Map sources for Moretonhampstead at grid reference SX752860

Moretonhampstead is a fairly small market town in Devon, England. It lies on the edge of Dartmoor and is notable for having the longest one-word name of any place in England. It is twinned with Betton in France. Image File history File links Dot4gb. ... Image File history File links Gb4dot. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The market town is a medieval phenomenon. ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... High Willhays, the highest point on Dartmoor and southern England at 621 m (2037 ft) above sea level, with Yes Tor beyond. ...

Overview

This part of Devon was occupied by the Saxons soon after 682 AD. It was then divided into vast estates, one of which included all land within the boundaries of the rivers Teign and Bovey, and Mor Tun was its major settlement. The present parish, over 6000 acres (24 km²), is the residue of that ancient crown lordship. The Domesday Book (1086 AD) shows that the manor of Moreton, with some neighbouring manors, supported upwards of 5000 sheep. Wool and, in later years, the manufacture of woollen cloth formed the basis of the town's economy for over 700 years. The setting up of a water-powered fulling mill before the end of the thirteenth century confirms that by then this economy was already firmly established. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Generic plan of a mediaeval manor; open-field strip farming, some enclosures, triennial crop rotation, demesne and manse, common woodland, pasturage and meadow Manorialism or Seigneurialism is the organization of rural economy and society in medieval western and parts of central Europe, characterised by the vesting of legal and economic... Species See text. ... A Fulling mill was a variety of water mill used for fulling cloth. ...

In 1207 AD King John granted a weekly market and an annual 5 day fair. These very early grants establish that Morton had by then developed into an important local community. It grew steadily through the Middle Ages and was very prosperous until the end of the seventeenth century, when the wool industry began to decline. But the town continued to be a local trading centre and a vital watering place for travellers on the difficult routes across Dartmoor and from Exeter and Newton Abbot. A series of disastrous fires in the last century destroyed many of Moretonhampstead's ancient buildings, but sufficient still remains to demonstrate the Saxon and Medieval heritage, and the later industrial prosperity. Much of the town is designated a conservation area, with many listed buildings of architectural and historic interest and more soon to be listed. The whole parish is within Dartmoor National Park. John deer hunting, from a manuscript in the British Library. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... High Willhays, the highest point on Dartmoor and southern England at 621 m (2037 ft) above sea level, with Yes Tor beyond. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles infobox may require cleanup. ... Location within the British Isles Newton Abbot is a market town in Devon , England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580 (2001 census). ... A conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features or biota are safeguarded. ... Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ... Dartmoor is a National Park in the centre of the English county of Devon. ...

The Sparrowhawk

When King John granted the town its charter during the thirteenth century, the rent was set as one sparrowhawk per year. The bird has become something of a symbol for the town and will be incorporated into works of public art under development by an artist in residence Roger Dean. It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Binomial name Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. ... Freyjas Castle, 1987 Roger Dean (born August 31, 1944, in Ashford, Kent) is a contemporary English artist best known for his work on album covers, which he began painting in the late 1960s. ...

The Cross Tree

The Cross Tree, immortalised by R. D. Blackmore in the book "Christowell" is now only represented by a cross minus its shaft, which is enclosed near the alms houses. This famous dancing tree, a fine old elm, cut and clipped in the form of a punch bowl (by which name it was also known), has long since disappeared, and in its place a beech tree 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 at Princetown during the Napoleonic Wars, "did assemble around the Cross Tree with their Band". Richard Doddridge Blackmore (June 7, 1825 - January 20, 1900), usually known as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the his generation. ... Species See text. ... Located in Princetown, England, high on Dartmoor, Dartmoor Prison presents a bleak and formidable sight. ... Location within the British Isles Princetown is a town situated on Dartmoor in the county of Devon in England. ... Combatants Allies: Austrian Empire[1] Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Prussia[1] Russian Empire[2] Kingdom of Spain[3] Kingdom of Sweden United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland[4] French Empire - Kingdom of Holland - Kingdom of Italy - Kingdom of Naples - Duchy of Warsaw - Kingdom of Bavaria[5] - Kingdom of...

The alms houses

Standing behind the Cross Tree are the famous alms houses, 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. Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ...

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 tenements. In 1952 they were purchased by the National Trust. The standard of the National Trust The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, is a British preservation organization. ...

Tourism

Moretonhampstead relies heavily on tourist trade. Its central position on Dartmoor makes it an ideal base to explore both Dartmoor and Devon. The central part of the town stands at an altitude of 700 feet but a short stroll within the parish will elevate the walker to beyond 1100 feet (340 m) and afford spectacular views of the surrounding area. Moreton boasts 5 pubs and 3 cafes. There is a wide selection of hotels, bed and breakfast, self-catering and camping accommodation and the visitor will find all one is likely to need in the busy local shops.

Moretonhampstead has a good range of sporting facilities and the great expanse of Dartmoor makes it popular with ramblers and cyclists, in particular, mountain bikers. No part of the National Park is more than a one hour drive away and most of the well-known beauty spots considerably less. The historic naval city of Plymouth, Devon's Roman capital, Exeter with its magnificent cathedral, the many famous coastal resorts including Torbay and the serene countryside of North Devon are all within around an hours travel. Hillwalking or fellwalking is the recreational practice of hiking in mountainous terrain. ... Plymouth is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the south-west of England, or alternatively the West Country, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon at the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the worlds largest... A cathedral is a religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches, which serves as a bishops seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese. ... Torbay (IPA: ) is an east-facing bay, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. ...

Transport

Moretonhampstead railway station was opened by the Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway 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 and engine shed continued to be used for many years by a commercial road haulage business. Moretonhampstead station circa 1909 Moretonhampstead railway station was the terminus of the Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway at Moretonhampstead, Devon, England. ... The Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway was a 7 ft 0¼ in broad gauge railway which linked the South Devon Railway at Newton Abbot railway station with Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead, Devon, United Kingdom. ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train. ... Engine shed may refer to: Engine shed, also called a Motive Power Depot, a structure used for the maintenance of railway locomotives. ...

Bus services are from the car park just west of the town centre and include services to Exeter and Plymouth. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles infobox may require cleanup. ... Plymouth is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the south-west of England, or alternatively the West Country, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon at the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the worlds largest...

Sport and recreation

Moretonhampstead has a King George's Field as a memorial to King George V. There are 471 King George V Playing Fields[2] in the United Kingdom, all part of an enormous memorial to King George V, each of which is an individual registered charity[3]. This is the page for Devon. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 - 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, as a result of his creating it from the British branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ...

This page contains information originally provided by Moretonhampstead Development Trust

Coordinates: 50.66026° N 3.76705° W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...