| Ivybridge | |
|---|---|
 Fore Street, Ivybridge | |
  Ivybridge Location withinDevon | |
| Population | 11,851 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SX635560 |
| • London | 182 mi (293 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | IVYBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | PL21 |
| Dialling code | 01752 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | ivybridge |
| 50°23′20″N3°55′16″W / 50.389°N 3.921°W /50.389; -3.921 | |
Ivybridge/ˈaɪvibrɪdʒ/ ⓘ is a town andcivil parish in theSouth Hams, inDevon, England. It lies about thirteen miles (twenty-one kilometres) east ofPlymouth. It is at the southern extremity ofDartmoor, aNational Park of England and Wales and lies along theA38 "Devon Expressway" road. There are twoelectoral wards in Ivybridge East and Ivybridge West with a total population of 11,851.
Mentioned in documents as early as the 13th century, Ivybridge's early history is marked by its status as an important crossing-point over theRiver Erme on the road fromExeter toPlymouth. In the 16th century mills were built using the River Erme's power. The parish of Saint John was formed in 1836.[2] Ivybridge became a civil parish in 1894 and a town in 1977.
The early urbanisation and development of Ivybridge largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution. Stowford Paper Mill was built in 1787 and rebuilt again in the 1860s with extensive investment. In 1848 theSouth Devon Railway arrived on the northern edge of the village. The paper mill closed in 2013 after 226 years in Ivybridge and the buildings are being converted to homes and shops.[3] Ivybridge is often referred to as acommuter town, although a small proportion of people work in the town itself, and agriculture continues to play an economic role for the surrounding area. The area surrounding Ivybridge is varied and complex, including river valleys, farmland and dense woodland.
Whileheavy industry diminished during the latter half of the 20th century, the population grew significantly from 1,574 people in 1921 to 12,056 in 2001.[4]
The name Ivybridge is derived from a small 13th century hump-backed bridge of the same name. The Ivy Bridge was the only means of crossing the river until the 1830s although plans were put forward in 1819. "Ivy" was used to describe the bridge, because there wasivy growing along the bridge. As the bridge was the centre of the village and important to its very existence, it was named the "parish of Ivybridge" in 1894.[4]
The first mention of a settlement in the Ivybridge area was the manor of Stowford in theDomesday Book of 1086.[5] Although the first mention of Ivybridge came in 1280 when it was described as "dowry of land on the west side of the River Erme, by the Ivy Bridge."[6] There was once a chapel, that was on the site of present-day Saint John's Church, originating from 1402.[7] From the 16th century onwards mills were built in the town, harnessing the power of the river. Records show that in the 16th century there was acorn mill, a tin mill and anedge mill. One of the mills, 'Glanville's Mill' (a corn mill), was situated where many of the town shops are today and gives its name to the shopping centre.[6] The first church (Saint John's) was built in 1790 as achapel of ease, but 45 years later in 1835 it was consecrated as a district church. The oldest burial in St John's church yard is from 1836.[2] In the 1830s the Ivy Bridge lost its position as the only means of crossing the river when the 'New Bridge' was built joining Fore Street and Exeter Road. Today, this bridge has been modernised so as to carry the increased weight and traffic of the 21st century.Stowford Mill is depicted on a commemorative coin produced for the town of Ivybridge byBigbury Mint Ltd, based in Ermington near the town. The 25 mm diameter coin also features the town's viaduct which stands at an impressive 104 feet high. The coin was first struck circa 2005 by Bigbury Mint.
In 1977 Ivybridge became a town. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it underwent a period of rapid growth and was designated as the fastest growing town in Europe, the construction of theA38 "Devon Expressway" adjacent to the town significantly contributed to the town growth during this period.
Ivybridge is represented by five tiers of elected government.
The town is divided into two wards: Ivybridge East (the half of the parish lying east of the River Erme, plus some of the town's eastward expansion intoUgborough parish) and Ivybridge West (the half of the parish west of the river).[11][12]
Until 1894, Ivybridge was made up of four neighbouring parishes:Harford – two miles (three kilometres) north;Ugborough –2+1⁄2 mi (4 km) east;Ermington – 2 mi (3 km) south; andCornwood – 3 mi (5 km) northwest.[13] All the parishes' boundaries met at the Ivy Bridge. In 1836 the parish ofSaint John was formed (the name of the church at the time, which was dedicated toJohn the Evangelist). The parish represented the small central area of present-day Ivybridge. In 1894, St John's became aparish church for the newly created parish of Ivybridge.[4] 83 years later the village and civil parish of Ivybridge became a town in 1977.[citation needed] Itslocal government district has been theSouth Hams since 1 April 1974.
