Bishop's Nympton
Encyclopedia
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
district of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about three miles east of South Molton
South Molton
"Molton" redirects here. Or see Molten or Moulton.South Molton is a small town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole. According to the 2001 census the civil parish of South Molton had a population of 4,093.The town was one of...
. According to the 2001 census it had population of 932.
It has been the main area for the filming of a 1980s television program called The Passion. It is also home to wildlife filmmaker Johnny Kingdom
Johnny Kingdom
Johnny Kingdom is an English wildlife filmmaker, specialising in his local area of Exmoor in north Devon.-Biography:Kingdom has been a lumberjack, a farm worker, a quarryman, a poacher, and for over 50 years the gravedigger for his local parish, but his overriding passion is filming the wildlife...
.
The tall, 15th century church tower is a local landmark, and contains a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
, a 15th century arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
, and a "richly carved" recess.
It has also been the location of some dispute over the recent closing of many Post Offices across the UK, and therefore the Post Office in Bishops Nympton has been partially reprieved, following a campaign by villagers and intervention by Devon County Council. From June 2009, the Post Office has been open mornings only, a great improvement on the proposed outreach service. The shop on the premises has been run by volunteers as a community shop, again with support from Devon County Council, as well as the villagers themselves. It has been successful since its opening.
A replacement for the previous (wooden) village hall was built after a long campaign of fund-raising by the villagers. Sources of funding included £15,000 from the parish council, £95,000 from the sale of the village hall, £100,000 from Leader 4 Funding and £17,000 from a section 106 agreement. It was formally opened by Mrs Frances Gunn on Friday, 3rd June 2011. The village shop and Post Office moved to a purpose built part of the new hall in the summer of 2011.