Braunton is a large village,

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

, ecclesiastical parish and former manor in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

. The village is situated west of

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

. It is one of the largest villages in Devon with a population at the 2021 census of 10,217 people. There are two

electoral wards The wards and electoral divisions in the United Kingdom are electoral districts at sub-national level, represented by one or more councillors. The ward is the primary unit of English electoral geography for civil parishes and borough and distri ...

(East and West). Their joint population at the above census was 8,218. Within the parish is the fertile, low-lying Braunton Great Field, which adjoins the undulating

Braunton Burrows Braunton Burrows is a sand dune system on the North Devon coast. It is privately owned and forms part of the Christie Devon Estates Trust (see Tapeley Park). Braunton Burrows is a prime British sand dune site, the largest sand dune system (psam ...

, the Core Area in

North Devon Biosphere Reserve North Devon's Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO biosphere reserve in North Devon. It covers and is centred on Braunton Burrows, the largest sand dune system (psammosere) in England. The boundaries of the reserve follow the edges of the conjoined c ...

, the largest

psammosere A psammosere is a seral community, an ecological succession that began life on newly exposed coastal sand. Most common psammoseres are sand dune systems. In a psammosere, the organisms closest to the sea will be pioneer species: salt-tolerant spe ...

(sand dune system) in England. It confronts the Atlantic Ocean at the west of the parish at the large beach of

Saunton Sands Saunton Sands is a beach near the English village of Saunton on the North Devon coast near Braunton, popular for longboard surfing. Beyond its southern end, Crow Point, England is the mouth of the River Taw estuary. It is part of the Taw-Torrid ...

, one of the

South West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

's international-standard

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

beaches.

Toponymy

''Braunton'' is derived from the two

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

elements: ''brōm'', meaning broom shrub, and ''tūn'', meaning "Town" or "settlement". It thus signifies: "Town at the Bottom". The name is recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

of 1086 as ''BRANTONE''.

Topography

The

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England'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. Because it rises a ...

National Trail passes through the village and gives access for walkers to the spectacular

North Devon North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. North Devon Council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth ...

coast. The

Tarka Trail The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths (rail trails) around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by the fictional Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It covers a total of in a figure-of-eight route, centred o ...

also passes through the village.

marsh on the west side of the parish is a designated

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

, the first place in Great Britain to have gained such status. The coastal part of the parish lies within the

North Devon Coast The North Devon Coast was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in September 1959. The AONB contributes to a family of protected landscapes in the Southwest of England and a total of 38% of the region is classified by the Internatio ...

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of thei ...

, and comprises

to the west, a beach of finely-grained sand, and to the south the estuary of the

River Taw The River Taw () rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor, crosses North Devon and at the town of Barnstaple, formerly a significant port, empties into Bideford Bay in the Bristol Channel, having formed a large ...

, of mixed mud and sand. The north of Braunton Burrows are open to light public access and have been converted into a Links Golf Course. Braunton was half-surrounded by an extensive

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

salt-water marsh restricting available agricultural land. In 1808 this was surveyed by

Charles Vancouver Charles Vancouver (c. 1756 – c. 1815) was an Anglo-American agricultural writer. He worked with varying success in several countries. Life He was baptised in a Dutch family at King's Lynn, Norfolk in November 1756, and was an elder brother of G ...

, for the Board of Agriculture, who recommended that the marsh should be enclosed and reclaimed. This met with local approval and James Green was appointed as engineer for the drainage scheme. An

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

was obtained for the purpose on 25 May 1811. On completion, responsibility for the marsh passed Marsh Inspectors, who sanctioned further work in 1854, involving the straightening and embanking of the

River Caen The River Caen is a short river running through Braunton in north Devon. It flows into the estuary of the River Taw. It was formerly improved to make it more navigable as the Braunton Canal The Braunton Canal is a cut made to straighten the ...

, or Braunton Pill, to form the

Braunton Canal The Braunton Canal is a cut made to straighten the course of the upper section of the River Caen, known as Braunton Pill, and to provide a new quay for the village of Braunton in North Devon, England. It crosses an area known as Braunton Marsh, ...

