Alphington, Devon
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Alphington is a former
manor Manor may refer to: Land ownership *Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England *Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism *Man ...
and village, now a suburb of the City of Exeter in Devon. The
ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of Alphington has a population of 8,250 according to the 2001 census, making it the third largest in Exeter, with the village itself accounting for about a quarter of this figure. The ward population increased to 8,682 at the 2011 census. It is surrounded on two sides by countryside, with the
Marsh Barton Marsh Barton is the largest trading estate in Exeter, covering over . It supports over 500 diverse businesses including one of Europe's largest motoring centres, showrooms, city plumbing, Exeter College's automotive site, builders merchants, ...
trading estate to the east and Exeter City to the north. The Alphin Brook passes around the Northern edge of Alphington. Alphington is on the Southwestern side of Exeter.


Notable buildings


St Michael and All Angels parish church

Most of the fabric of the parish church of St Michael and All Angels originates from the 15th century, including the
rood-screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or ...
. The north aisle screen is of a different style and design and possibly comes from another church, whilst the screen at the base of the tower was put together from the remains of the 1625 Jacobean gallery, demolished in 1875.
Saint Apollonia Saint Apollonia ( el, Αγία Απολλωνία, cop, Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲟⲛⲓⲁ) was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius ...
was depicted on one of the panels but this has been badly disfigured.Hoskins, W. G. (1954) ''Devon'' The 12th century
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...
according to
Arthur Mee Arthur Henry Mee (21 July 187527 May 1943) was an English writer, journalist and educator. He is best known for ''The Harmsworth Self-Educator'', ''The Children's Encyclopædia'', ''The Children's Newspaper'', and ''The King's England''. The ...
(1965) is "believed by many to be the finest in Devon". It is sculpted from local
Beer stone Beer Quarry Caves is a man-made limestone underground complex located about a mile west of the village of Beer, Devon, and the main source in England for beer stone. The tunnels resulted from 2,000 years of quarrying beer stone, which was part ...
, and a fibreglass replica cast is currently (January 2016) in storage at Exeter's
Royal Albert Memorial Museum Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) is a museum and art gallery in Exeter, Devon, the largest in the city. It holds significant and diverse collections in areas such as zoology, anthropology, fine art, local and overseas archaeolo ...
. In 1749, a peal of eight bells was hung in the church, having been cast by Bilbie of
Cullompton Cullompton () is a town and civil parish in the district of Mid Devon and the county of Devon, England. It is north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2011 the parish as a whole had a population of 8,499 while the built-up area of t ...
. It was then the largest peal in the county. These eight bells were re-cast from the original five hung prior to 1550.Alphington (Exeter); Alphington History and Pubs
/ref>


Other buildings

Cartwheels is a typical 15th-century Devon cob and timber farmhouse near the church, overlooking the Rectory. Mile End Cottage, on the main road through the village, is the house that
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
rented for his parents in 1839. Gidley's and Gidley's Cottage in Ide Lane are reputed to be the oldest dwelling in the village. There are numerous other thatched cottages including Pixies cottage (close to the church), and Laurel cottage (in Ide Lane), dating from the 17th century onwards as well as a Victorian prison building, recently renovated. From 2 April 1928, Alphington had a halt on the old Teign Valley railway-line, but this was closed on 9 June 1958. It is still possible to see the abutments of the bridge that used to carry the railway-line over Church Road, and also smaller scale masonry remains at the previous overbridge in Ide Lane.


Historic estates

*
Matford Matford was a French automotive manufacturer established as a joint venture in 1934 by local firm Mathis and US-based Ford Motor Company. The name ''Matford'' derived from both companies' names. The company ceased activities in 1940. Overview ...


Education

The modern Alphington Primary School is the main educational establishment in the village, with around 350 pupils aged between 5 and 11. Secondary Education is provided by
West Exe Technology College West Exe School is a coeducational secondary school located in Exeter, with a catchment area covering St Thomas, Alphington, and some parts of Exwick. Known in the local community as a source of controversy, the school has featured in the ...
, on the border between Alphington and St Thomas, and Exeter College. The old Victorian school building has been reused, housing the Pre-School and is used by other groups for meetings and activities. .


Sport

The village is represented in the South West Peninsula League Division One East (formerly the
Devon County League The Devon County Football League was a football competition based in England. It consisted of 20 clubs and sat at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System. History The league was formed in 1992 in order to form an intermediate level bet ...
) by the Alphington football team, nicknamed ''The Alphas'', who play at The Chronicles (on Alphington Playing Field). The playing field is also home to the Alphington cricket team.


Notable people from Alphington

*
Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...
(1791–1871), "father of computing" educated in Alphington *
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
's parents (1839) moved to Alphington *
Charles Grene Ellicombe General Sir Charles Grene Ellicombe KCB (3 August 1783 – 7 June 1871) was an English General and a Royal Engineer, reaching the rank of Colonel Commandant within the Corps. He was created one of the first Companions of the Order of the Ba ...
, British Army General * Sir William Montagu Manning, Australian politician * Robert Stone (1516–1613), composer and member of the
Chapel Royal The Chapel Royal is an establishment in the Royal Household serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the British Royal Family. Historically it was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarch. The term is now also applie ...


Namesake

Alphington, the suburb of
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Victoria, Australia Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in Au ...
was named after the village.


References


External links


Alphington AFC

Alphington Primary School

Alphington - Local History
* {{authority control Villages in Devon Areas of Exeter Former manors in Devon Former civil parishes in Devon