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The Gentleman's Magazine Library, 1731-1868
English Topography Part III Derbyshire - Dorsetshire
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[Page 81]

Devonshire

ANCIENT STATE AND REMAINS.

[1817, Part I., pp. 25-30.]
British Inhabitants.—Damnonii.

Roman Province.—Britannia Prima. Stations.-Isca Damnoniorum, Exeter; Moridunum, Seaton, or Honiton; Tamare, Tamerton.
Saxon Heptarchy.—Westsex.

Antiquities.—
[transcriber's note: single paragraph in the book, but listed here for easy searching]
Drew Steignton Cromlech, Kistvaen, and Druidical circles;
Yealmton Monumental Stone; Exeter Cathedral; Tavistock and Ford Abbeys; Axminster, Bishop's Teignton, East and West Teignmouth, Ottery St Mary, and Tawstock Churches;
Berry Pomeroy, Compton, Dartmouth, Okehampton, Plimpton, Rougemont at Exeter, Tiverton, and Totness Castles.
Tawton and Crediton were episcopal sees.

Tavistock was a mitred abbey, founded in 961 by Orgar, Duke of Devon, father of the beautiful and infamous Elfrida, Queen of Edgar, and completed in 981 by his son Ordulph, who was buried there.


PRESENT STATE AND APPEARANCE.


Rivers.—Aven, Axe, Dart, Erme, Exe, Otter, Plym, Tamer, Taw, Teign, Torridge, Yealm; Bovey, Bray, Carey, Coly, Creedy, Culm or Columb, Little Dart, Dawl, Kenn, Lenmon, Lyd, Lyn, Mole, Oke, East and West Okements. Sid, Tidal, Tynhay, Waldon, Wrey, Yeo.

Inland Navigation.—Grand Western, Tavistock, Stover, Tamar manure canals. The twelve first-mentioned rivers.

Lakes.—Cran Meer, source of the Dart in Dartmoor; Bradford, Slapton Lea, and Sutton Pools.

Eminences and Views.—
[transcriber's note: single paragraph in the book, but listed here for easy searching]
Dunkerry Beacon, in Exmoor, 1,890 feet above level of the sea;
Castle Head, in parish of High Bray, 1,500 feet;
Chapman Burrows, 900 feet;
Great Hangman Hill, 800 feet,

VOL. XIV. 6


[Page 82]

and Little Hangman Hill, near Combe Martin, 600 feet;
Hoardown Gate, 1,000;
Slade Hill, 900 feet, and Swindown, 800 feet, near Ilfracombe ;
Rippon Tor, 1,540 feet;
High BelIever, Essery, Steeperton, Ham, Mist, Row, and Crockern Tors, in Dartmoor;
Haldown Hill;
Piddle Down;
Castle Lawrence, on Pen Hill;
Belvidere, in Powderham Grounds.

Natural Curiosities.—
[transcriber's note: single paragraph in the book, but listed here for easy searching]
Laywell, near Brixham, ebbing and flowing spring;
Bampton chalybeate spring;
Lundy Island;
Hartland Point, Start Point, and Bolt Head;
Dart and Ex moors;
Chudleigh rock and cavern, Morwell rock, and Bren Tor;
Drew Steignton, and Withicomb, or Nut-crackers logan stones;
scenery of Lydford bridge and cascades; of Ivy bridge; of Linton, Linmouth, and the Valley of Stones; of Combe Martin, and Ilfracombe.

Public Buildings.—
[transcriber's note: single paragraph in the book, but listed here for easy searching]
Eddystone lighthouse, finished by John Smeaton in 1759 ;
Plymouth breakwater, arsenal, dockyard, lines;
Bideford bridge, 677 feet long;
Barnstaple and Exeter bridges.