. The scheme was completed by the addition of a new

quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...

at Velator in the 1870s.Clare Manning, (2007), ''Braunton Marsh Management Scheme'', Taw Torridge Estuary Forum
To the West of Braunton is Saunton and its beach and the sand dune system but bordering the village is what is reputed to be the largest remaining 'strip' farming area in the UK and which known as the 'Great Field' . Probably from medieval times and continuing today, this large area has been opened tilled without formal boundaries, with at least 3 families still involved in production. This boundary effect by the 'Great Field' now acts as a 'natural' barrier to the development of the town in that direction. During building works in the end of the 20th century, two strange findings revealed something of the areas geology. In one area of the village high on the side of the hill and about 100 feet above the flat area of the village, excavations for 1m deep foundations of a house broke in to a pocket of sand which was found to extend greater than 5m. The subsequent house had to be built on a raft on the sand. The sand was understood to have been examined by Exeter University (?) who considered it to have been a pocket pushed up by a glacier during the last ice age. At similar time in the flat area of the village, excavations for foundations revealed large sooth, rounded stones which were put down to a wide water course having been present at some time, rather than the small river that flows through the village now. Braunton railway station formerly existed on the now closed Ilfracombe Branch Line two stations from

Barnstaple railway station Barnstaple railway station is the northern terminus of the Tarka Line and serves the town of Barnstaple, Devon. It is from at milepost 211.25 from . It is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates the train service. It opened i ...

on the 'Tarka' or North Devon Line from Exeter, which currently operate regular and heritage trains. The presence of the river, the 'soft' water and permission for abstraction, encouraged an American company, 'Curity' to set up business in the village in the early 60's for the purposes of bleaching and processing imported raw cotton wool from the US into various products such as cotton wool balls, and rolls of perfectly white cotton for other companies to make such products as tampons and other medical/surgical products. Despite being in operation for about 40 years, the softness of the water and minimal esin'ion exchange' meant that the 'Steambloc' boilers needed no treatment or aggressive cleaning.

Climate

Braunton has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

that is heavily moderated by the proximity to the Atlantic. Although Braunton is not a coast town.

History

Manors

Braunton was the chief manor of Braunton Hundred, and had been held by Saxon kings. Between 855 and 860 ten hides in ''Brannocminster'' were granted by King

Æthelbald of Wessex Æthelbald (also Ethelbald or Aethelbald) may refer to: *Æthelbald of Mercia, King of Mercia, 716–757 *Æthelbald, King of Wessex Æthelbald (died 860) was King of Wessex from 855 or 858 to 860. He was the second of five sons of King Æthe ...

Glastonbury Abbey Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Its ruins, a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument, are open as a visitor attraction. The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It wa ...

. After the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

of 1066 the manor continued as a royal possession, in the

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...

of King

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

. In the

of 1086 (Exon Version) it is recorded as

held Held may refer to: Places * Held Glacier People Arts and media * Adolph Held (1885–1969), U.S. newspaper editor, banker, labor activist *Al Held (1928–2005), U.S. abstract expressionist painter. *Alexander Held (born 1958), German television ...

at farm by

Baldwin the Sheriff Baldwin FitzGilbert (died 1086-1091) (''alias'' Baldwin the Sheriff, Baldwin of Exeter, Baldwin de Meulles/Moels and Baldwin du Sap) was a Norman magnate and one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror, of who ...

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

, whose

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

dom of 176 landholdings as recorded in Domesday Book was the largest in Devon. As recorded in the Domesday Book one virgate of land had been administratively transferred from the manor of Braunton to the tenure of Robert ''de Pont Chardon'',

lord of the manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...

adjoining of

Heanton Punchardon Heanton Punchardon ( ) is a village, civil parish and former manor, anciently part of Braunton Hundred. It is situated directly east-southeast of the village of Braunton, in North Devon. The parish lies on the north bank of the estuary of the R ...

. The royal manor was eventually split into three parts:

Braunton Dean

Braunton Dean, which probably represented the land granted by King

to ''Algar the Priest'' at some time before the compilation of the

of 1086.Thorn & Thorn, part 2, 1,5 Together with the

Rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

of Braunton, it shortly afterwards came into the possession of the

Dean of Exeter The Dean of Exeter is the head of the Chapter of Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, England. The chapter was established by William Briwere, Bishop of Exeter (1224–44) who set up the offices of dean and chancellor of Exeter Cathedral ...

. Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811; 1810 Additions, p.429 In 1810 it was held, as a tenant of the Dean and Chapter, by Charles Trelwany of Coldrenick in Cornwall.

Braunton Abbots

Braunton Abbots, which extended also over part of the adjoining parish of Marwood. It was created by a grant from the remnant of the royal manor of Braunton by King Henry III (1216–1272) to

Cleeve Abbey Cleeve Abbey is a medieval monastery located near the village of Washford, in Somerset, England. It is a Grade I listed building and has been scheduled as an ancient monument. The abbey was founded in the late twelfth century as a house for mon ...

in Somerset. In 1810 it belonged to

William Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon William "Kitty" Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon (c. 1768 – 26 May 1835), was the only son of William Courtenay, ''de jure'' 8th Earl of Devon, 2nd Viscount Courtenay and his wife Frances Clack. He attracted infamy for a homosexual affair with ...

(1768–1835) of Powderham

Braunton Gorges

Braunton Gorges,Risdon, 1810 Additions, p.429 was held by the de Sachville family. Robert de Sachville ( Latinized to ''de Siccavilla'' ("from the dry town")) had been granted this part in 1202. Their successors were the

Gorges family The Gorges family was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman family with lands in the southwest of England. They obtained the manors of Wraxall, Somerset, Wraxall, Somerset and Bradpole in Dorset. Holdings of the family The family of Gorges derived its ...

Wraxall, Somerset Wraxall is a village in North Somerset, England, about west of Bristol. Until 1811 the parish of the same name also included Nailsea and Flax Bourton. The village is now within the parish of Wraxall and Failand. History The origin of the name W ...

. As is recorded in a surviving document, in 1324 Eleanor Ferre, wife of Ralph de Gorges (d.1323),

Baron Gorges Baron Gorges was a title created in the Peerage of England in 1309 for the soldier Sir Ralph de Gorges (died 1323) of Wraxall in Somerset, who was summoned to Parliament from 4 March 1309 by writs directed ''Radulpho de Gorges'', whereby he is hel ...

, and daughter of Sir John Ferre of Tothill, Lincolnshire, was granted lands at Braunton including 1 acre at 'La Crofta', two acres at 'Myddelforlong', and half an acre at 'Longeland', which names (if not spellings) are still in use today. In 1330 as is recorded in the Calendar of Fine Rolls:

Waleys, by a fine levied at Westminster in the octave of Michaelmas, 4 Edward III, granted to Ralph Gorges two-thirds of the manor of Braunton Gorges by the name of two-thirds of 3 messuages, 2 carucates of land and 100s. of rent in the same town of Braunton, together with the reversion of the third part thereof which John Pecche and Eleanor, his wife, both now deceased, held as dower of the said Eleanor of the inheritance of the aforesaid Walter, to hold the same to himself and the heirs male of his body, with remainder in default of such heirs to William son of Theobald Russell and the heirs male of his body, and remainder in default of such heirs to Theobald brother of the said William and the heirs male of his body, and that the said Ralph and William died without heirs male of their bodies, and that Theobald brother of William entered the premises by virtue of the said fine, took to wife Agnes late the wife of Theobald Gorges, " chivaler," had issue by her Bartholomew Gorges and Thomas Gorges, and died seised of the premises, after whose death the said Bartholomew entered the manor as his son and heir male, and died seised of the two-thirds aforesaid without leaving an heir male of his body, so that the two-thirds and reversion ought to remain to the said Thomas, who is of full age, as brother and heir male of Bartholomew, and that the manor is
held Held may refer to: Places * Held Glacier People Arts and media * Adolph Held (1885–1969), U.S. newspaper editor, banker, labor activist *Al Held (1928–2005), U.S. abstract expressionist painter. *Alexander Held (born 1958), German television ...
of the king by the
service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...
of rendering to the king a barbed arrow whenever he hunts in the Forest of Exemore, "to take the fealty of the said Thomas, and cause him to have full seisin of the said two-thirds and reversion".

