References

  1. ^ Parish Census 2001

External links

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