Northam, Devon
Encyclopedia
Northam is a small town in Devon
, England
, lying north of Bideford
and south of Westward Ho!
. It is thought to have been the site of an Anglo-Saxon
castle
, and is said to have been where Hubba the Dane attacked Devon and was repelled (perhaps by Alfred the Great
or by the Earl of Devon
). A little over a mile away along the coast is a town called Appledore. Between the towns of Appledore and Northam, is 'Bloody Corner'. There is a rock called 'Hubba's Rock' which is supposed to be the site where Hubba the Dane was killed by the Anglo-Saxon (or Devonshire) fyrd. Northam is also the place of birth of 'House of Horrors' serial killer Rosemary West.
.
(B,WH&A,R) was most unusual amongst British railways in that although it was built as a standard gauge
line it was not joined to the rest of the railway network, despite the London and South Western Railway
having a station at Bideford, East-the-Water, meaning on the other side of the River Torridge
from the main town.
The line was wholly situated on the peninsular made up of Westward Ho!, Northam and Appledore with extensive sand dunes the Torridge and Taw estuary. Northam station and the line closed in 1917 having been requisitioned by the War Office, and is now used as part of the Tarka Trail
cycle route which forms part of the South West Coast Path
.
W.Ho Buses serve the square and Sandymeare Rd, Appledore buses serve Leonards Rd, and Atlantic Way.
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...
, lying north of Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
and south of Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude...
. It is thought to have been the site of an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, and is said to have been where Hubba the Dane attacked Devon and was repelled (perhaps by Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
or by the Earl of Devon
Earl of Devon
The title of Earl of Devon was created several times in the Peerage of England, and was possessed first by the de Redvers family, and later by the Courtenays...
). A little over a mile away along the coast is a town called Appledore. Between the towns of Appledore and Northam, is 'Bloody Corner'. There is a rock called 'Hubba's Rock' which is supposed to be the site where Hubba the Dane was killed by the Anglo-Saxon (or Devonshire) fyrd. Northam is also the place of birth of 'House of Horrors' serial killer Rosemary West.
Sport and recreation
Northam has a King George's Field as a memorial to King George VGeorge V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
Landscape
Northam Burrows lies adjacent to the Taw Torridge Estuary and is an evocative landscape of saltmarsh and dunes. It is part of the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.Railway
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore RailwayBideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway was most unusual amongst British railways in that although it was built as a standard gauge line, it was not joined to the rest of the railway network, despite the London and South Western Railway having a station at Bideford East-the-Water, just...
(B,WH&A,R) was most unusual amongst British railways in that although it was built as a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line it was not joined to the rest of the railway network, despite the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
having a station at Bideford, East-the-Water, meaning on the other side of the River Torridge
Torridge
Torridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Bideford. Other towns and villages in the district include Holsworthy, Great Torrington, Hartland and Westward Ho!. The Island of Lundy is administratively part of the District...
from the main town.
The line was wholly situated on the peninsular made up of Westward Ho!, Northam and Appledore with extensive sand dunes the Torridge and Taw estuary. Northam station and the line closed in 1917 having been requisitioned by the War Office, and is now used as part of the Tarka Trail
Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It is a figure-of-eight route, based on Barnstaple, and covers some of path....
cycle route which forms part of the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
.
Bus services
- First 1/2 - Barntstaple to Westward Ho!/Appledore
- Stagecoach 21/21A = Barnstaple to Westward Ho!/Appledore
W.Ho Buses serve the square and Sandymeare Rd, Appledore buses serve Leonards Rd, and Atlantic Way.