For Westminster elections, the town forms part of thecounty constituency ofSouth West Devon. The seat has been held since 2024 byRebecca Smith for theConservatives, having previously been held byGary Streeter for the Conservatives since its creation fromPlymouth Sutton andSouth Hams in 1997.
Ivybridge's first official twinning was withSaint-Pierre-sur-Dives in 1972, before Ivybridge became a town. Since then, it has developed unofficial town twinnings (exchanges) and friendship treaties:[14]
France:Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives,Lower Normandy, since 1972
Germany:Beverungen, North Rhine-Westphalia, since 1975 (then in West Germany)
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At coordinates50°23′28″N3°55′12″W / 50.39111°N 3.92000°W /50.39111; -3.92000 Ivybridge is situated deep in thesouth western peninsula of England, Ivybridge is 182 miles (293 kilometres) from London, 10 miles (16 km) fromTotnes and 28 miles (45 km) fromExeter. The main road in and out of the town (the A38) allows fast access to its nearby cityPlymouth for many of Ivybridge's commuters.
Thetopography of Ivybridge is generally hilly. This is because of theRiver Erme which flows right through the centre of town. To the east and to the west of the river the land is elevated forming a valley. The river first enters the town at 300 feet (91 m) above sea level and leaves the town at 130 feet (40 m) above sea level. At its height the top of the east and west of the valley is 260 feet (79 m) above sea level. The western beacon is a hill that overlooks the town; its peak can be seen from almost anywhere in the town. It is 1,076 feet (328 m) above sea level and 912 feet (278 m) above the town. There is also an area of woodland called Longtimber Woods to the north of the town, which attracts many walkers along its riverside path.
The geology of Ivybridge is varied. Throughout most of the town the rock isOld Red Sandstone (correction:this should read ‘heat-altered slates), (sedimentary) from theDevonian period.[16] To the north of the townGranite can be found as it is situated on the slopes ofDartmoor – a large pre-volcanic area ofGranite. Along theRiver Erme large boulders and rocks can be found deposited on its meandering path brought all the way from Dartmoor; the Ivy Bridge itself is made out ofGranite.
Thebuilt environment in and around Ivybridge is mainly characterised by its suburban streets plans and houses, although in the centre of Ivybridge it's mainly characterised byVictorian buildings. From the centre of the town most buildings areterraced and now many of these buildings have been converted intoretail outlets along Fore Street – the town's central business district. In the middle layer of the town most buildings aresemi-detached and built on quite steep roads. More detached houses are found on the outer layers of the city on the east and on the west of the town. Over the past decades the town has been shaped by its two most essential pieces of infrastructure: the railway line to the north and theA38dual carriageway to the south. No large scaling housing has been built on either side of these boundaries. Due to this Ivybridge has been forced to grow east and west rather than north and south; it stretches approximately 1.76 miles (2.83 km) from east to west and 1 mile (1.6 km) from north to south.
Along with the rest ofSouth West England, Ivybridge has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of theBritish Isles. The annual mean temperature is approximately 11 °C (52 °F) and shows a seasonal and adiurnal variation, but due to the modifying effect of the sea the range is less than in most other parts of the British Isles.[17] February is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 3 °C (37 °F) and 4 °C (39 °F). July and August are the warmest months with mean daily maxima over 19 °C (66 °F).[15]
Theclimate of South West England has a favoured location with respect to theAzores high pressure when it extends its influence north-eastwards towards the British Isles, particularly in summer. Coastal areas have average annual sunshine totals over 1,600 hours.[17]
Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlanticdepressions or with convection. The Atlantic depressions are more vigorous in autumn and winter and most of the rain which falls in those seasons in the south-west is from this source. Average annual rainfall is around 980 millimetres (39 in). The number of days with snow falling is typically less than ten per winter. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west[17] and, as a result, the air quality in Ivybridge may be reduced by the (proposed) construction of an incinerator southwest of the town (at the New England Quarry) with possible implications for health.[18]
