Fairmile, Devon
Encyclopedia
For the boat builder, see Fairmile Marine
Fairmile is a hamlet
in the English
county of Devon
. It lies on the former A30
trunk road approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Honiton
, where this road crosses the Talaton
to Ottery St Mary
road, in the valley of the River Tale. Fairmile belongs partly to the civil parish
of Talaton
and partly to that of Ottery St Mary
.
The hamlet consists of a handful of houses, including the Fairmile Inn (now closed), and a disused post office
and former blacksmith's
workshop. About 400 yard away is Escot Church, built in 1840 by Sir John Kennaway
, the owner of nearby Escot
House.
In 1999 the A30
through Fairmile was re-routed to a newly built dual carriageway
section, about ¼ mile to the north of the previous road.
between Honiton
and Exeter
, Fairmile was the main focus of direct action
protest activities against the new road, with permanent camps on both sides of the river valley. These camps, known amongst protesters as Trollheim and Fairmile, included a number of tree house
s and networks of underground tunnels and bunkers. The occupants of the camps were eventually evicted in January 1997 by Bailiff
s acting for the Under-Sheriff of Devon, who were later joined by specialist climbing
and caving
experts. This was amid considerable national publicity, and led to the temporary celebrity
status of the final occupant of one the Fairmile tunnels, Daniel Hooper, known by his nickname 'Swampy
'.
Fairmile Marine
Fairmile Marine was a British boat building company founded in 1939 by the car manufacturer Noel Macklin.Macklin used the garage at his home at Cobham Fairmile in Surrey for manufacturing assembly which is why the boats he designed came to be called Fairmiles....
Fairmile is a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the English
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...
county 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...
. It lies on the former A30
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
trunk road approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Honiton
Honiton
Honiton is a town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways, and , each pronunciation having its adherents...
, where this road crosses the Talaton
Talaton
Talaton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Devon. It lies approximately 6 miles to the west of Honiton, 3 miles to the north of Ottery St Mary, 2 miles to the west of Feniton and 2 miles to the east of Whimple. The parish of Talaton covers an area of 965 hectares...
to Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery" , is a town in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, about ten miles east of Exeter on the B3174. It is part of a large civil parish of the same name, which also covers the villages of West Hill, Metcombe, Fairmile, Alfington, Tipton St...
road, in the valley of the River Tale. Fairmile belongs partly to the civil parish
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...
of Talaton
Talaton
Talaton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Devon. It lies approximately 6 miles to the west of Honiton, 3 miles to the north of Ottery St Mary, 2 miles to the west of Feniton and 2 miles to the east of Whimple. The parish of Talaton covers an area of 965 hectares...
and partly to that of Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery" , is a town in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, about ten miles east of Exeter on the B3174. It is part of a large civil parish of the same name, which also covers the villages of West Hill, Metcombe, Fairmile, Alfington, Tipton St...
.
The hamlet consists of a handful of houses, including the Fairmile Inn (now closed), and a disused post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and former blacksmith's
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
workshop. About 400 yard away is Escot Church, built in 1840 by Sir John Kennaway
Kennaway Baronets
The Kennaway Baronetcy of Hyderabad in the East Indies, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 25 February 1791 for John Kennaway, British Resident at the Court of the Nizam, in recognition of his part in the negotiation of the 1790 alliance between the Nizam and the East...
, the owner of nearby Escot
Escot
Escot is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
House.
In 1999 the A30
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
through Fairmile was re-routed to a newly built dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
section, about ¼ mile to the north of the previous road.
Fairmile Road Protest
For a few years prior to the completion of the new A30A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
between Honiton
Honiton
Honiton is a town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways, and , each pronunciation having its adherents...
and Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Fairmile was the main focus of direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
protest activities against the new road, with permanent camps on both sides of the river valley. These camps, known amongst protesters as Trollheim and Fairmile, included a number of tree house
Tree house
Tree houses, treehouses, or tree forts, are platforms or buildings constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level...
s and networks of underground tunnels and bunkers. The occupants of the camps were eventually evicted in January 1997 by Bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s acting for the Under-Sheriff of Devon, who were later joined by specialist climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
and caving
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
experts. This was amid considerable national publicity, and led to the temporary celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
status of the final occupant of one the Fairmile tunnels, Daniel Hooper, known by his nickname 'Swampy
Swampy
Daniel Hooper is an environmental activist, sometimes characterised as an environmental protester or eco-warrior, from the United Kingdom...
'.