Sir Theobald de Gorges (d. 1381) died seized of this estate and was succeeded by his son Ralph de Gorges, succeeded by his son Bartholomew de Gorges. In 1810 it was owned, together with Ash, Fullabrook and Braunton Park, by Joseph Davie Basset (1764–1846), later of

Watermouth Castle Watermouth Castle is a building in Watermouth, near Ilfracombe, North Devon, England, designed by George Wightwick as a residence for the Bassett family in the mid-19th century and is not a true castle but a country house built to resemble one. I ...

, near

Lynmouth Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the northern edge of Exmoor. The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers, in a gorge below Lynton, which was the only place to expand to once Lynmouth became as built ...

, son of John Davie of

Orleigh Court Orleigh Court is a late medieval manor house in the parish of Buckland Brewer about 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Bideford, North Devon, England. It is a two-storeyed building constructed from local slate stone and has a great hall with a hammer- ...

, near

Bideford Bideford ( ) is a historic port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is the main town of the Torridge local government district. Toponymy In ancient records Bideford is recorded as ''Bedeford'', ''By ...

, by his wife Eleanora Basset, sister and heiress of Francis Basset (c. 1740–1802) of

and

Umberleigh Umberleigh is a former large manor within the historic hundred of (North) Tawton, but today a small village in North Devon in England. It used to be an ecclesiastical parish, but following the building of the church at Atherington it becam ...

. In accordance with the terms of the inheritance, as was then usual in such cases, Joseph Davie and his descendants adopted the arms and surname of Basset in lieu of their patronymic.

St Brannock's Church

The

grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

parish church, dedicated to St. Brannock, is large and has a Norman tower topped by a spire. A fine series of richly carved

16th century The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 ( MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 ( MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582). The 16th cent ...

bench-ends survive with other interesting carved woodwork. The building is almost entirely 15th century, excepting the 13th century

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...

with its arch and three

lancet window A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural element are typical of Gothic church edifices of the earliest period. Lancet wi ...

s. The

advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, ...

of the parish church was historically a possession of

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 140 ...

("St Mary and St Peter").

Monuments and furnishings

In the floor of the choir is an unusual

monumental brass A monumental brass is a type of engraved sepulchral memorial, which in the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood. Made of hard latten or sheet brass, let into the paveme ...

which is a

palimpsest In textual studies, a palimpsest () is a manuscript page, either from a scroll or a book, from which the text has been scraped or washed off so that the page can be reused for another document. Parchment was made of lamb, calf, or kid skin an ...

. It depicts on its uppermost side Elizabeth Bourchier (d.1548), a daughter of

John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath (20 July 1470 – 30 April 1539) was named Earl of Bath in 1536. He was feudal baron of Bampton in Devon. Origins John Bourchier was born in Essex, England, the eldest son and heir of Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron F ...

of Tawstock Court,

feudal baron of Bampton The feudal barony of Bampton was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the mediaeval era, and had its ''caput'' at Bampton Castle within the manor of Bampton. Descent Domesday Book The Domesday Book of 1086 lists ' ...

, Devon, and the wife of Edward Chichester (d.1522) of

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

in the nearby parish of Pilton. Her husband inherited the estate of Saunton, in the parish of Braunton, from his mother Margaret Beaumont, daughter and heiress of Hugh Beaumont of

Shirwell Shirwell is a village, civil parish and former manor in the local government district of North Devon, in the county of Devon, England. It was also formerly the name of a hundred of Devon. The village lies about 3.5 miles north-east of the town o ...

, and her 3rd son Philip Chichester was seated at Saunton, where his mother may have spent her widowhood. Alternatively she may have lived at

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

, in the parish of Braunton, which in the 16th century the Bourchiers purchased from the Bellew family, whilst the Bourchiers also owned the estate of Beare in the parish of Braunton. A 16th century wooden chest survives, with engravings of Portuguese men who may have come to England with the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...

of 1588.

St. Brannock

In 550 the

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

St. Brannock sailed from

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

and converted the native

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mo ...

to Christianity. Brannock was a priest in the household of

Brychan Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales. Life According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and h ...

, King of Brecknock. He married one of the king's daughters, but due to family troubles left his royal home. At that time the

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

Britons often raided their

Dumnonia Dumnonia is the Latinised name for a Brythonic kingdom that existed in Sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries CE in the more westerly parts of present-day South West England. It was centred in the area of modern Devon, ...

n neighbours in North Devon, on the south side of the

Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...

