| Iddesleigh | |
|---|---|
 Cob and thatch cottages in the village | |
  Iddesleigh Location withinDevon | |
| Population | 198 |
| OS grid reference | SS5608 |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Winkleigh |
| Postcode district | EX19 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| 50°51′N4°02′W / 50.85°N 04.04°W /50.85; -04.04 | |
Iddesleigh (/ˈɪdzliː/IDZ-lee) is a village andcivil parish in the county ofDevon, England. The settlement has ancient origins and is listed in theDomesday Book. The village lies on the B3217 road, roughly central in its parish of around 2,900 acres (1,200 ha), about 8 miles (13 km) north of the town ofOkehampton.
Iddesleigh has been described as an attractive small village, with good views ofDartmoor to the south. Its church is a Grade Ilisted building and there are a number of other listed buildings in the parish.
The nameIddesleigh derives from theOld English personal name,Ēadwīġ (or perhapsĒadwulf), andlēah, a wood or clearing.[1] The first documentary evidence of the settlement appears in theDomesday Book (1086), where it is referred to twice, asEdeslege and asIweslei. By the 13th century its name was recorded asEdulvesly and in 1428 asYeddeslegh.[1]
Domesday Book shows that in 1086 the majority of the manor of Iddesleigh (under the name ofEdeslege) was owned directly by the king, but a small part of it (onevirgate recorded asIweslei) was held from the king by William of Claville. The pre-conquest owner of this land is unclear: two women's names – Alware Pet and Aelfeva Thief – are recorded. Theoverlord is recorded asBrictric son of Algar.[2] By the 13th century the lands had passed to the de Reigny family as part of thehonour of Gloucester.[2]
The village is three miles (5 km) north-east ofHatherleigh and eight miles (13 km) north ofOkehampton. It is roughly in the centre of its parish, on the B3217 road[3] that runs from Okehampton toAtherington, near theA377.[4]
The parish, which covers about 2,900 acres (1,200 ha) on theCulm Measures, has its southern border along theRiver Okement and its western along theRiver Torridge.[5] Clockwise from the north, it is bordered by the parishes ofDowland,Winkleigh,Broadwoodkelly,Monkokehampton,Hatherleigh andMeeth.[4][6]
In 2001, the population of the parish was 198,[3] down from 335 in 1901, and 441 in 1801.[7]
The landscape historianW. G. Hoskins, writing in 1953, described the village as "an excellent example of a cob and thatch village, most attractive to explore",[8] and in 1973 S. H. Burton wrote that it gave the appearance of being "thatchier" than anywhere else in Devon.[9] Situated on a south-facing slope, the village has good views of northernDartmoor, including its highest point,High Willhays.[8]
TheChurch of St James, the parish church, is at the western edge of the village,[5] and is a Grade Ilisted building.[10] With 13th-century origins, but mostly dating from the 15th century, it haswagon roofs in itsnave and northaisle. Arecumbent effigy of a knight with a plain shield, lying under an arch has been dated toc. 1250 and is believed to be of a squire of Iddesleigh, a member of the locally-notable Sully family.[8][11] The church was partly rebuilt in 1720 with further work in the early 19th century, followed byrestoration by Charles S. Adye in 1878–9.[12]
The listedvillage pub, the "Duke of York", is made of cob and thatch,[13] and is slightly hidden from the main road being along a side street behind some terraced cottages.[9] Its facade was used in theBBC television seriesDown to Earth, broadcast in 2000.[14] It was in this pub thatMichael Morpurgo says he talked to an old soldier with first-hand knowledge of the use of horses in the First World War which became the basis for his 1982 novelWar Horse.[15] The village was also used as inspiration for the Morpurgo novel,Private Peaceful.[16] In July 2021, thePrince of Wales visited the pub, meeting Michael andClare Morpurgo.[17]
Ash House, a Grade II listed building in the south of the parish, was the seat of the Mallet family from 1530 to 1881.[18] It was later bought by the founders of theRare Breeds Survival Trust.[5]
There has been a settlement at Barwick, in the south-east corner of the parish, since at least the early 15th century: a document dated 1440 refers to it asBerewyke.[19] There are two listed buildings here. Little Barwick is a late 15th-century building with 17th-century and later alterations—its most notable feature is its medievalfull cruck trusses, unusual in Devon.[20] South Barwick Farmhouse dates from the first part of the 17th century.[21] Barwick had astud farm breedingshire horses before World War I. The "Barwick Madam" was noted in the local shire horse stud book.[22]
TheTarka Trail, a series of footpaths and cycle routes radiating fromBarnstaple, passes from north to south through the parish, taking in the village.[4]
The Reverend Jack Russell, originator of the eponymous dog breed, was curate at Iddesleigh between 1830 and 1836.[5] In 1885, when SirStafford Northcote was raised to the peerage, he took the title ofEarl of Iddesleigh, which was, according to W. G. Hoskins, a curious choice since his main estates were not here.[8] He did, however, own some 2,000 acres (800 ha) of the parish.[5]
The Scottish-born poet,Seán Rafferty lived in the parish from 1948 until his death in December 1993; he was landlord of the Duke of York pub until 1975.[23][24] Rafferty was a friend of authorMichael Morpurgo, who has lived in Iddesleigh since the 1970s.[15] In 1976 Morpurgo and his wife, Clare, set up theFarms for City Children charity which is based at Nethercott House in the parish.[25] PoetTed Hughes, who lived nearby, was a close friend and regular visitor to the Morpurgos and became the first president of the charity.[15]
{{cite book}}:|last= has generic name (help)Edeslege is discussed on page 1,63 andIweslei on page 24,22.In Iddesleigh church there is the effigy of a cross-legged knight in ring-mail, which is mentioned in Mr. W. H. H. Rogers's paper on the sepulchral effigies in the parish churches of North Devon.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