Seats.—
[transcriber's note: single paragraph in the book, but listed here for easy searching]
Castle Hill, Earl Fortescue, lord-lieutenant of the county;
Bickham, Sir William Elford, Bart.;
Bicton, Lord Rolle ;
Blatchford, Sir John Lemon Rogers, Bart.;
Buckland Monachorum, Sir Francis Henry Drake, Bart.;
Clovelly Court, Sir James Williams Hamlyn;
Collypriest, Thomas Winsloe Philips, Esq.;
Creedy, Sir John Davie, Bart.;
Dartington Manor House, Arthur Champernowne, Esq.;
Escott House, Sir John Kennaway, Bart.;
Great Fulford, Baldwin Fulford, Esq.;
Haccombe, Sir Henry Carew, Bart.;
Haldon House, Sir Lawrence Vaughan Palke, Bart.;
Hartland Abbey, Mrs. Orchard;
Holcombe Court, Peter Blewett, Esq.;
Killerton House, Sir Thomas Dyke Ackland, Bart.;
Loventor, Sir Frederic Francis Baker, Bart.;
Lupton House, Sir Francis BuIler, Bart.;
Mamhead, Earl of Lisburne ;
Maristow, Sir Manasseh Lopes, Bart.;
Membland House, Sir John Pering, Bart.;
Mount Edgecumbe, Earl of Mount Edgecumbe;
Oxton House, Rev. John Swete;
Powderham Castle, Viscount Courtenay;
Pynes, Sir Stafford Henry Northcote, Bart.;
Saltram, Earl Boringdon; Sharpham, Edmund Bastard, Esq.;
Shute House, Sir W. Templer Pole, Bart.;
Tawstock, Sir Bourchier Wray, Bart.;
Ugbrook, Lord Clifford;
Wistaway House, Sir John Letbbridge;
Wolford Lodge, Mrs. Simcoe;
Youlston, Sir Arthur Chichester.

Produce.—Bovey coal, lead, tin, copper, pipe and potter's clay, marble, limestone, slate; cattle, fish, cyder, butter, (clouted) cream.

Manufactures.—Serges, kerseys, carpets, bone lace, ship-building.


HISTORY.


A.D. 615, at Bampton, Britons defeated and 1,046 men slain by Kynegils, King of Westsex.

A.D. 833, on Hengist Down, Danes defeated by Egbert, and A.D. 876, near Exeter, by Alfred.


[Page 83]

A,D. 878, from Kenwith Castle, Oddune, Earl of Devon, in a Sally, defeated the Danes, killed Hubba, their commander, and took the famous Reafen Standard.

AD, 1003, Exeter taken and completely destroyed by Sueno, King of Denmark, in revenge of Ethelred's inhuman massacre of the Danes in the preceding year.

AD, 1076, Exeter taken by William I., and A.D. 1135, after siege of two months, by Stephen.

AD. 1357, May 5, at Plymouth, Edward the Black Prince and his prisoner, John, King of France, landed and proceeded to Exeter, here they were royally entertained.

AD. 1498, Exeter successfully defended by the citizens against Perkin Warbeck and his army of six thousand men.

AD. 1501, Oct. 2, at Plymouth, Catherine of Arragon landed.

AD. 1549, June 9, at Sampford Courtenay, the insurrection on account of change of religion and abolition of the Mass commenced. The insurgents besieged Exeter, but after several engagements, being completely defeated on Clyst Heath, August 5, by John Lord Russell, the siege was raised the following day.

AD, 1643, Sept. 2, Bideford and Barnstaple Parliamentarians routed by Colonel John Digby.

AD. 1643, Plymouth successfully defended by the inhabitants, in siege of three months, against Prince Maurice.

AD. 1646, at Bovey Tracey, Lord Wentworth and Royalists surprised by Oliver Cromwell; and at Torrington, Feb. 14, Royalists defeated by Sir William Fairfax.

AD. 1688, Nov. 5, at Torbay, the Prince of Orange, afterwards William III., landed; on the 9th he arrived at Exeter, where he remained twelve days, and then proceeded to London and accomplished the revolution.


Engraving from The Gentleman's Magazine Library - Image Copyright 2002 Ann Andrews



Two engraving's from Dugdale's Curiosities of Great Britain
are elsewhere on this web site

The Town of Ashburton

Powderham Castle