. Brannock probably came to North Devon with one such raid and is said to have landed at

, then dense woodland before later wind-erosion into sand-dunes, at the mouth of the

. Brannock settled among a tribe of local Britons and soon established a strong Christian community. A church, the first in North Devon, was built near where the Caen Stream began to spread its waters on the alluvial lands around the River Taw. ''Brannockstood'', the township that grew up around this church, later became ''Brantone'' and at the end of the 19th century, Braunton. The story has it that Brannock tried to build the church on the hill overlooking the settlement but it kept being damaged by the weather and in a dream he saw a pigsty with piglets. At the foot of the hill he built the current church over the sty where it still remains, and the central wooden boss in the church depicts a sow and piglets. The remains of the original church remain on the hill.

Demography

The population of Braunton, according to the census of 1801, was 1,296. This number increased quite rapidly in the thirty years to 1831, to 2,047 however the rate of increase slowed during the next 10 years and coinciding with the arrival of the railway fell from 2,364 in 1851 to 2,089 in 1881. Population growth resumed and saw almost a doubling between 1961 and 2011, to 8,128 people. Data for 1801–1961 is available at Britain Through Time. The

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

and 2011 Censuses give detailed information about the village. The settlement's population in 2011 were living in 3,552 households.

Historic estates

Several of the historic estates within the parish of Braunton have expanded into larger settlements. They include:

Saunton

The

includes the

linear Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship (''function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear r ...

, hill-foot coastal settlement of

Saunton Saunton is a village located approximately two miles from Braunton on the North Devon coast in the South West of England. Several kilometres long, the village borders Braunton Burrows, the heart of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve, the first ...

, chiefly with holiday homes a small holiday village and a stand-alone luxury hotel with private beach areas.

Knowle

Higher above the village is Knowle commencing within to the northwest.

Wrafton

Wrafton almost adjoins to the south and some of its affinity, particularly economic, is with Braunton instead of its civil parish,

further along the straight, semi-coastal road towards

Lobb and North Lobb

WNW of the village centre is a modest farm, Fairlynch, followed by a farm-courtyard cluster of buildings, Lobb and then north, by three springs in a cleft (lowland half-bowl) of the Saunton Down upland ridge is a similar cluster, North Lobb with no road access from these places other than to Braunton but a footpath (Milkaway Lane) to

Croyde Croyde is a village on the west-facing coastline of North Devon, England. The village lies on the South West Coast Path near to Baggy Point, which is owned by the National Trust. It lies within the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natura ...

and a similarly downhill branch to the south, Hannaborrow Lane to

Ash

Fullabrook

Fullabrook was the home of Sir

Nicholas Hooper Nicholas Hooper is a British film and television composer and guitarist. He has scored the award-winning BBC productions ''Land of the Tiger'' and ''Andes to Amazon'', as well as the TV movies ''The Girl in the Café'' and ''My Family and Other A ...

(1654–1731), Member of Parliament for

1695–1715.

Incledon

Buckland

Events

The village holds a Town carnival each year near the end of May.

Tourism

There are a range of surfing shops located in Braunton.

Facilities

The town has a few hotels and guesthouses and numerous shops (including a large Supermarket) and pubs. The town also boasts a secondary school and three primary schools.

Surfing

Since the closing years of the 20th century, the village has become a hub for

as it is on the main road gateway to three of the

's surf beaches of

and

Putsborough Putsborough is a hamlet in Georgeham Civil Parish on the west-facing coast of North Devon, England. It is about north of the village of Croyde and west-northwest of the village of Georgeham. north of the hamlet is Putsborough Sands, which for ...

, all with fine powdery sand, and to a lesser extent a road to

Woolacombe Woolacombe is a seaside resort on the coast of North Devon, England, which lies at the mouth of a valley (or "combe") in the parish of Mortehoe. The beach is long, sandy, gently sloping and faces the Atlantic Ocean near the western limit of the ...

). The

Museum of British Surfing The Museum of British Surfing is in Braunton in the English county of Devon. The museum contains exhibits relating to the history of surfing in the United Kingdom. The Museum of British Surfing was founded by ITV News journalist and surfing histo ...

opened in 2012 in the old goods shed of the old Braunton Railway Station on the Ilfracombe Branch Line. A number of major surf brands are associated with the village including ''Tiki'' ''Board Barn'' ''Tokyo'' ''Demons Of Doom Killers'' ''Rusty Peach'' '' Modern Foam Designs'' and ''Salt Rock''.