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Ivybridge's most recent census indicates that Ivybridge had a population of 11,851.[1] TheUnited Kingdom Census 2011 was carried out by theOffice for National Statistics inEngland and Wales, on Sunday, 27 March 2011.[19] To put that figure into comparison with the area surrounding Ivybridge: it accounts for about 14% of theSouth Hams' total population (83,140)[1] and it accounts for about 1% ofDevon's total population (1,133,800).[20] The town has amedian age of 42 (up from 36 since 2001),[21] which is above the national average of 39.[22]
The ethnicity of Ivybridge is predominately white with 98.7% of the population identifying themselves as such. This is slightly higher than the local average of theSouth Hams (98.3%) and much higher than the national average for England (85.5%). Of the remaining ethnic groups, 0.7% are mixed, 0.5% are Asian, 0.1% are Black and 0.1% are classed asother.[23]
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Ivybridge's earliest known economy relied on theRiver Erme with a corn mill, tin mill and an edge mill in existence in the town. Later development of the town relied on both theRiver Erme and the railway, which was built in the latter part of theIndustrial Revolution of the United Kingdom. The largest employer to the town from 1787 StowfordPaper Mill, which led to population growth in the town. The paper mill closed in 2013. With the expansion of the town in the late 20th century much of the new jobs are in the service sector of industry. Due to theA38 Ivybridge's transport to nearby cityPlymouth was made possible as a commuter route. As a result, a lot of Ivybridge's work or "economy" is made in Plymouth and nearby towns. Ivybridge does still have some of its own industry with a small industrial estate at the south of the town and very nearby an industrial estate just to the west at Lee Mill. There have been attempts to brand the town as a walking centre for southernDartmoor. There is good access to Dartmoor from the town. For example, one route follows the route of the oldchina clay railway to Redlake in the heart of the moor, another follows the Erme through Longtimber Woods. There are other accesses to the Moor. TheTwo Moors Way, which crosses Dartmoor andExmoor starts in Ivybridge and finishes inLynmouth on theNorth Devon coast.
The shopping area is mainly along Fore Street and Glanvilles Mill and provides many jobs and services for the town, although the local schools combine to be the biggest employers. There are some out of town jobs at theTesco Extra superstore at Lee Mill and Endsleigh Garden & Leisure (Wyevale). The town has six traditionalpublic houses: The Sportsmans, the Trehill Arms, the Exchange, the Old Smithy, the Duke of Cornwall and the Imperial. As well as a local brewery; Ivybridge Brewing Co an independent brewery and tap room that works with people with a diverse range of disabilities.[24]
The town's natural landmark is Western Beacon; a hill that overlooks the town. People walk up there for the views of Ivybridge and theSouth Hams. The town's first manmade landmark is the Ivy Bridge; a 13th-century hump-backed bridge covered in Ivy. It is still in use today and gives the name of the town – Ivybridge. The two remaining industrial landmarks of the town are theviaduct over theRiver Erme and the paper mill. The original viaduct was built byIsambard Kingdom Brunel in 1848, only the granite piers remain. The operational line alongside was built by SirJames Charles Inglis opened in 1894 for theGreat Western Railway. It still carries the mainline trains. They were key to the town's initial growth in theIndustrial Revolution and are still importance to the town today. In the centre of the town a war memorial, equidistant from three of the churches, was unveiled in 1922 and each year onRemembrance Day the town holds a ceremony to those who lost their lives. In recent years another memorial has also been built nearby commemorating the lives of American servicemen stationed in and near the town in 1943–1944, many of whom died on Omaha Beach on D-Day. TheWatermark is one of the town's modern landmarks, which began construction in 2007 and was completed in March 2008 at a cost of £1.4 million.[25] It functions as a library, entertainment venue, cinema and offers office space.[26]
Ivybridge has long been a staging post on theExeter to Plymouth road dating back to the 13th century and the "Ivy Bridge" was the only way over theRiver Erme at the time. The bridge itself is still in use to this day taking cars (one-way) and pedestrians across the river. In the 1830s a new bridge was built at the top of Fore Street (approximately 130 yards down the river). It is now used as a 1-way road across the river for vehicles and a separatepedestrian bridge lies alongside it. Another bridge (Marjorie Kelly Way/B3213, built in the 1990s) is situated at the bottom of Fore Street. In 1974 the A38 road was opened linking Ivybridge toPlymouth and Exeter. It was the first major trunk road for Ivybridge and was bypassed at the B3213, which runs through the centre of Ivybridge and connects it to the nearby villages ofBittaford andWrangaton.
