Stoodleigh
Encyclopedia
Stoodleigh is a village
and civil parish
in the Mid Devon
district of Devon
, England
, located 6 miles (10 km) north of Tiverton and 5 miles (8 km) south of Bampton
. It is situated 800 feet (243.8 m) above the Exe Valley
, close to the Devon
/ Somerset
border. The centre of the village is a conservation area
.
In the past it formed part of Witheridge Hundred and it is within the Tiverton Deanery of the Church of England
.
Castle Close is a circular earthwork
, close to Stoodleigh, that is most likely to be an Iron Age
Hill fort
or enclosure.
which is likely to have come from an earlier church in the parish where the first recorded incumbent was installed in 1264.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and 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...
in the Mid Devon
Mid Devon
Mid Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Tiverton.The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tiverton and Crediton urban district together with Tiverton Rural District, and Crediton Rural...
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...
, located 6 miles (10 km) north of Tiverton and 5 miles (8 km) south of Bampton
Bampton, Devon
Bampton is a small town in Devon, England close to the south-eastern corner of Exmoor and on the River Batherm, a tributary of the River Exe. It is about 10 km north of Tiverton.-History:...
. It is situated 800 feet (243.8 m) above the Exe Valley
River Exe
The River Exe in England rises near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon...
, close to the 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...
/ Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
border. The centre of the village is a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.
In the past it formed part of Witheridge Hundred and it is within the Tiverton Deanery of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
Castle Close
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
, close to Stoodleigh, that is most likely to be an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
or enclosure.
Church of St Margaret's
The Church of St Margaret's was constructed in the 15th century and was extensively restored in 1782. It contains a Norman fontNorman 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...
which is likely to have come from an earlier church in the parish where the first recorded incumbent was installed in 1264.