Transport

Braunton is served by the following bus services: *21/21A Westward Ho! - Bideford - Barnstaple - Braunton - Georgeham/Ilfracombe (Stagecoach) *303 Woolacombe - Braunton - Barnstaple (Filers) *502 to London (National Express)

Notable residents

Charlotte Eliza Bousfield Charlotte Eliza Bousfield (born Collins, 10 July 1828 - 20 September 1933) is best known as a diarist whose writing give an extensive insight into the world and values of a middle-class Victorian lady of staunch Methodist and temperance conviction ...

(formerly Collins), the noted diarist, was born at Braunton.

Twin towns

Plouescat Plouescat (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It is a seaside resort, complete with a casino and a large camping and caravanning site, adjacent to its extensive beach of fine, powdery sand. The reg ...

, France.

Braunton gallery

File:Braunton's famous pews - geograph.org.uk - 879797.jpg, Bench Ends File:Braunton Burrows dune.jpg, Main

Blowout (geology) Blowouts are sandy depressions in a sand dune ecosystem (psammosere) caused by the removal of sediments by wind. Commonly found in coastal settings and margins of arid areas, blowouts tend to form when wind erodes patches of bare sand on stabi ...

dune at

File:Braunton Burrows.JPG, Braunton Burrows in Devon File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Braunton Burrows -- 2013 -- 1837.jpg, Braunton Burrows File:Braunton Marshes and swans - geograph.org.uk - 126661.jpg, Braunton Marshes and swans. Taken from Marsh Road File:Braunton Village.jpg, Braunton village centre (2003) File:Braunton Tesco - geograph.org.uk - 1634251.jpg, Braunton Tesco File:Scurfield Close.jpg, Scurfield Close leading off from the road to Georgeham File:Velator Quay - geograph.org.uk - 126087.jpg, Velator Quay. looking back up the River Caen towards East Hill, Braunton File:Graffiti or art ^ - geograph.org.uk - 873124.jpg, Mural at the Braunton Recreation Ground File:A reminder of Braunton's railway - geograph.org.uk - 42697.jpg, A reminder of Braunton's railway. Rails left in the road at a level crossing in Braunton File:Ash Road approaching Braunton - geograph.org.uk - 1240971.jpg, Braunton and the Great Field beyond File:Braunton, UK, Ruine der St.-Michaels-Kapelle -- 2013 -- 1545.jpg, St. Michael's Chapel Ruin File:StBrannocksChurch.JPG, St Brannock's Church File:Braunton (Devon, UK), St Brannock's Church -- 2013 -- 2.jpg, St Brannock's Church File:Braunton (Devon, UK), St Brannock's Church -- 2013 -- 4.jpg, St Brannock's Church File:Braunton (Devon, UK), St Brannock's Church -- 2013 -- 5.jpg, St Brannock's Church File:Braunton (Devon, UK), St Brannock's Church -- 2013 -- 9.jpg, Cemetery of the St Brannock's Church File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Old Railway Station, Sidings (Museum of British Surfing) -- 2013 -- 00205.jpg, Goods Shep of the old Railway Station; today the Museum of British Surfing File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Old Railway Station, Station House -- 2013 -- 00190.jpg, Station House of the old Railway Station File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Braunton & District Museum -- 2013 -- 00191.jpg, Braunton & District Museum File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Black Horse Inn -- 2013 -- 00169.jpg, "Black Horse Inn” File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Fire Station -- 2013 -- 00156.jpg, Fire Station File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Countryside Centre -- 2013 -- 00192.jpg, Countryside Centre File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Parish Hall -- 2013 -- 00228.jpg, Parish Hall File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Memorial -- 2013 -- 00227.jpg, Memorial File:Braunton (Devon, UK), Memorial Garden -- 2013 -- 8.jpg, Memorial Garden

Notes and references

;Notes ;References

External links

Braunton Parish Council
*
The Explore Braunton Project

Tourist Information Centre

Braunton at GENUKI
{{authority control Villages in Devon Civil parishes in Devon North Devon