The first railway station at Ivybridge was not complete when theSouth Devon Railway was opened, but was brought into use six weeks later on 15 June 1848. The building was situated on the north side of the track, immediately to the west of Ivybridge Viaduct. Passenger trains were withdrawn in 1959 and the goods facility closed in 1965. On 15 July 1994 anew station was opened on a new site costing £380,000, outside the town, to the east.[27] It is operated byGreat Western Railway who run links to London Paddington viaExeter and also south west toCornwall. The station is advertised as a Park and Ride for the nearby city of Plymouth, although the level of service is infrequent and sporadic.
The town has a bus service 80 toPlymouth,Totnes,Paignton andTorquay operated byStagecoach South West. It operates a half hourly route with Ivybridge as a primary stop. The 38 bus to Exeter and Plymouth is every 2 hours, and is also operated byStagecoach South West.Plymouth Citybus operate the 20/20A service to Plymouth, via Lee Mill andPlympton. This is a popular bus with shoppers, as it calls at theTesco Superstore in Lee Mill.
The shopping area is mainly along Fore Street, with some small shops and restaurants situated in the Glanvilles Mill shopping centre which is accessible from Fore Street and the car park.[citation needed]
The town has six schools: four state primary schools, the Dame Hannah Roger's special school, andIvybridge Community College, the town's secondary state school, which has asixth form. It has specialist status as a sports college and has recently been given awards in science and mathematics as well as languages.[28] The school has a very large catchment area which stretches fromShaugh Prior on Dartmoor, toBigbury on the coast and covers many of the villages in theSouth Hams such asUgborough,Modbury andYealmpton. There are no independent schools in Ivybridge, but Dame Hannah Rogers School provides a boarding education for children with disabilities and communication needs. The nearest university is theUniversity of Plymouth. In 2008 a new library and resource centre called the Watermark was opened, replacing the small library on Keaton Road. Notable people from thecommunity college include sports teacherMichaela Breeze who won a gold medalweightlifting in the2002 Commonwealth Games forWales and won another gold medal in the2006 Commonwealth Games.,[29][30] Nigel Martin (footballer) was a pupil,Chris Bell, a retired rugby union player withLeeds,Harlequins,Sale Sharks andWasps, and the school's former principal –Geoffrey Rees now retired, who was given aCBE for his services to education.[31]
Ivybridge has five churches. St John's Church (Anglican) is the parish church situated in Blachford Road. There is also anEvangelical Baptist church and aMethodist church. On the western outskirts of the town is aRoman Catholic church – St Austin's Priory. The Salvation Army Church hold meetings in Fore Street.
In 2011, 65.1% of the population stated that they were Christian, 26.5% stated as no religion and 7.8% did not state their religion. Furthermore, there were a few people stating other religions: 0.3 (31 people) as other religions, 0.2% (18 people) stated asBuddhist, 0.1 (16 people) asMuslim, 0.1% (7 people) asHindu, and one Jew.[32] Since 2001, there has been a shift from Christian (down 13 percentage points) to non-religious (up 12 points).[33]
The town hosts the following sports teams and clubs:
There are several leisure facilities in the town:
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC South West andITV West Country. Television signals are received from theCaradon Hill TV transmitter[35] and the local relay transmitter.[36]
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Devon,Heart West,Greatest Hits Radio South West, and TorDab, a community based station which broadcast fromTorquay.[37]
The town is served by the local newspaper,Ivybridge & South Brent Gazette which publishes on Fridays.[38]
South West Water supplies the town with water and sewage services.South Hams District Council is responsible for waste management. The town's Distribution Network Operator is Western Power Distribution. Currently the town along with the rest of Devon relies on electricity generated further north from the national grid, althoughLangage Power Station inPlympton is now generating. The town has two health centres: Ivybridge Health Centre and Highlands Health Centre, both located near the centre of the town.[39] It also has four dentist surgeries: Victoria House Dental Surgery, Fore Street Dental Practice, Browns Dental Practice and Highland Dental Practice.[40] Ivybridge is served byPlymouth HospitalsNHS Trust and the nearest hospital isDerriford Hospital in Plymouth. South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust operates in Ivybridge and the rest of the south west; its headquarters are inExeter.Devon and Cornwall Constabulary serve the town's policing matters and there is a small police station in the centre of the town. Ivybridge has one retained fire station (number 53) on the southern outskirts of town, which is in the west division ofDevon as part ofDevon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. It has a water tender ladder, prime mover, environmental pod and an incident support unit. The fire station used to be closer to the centre of the town.
An engraving of a painting of the river byThomas Allom, together with a poetical illustration byLetitia Elizabeth Landon set to music byHenry Russell, were published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835.[41]
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