Aveton Gifford

Aveton Gifford
Aveton Gifford Aveton Gifford shown within Devon
Population	833
District	South Hams
Shire county	Devon
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Kingsbridge
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
List of places UK England Devon

Coordinates: 50°18′00″N 3°50′00″W / 50.3°N 3.8333°W / 50.3; -3.8333

Aveton Gifford /ˈɔːtən ˈdʒɪfəd/ is a small rural village in the south of the English county of Devon. It lies at the head of the estuary of the River Avon or Aune, at the point where it is crossed by the A379 road. It receives its name from this river and also from the family of Giffard who held the manor. Walter Giffard came across with William the Conqueror and helped with the Domesday Book.^[1]

The village is located in the South Hams district of Devon and is bounded by Modbury, Bigbury, Thurlestone, Churchstow and Loddiswell.

In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 772, rising to 833 at the 2011 census.^[2] There is currently a pub, a community village shop/post office, a primary school, a pre-school and a selection of parish organisations. The village is a major part of the electoral ward of Charterlands. This ward also includes Bigbury. Its population at the abovementioned census was 1,951.^[3]

Geography

The parish comprises an area of hills and valleys and in addition to the River Avon there are numerous smaller watercourses which have shaped the land. In common with the surrounding parishes Aveton Gifford contains a wide variety of plant and animal life and there is much to see for the visitor with an interest in wildlife. Within the area there are a number of footpaths and bridleways and for nature lovers a walk or ride along them is usually well rewarded at any time of year.

Church

The parish church of St Andrew was described by W. G. Hoskins as 'one of the oldest and most interesting churches in Devon'. It was largely a cruciform building with a central tower and was completed in around 1250.^[4] In 1942 it was said to be 'well cared for' in the church log: the following year it was almost destroyed in a raid by a group of German fighter bombers. The church was rebuilt by 1957 but subsequent structural problems led to the tower being reduced to two thirds of its original height. However the two-story porch survived, along with its richly moulded thirteenth-century doorways.

Village shop

The last privately owned shop in the village closed in 2003. Shortly afterwards, with the support of the Parish Council the Aveton Gifford Village Shop Association was formed and a community-owned shop subsequently opened in temporary premises. Following extensive fund raising efforts the store was transferred to a purpose built timber-framed building which opened for business in August 2009.

History

The area has a long history. There are indications that it was occupied in Neolithic times. At least three manors within the parish were recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 (Avetone, Heathfield and Stadbury). The bridge across the River Avon is believed to have been completed in around 1440; there have been a number of quays on the river and these have been used for the products of the local lime kilns, to bring goods from Plymouth and later for bringing coal to the village.

During its history the Avon has seen much fishing and not a little poaching and has provided a source of power to various mills.

Aveton Gifford is currently a family friendly and quite quaint and small village. The primary school even has its own swimming pool, and regular buses come through along with the school bus to the local Kingsbridge Community College every morning and evening.

References

↑ Doughty, Ken, Aveton Gifford Parish Project Group (2002). Aveton Gifford: A Heritage. ISBN 0-9542372-0-X.
↑ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 19 February 2015.
↑ "Charterlands ward 2011". Retrieved 19 February 2015.
↑ Hoskins, W. G. (1972). Devon. p. 324. ISBN 0-7153-5577-5.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aveton Gifford.

Non-metropolitan district of South Hams

List of civil parishes in Devon#South Hams

Civil parishes	Ashprington Aveton Gifford Berry Pomeroy Bickleigh Bigbury Blackawton Brixton Buckland Tout Saints Charleton Chivelstone Churchstow Cornwood Cornworthy Dartington Dartmouth Dean Prior Diptford Dittisham East Allington East Portlemouth Ermington Frogmore and Sherford Halwell and Moreleigh Harberton Harford Holbeton Holne Ivybridge Kingsbridge Kingston Kingswear Littlehempston Loddiswell Malborough Marldon Modbury Newton and Noss North Huish Rattery Ringmore Salcombe Shaugh Prior Slapton South Brent South Huish South Milton South Pool Sparkwell Staverton Stoke Fleming Stoke Gabriel Stokenham Strete Thurlestone Totnes Ugborough Wembury West Alvington West Buckfastleigh Woodleigh Yealmpton

Bold text denotes a parish council referred to as a "town council" i.e. towns.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 11, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.