Wotter
Encyclopedia
Wotter is a village near Shaugh Prior
on the south western edge of Dartmoor
, in the English county of Devon
. The village was founded in 1906: previously, there had only been a farm and two houses between Shaugh Prior and Lee Moor.
surgery, which is part of the Ridgeway Practice. This practice, the largest in South & West Devon, also has surgeries in Plympton
and Chaddlewood. The surgery at Wotter has one GP and a dispenser
and is open two days a week.
As there is no school in the village itself, young children generally attend Shaugh Prior Primary School, which serves the settlements of Shaugh Prior, Wotter and Lee Moor.
Wotter also has a hotel (The Moorland Hotel), chapel and hall, and play area. The church hall houses a part-time Post Office
service, which began operating there a few months after the village's post office closed in 2004. It is also used for Shaugh Prior Parish Council meetings. The chapel was originally founded as a Methodist church in 1939, sharing a minister with those at Woodford and Compton
. After the church closed, it was bought by a Christian family and reopened as Wotter Community Chapel.
The Plymouth Citybus
Service 59 travels via Wotter, giving access to and from Plymouth City Centre, as well as the nearby villages of Shaugh Prior
, Bickleigh
, Cornwood
, Lutton and Sparkwell
. On Mondays, Citybus also operate a free bus service between Wotter and the Tesco Extra store at Lee Mill.
of Shaugh Prior, within the Bickleigh and Shaugh ward
of South Hams District Council.
to also issue a warning about water quality in the River Plym
, but they later concluded the river was unaffected.
Shaugh Prior
Shaugh Prior is a village and civil parish on the south-western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. In 2001 its population was 751. The parish stretches from the edge of Plymouth to the high moorland of Dartmoor. The River Plym forms its western and northern boundaries up to the...
on the south western edge of Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
, in the English 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...
. The village was founded in 1906: previously, there had only been a farm and two houses between Shaugh Prior and Lee Moor.
Local amenities
Wotter has a GPGeneral practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
surgery, which is part of the Ridgeway Practice. This practice, the largest in South & West Devon, also has surgeries in Plympton
Plympton
Plympton, or Plympton Maurice or Plympton St Maurice or Plympton St Mary or Plympton Erle, in south-western Devon, England is an ancient stannary town: an important trading centre in the past for locally mined tin, and a former seaport...
and Chaddlewood. The surgery at Wotter has one GP and a dispenser
Dispensary
A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital or other organization that dispenses medications and medical supplies. In a traditional dispensary set-up a pharmacist dispenses medication as per prescription or order form....
and is open two days a week.
As there is no school in the village itself, young children generally attend Shaugh Prior Primary School, which serves the settlements of Shaugh Prior, Wotter and Lee Moor.
Wotter also has a hotel (The Moorland Hotel), chapel and hall, and play area. The church hall houses a part-time 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...
service, which began operating there a few months after the village's post office closed in 2004. It is also used for Shaugh Prior Parish Council meetings. The chapel was originally founded as a Methodist church in 1939, sharing a minister with those at Woodford and Compton
Compton, Plymouth
Compton is a suburb of Plymouth in the English county of Devon.Once a small village, it was developed in the 1930s and now lies between the suburbs of Mannamead and Efford...
. After the church closed, it was bought by a Christian family and reopened as Wotter Community Chapel.
The Plymouth Citybus
Plymouth Citybus
Plymouth Citybus is one of the principal bus operators serving the City of Plymouth, England, and the surrounding area. Plymouth Citybus's route network serves almost exclusively the boroughs and inner-city areas of Plymouth, with the majority of rural services handled by First Devon and...
Service 59 travels via Wotter, giving access to and from Plymouth City Centre, as well as the nearby villages of Shaugh Prior
Shaugh Prior
Shaugh Prior is a village and civil parish on the south-western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. In 2001 its population was 751. The parish stretches from the edge of Plymouth to the high moorland of Dartmoor. The River Plym forms its western and northern boundaries up to the...
, Bickleigh
Bickleigh, South Hams
Bickleigh is a small village on the southern edge of Dartmoor in Devon, England. It has a population of about 50 people. It is in the South Hams district, and is about seven miles north of Plymouth city centre...
, Cornwood
Cornwood
Cornwood is a village and civil parish in the South Hams in Devon, England. It has a population of 988.- Religion :The Church of St Michael's is Cornwood's parish church....
, Lutton and Sparkwell
Sparkwell
Sparkwell is a small Devon village in the South Hams local authority. It has a churchVicars of All Saints, Sparkwell1884-1911 Pender Hodge Cudlip1911-1947 Thomas Woodman1917-1924 Ernest Arthur Milne1924-1931 Edward Harold Smith...
. On Mondays, Citybus also operate a free bus service between Wotter and the Tesco Extra store at Lee Mill.
Government
Wotter is part of the civil parishCivil 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 Shaugh Prior, within the Bickleigh and Shaugh ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of South Hams District Council.
Notable incidents
In January 2010, thirteen homes in the village had to be evacuated for more than 24 hours following a fire in a hay barn at Higher Bughill Farm. The barn was thought to contain a large quantity of ammonium nitrate-based fertiliser and other chemicals, which posed a risk of explosion as well as the possibility of the smoke containing poisonous fumes. This chemical danger initially caused the Environment AgencyEnvironment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
to also issue a warning about water quality in the River Plym
River Plym
The River Plym is a river in Devon, England. Its source is some 450m above sea level on Dartmoor, in an upland marshy area called Plym Head. From the upper reaches which contain antiquities and mining remains the river flows roughly southwest and enters the sea near to the city of Plymouth, where...
, but they later concluded the river was unaffected.
Further reading
- Don Balkwill - The Book of Shaugh Parish: It's a Shaugh Thing (Halsgrove, 2008)