| Stoodleigh | |
|---|---|
 Stoodleigh parish church | |
  Stoodleigh Location withinDevon | |
| OS grid reference | SS9218818980 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TIVERTON |
| Postcode district | EX16 |
| Dialling code | 01398 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 50°57′34″N3°32′10″W / 50.9595°N 3.5362°W /50.9595; -3.5362 | |
Stoodleigh is a village andcivil parish in theMid Devon district ofDevon, England, located 6 miles (10 km) north ofTiverton and 5 miles (8 km) south ofBampton. It is situated 800 feet (240 m) above theExe Valley, close to theDevon /Somerset border. The centre of the village is aconservation area.[1]
In the past it formed part ofWitheridge Hundred and it is within theTiverton Deanery of theChurch of England.[2]
Castle Close is a circularearthwork, close to Stoodleigh, that is most likely to be anIron AgeHill fort or enclosure.[3]
The Church of St Margaret's was constructed in the 15th century and was extensively restored in 1782.[4] It contains aNorman font which is likely to have come from an earlier church in the parish where the first recorded incumbent was installed in 1264.[1]
StoodleighBeacon is situated about 2 miles west of Stoodleigh village. It was anciently known asWarbrighsleigh,[5]Warbrightley,[6]Warpsley,[7] etc., also the name of the high hill on which it stood. The beacon was ordered to be set up by KingEdward II (1307–1327) "when he doubted of the landing of his queenIsabel and SirJohn (sic) ofHenold" (Risdon)[8] This refers to Isabel'sInvasion of England in 1326, having betrothed her sonPrince Edward toPhilippa of Hainault, the daughter ofWilliam I, Count of Hainaut, from whom she received a substantial dowry and several warships.[9]In the 16th and 17th centuries the estate of Warbrighsleigh, etc., was the seat of the Broughton family.[10]
Media related toStoodleigh at Wikimedia Commons
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