Bulverton is a small hamlet on the outskirts of
Sidmouth
Sidmouth () is a town on the English Channel in Devon, South West England, southeast of Exeter. With a population of 12,569 in 2011, it is a tourist resort and a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A large part of the town has ...
, Devon, England.
Area Information
Bulverton comprises low-density residential housing, areas of farmland and a wooded plantation and is connected by road to Sidmouth by the B3176.
During the
Sidmouth Folk Week
There has been a folk festival in the coastal town of Sidmouth in South West England in the first week of August every year since 1955, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to over 700 diverse events.
Sidmouth Folk Festival offers a wide r ...
the area is the location of the Bulverton Late Night Extra.
Since 1963 much of the Bulverton area has fallen under the
East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty:
History
At the time of William the Conqueror, the hamlet formed part of the extensive Otterton Manor lands, owned by the monastery of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. The Otterton Cartulary, which listed ecclesiastical holdings in the medieval period, records 'Eduart de Boluorton' and Ricard de Boluorton' ploughing ''ferlings'' for the Prior. In 1415 Bulverton and other land and possessions of the Otterton Manor passed to the Abbey of Sion in Middlesex. By the reign of Edward IV, Bulverton is listed within the Manor of Sidmouth, but the tenants still owed fealty to the Abbess of Sion. The Manor Court Roll of 1467 recorded that William Goule of ''Bolferton'' fell foul of the local assize when he was caught brewing inferior ale by the ale-taster and duly fined. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the Manor of Sidmouth, including the farms at Bulverton, passed into private ownership. In the late 18th Century, the Manor of Sidmouth was acquired by Thomas Jenkins, and successive owners expanded the estate. At Bulverton, generations of the same families continued to farm the land as tenants - the Gigg family at Bulverton Farm (now Bulverton House) while the Coles family occupied Bulverton Well Farm. In the early 1950's the two farms, together with other historic cottages in the hamlet, were put up for sale when the Manor estate was dispersed.
The view from Bulverton Hill is thought to have inspired 19th century poet and hymn writer
John Keble
John Keble (25 April 1792 – 29 March 1866) was an English Anglican priest and poet who was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. Keble College, Oxford, was named after him.
Early life
Keble was born on 25 April 1792 in Fairford, Glouces ...
who was a frequent visitor to Sidmouth. Keble's Seat at Bulverton Hill is named after him and commands a panoramic view of the
Lower Otter Valley and
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous ...
in the distance.
Railway
The former
Sidmouth Railway
The Sidmouth Railway was a railway branch line that ran from a junction at Feniton to Sidmouth, connecting the resort to the main line network.
History
The London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened a main line from Yeovil to Exeter on 18 ...
station is nearby, with the embankment still visible in certain areas. A proposed cycle route involving
Sustrans
Sustrans is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network.
Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United Kin ...
may use part of the embankment in the future to link outlying towns and villages to Sidmouth.
Climate
The
Met Office
The Meteorological Office, abbreviated as the Met Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is led by CEO Penelope E ...
have a climate station at Sidmouth in the generality of Bulverton that records the comparatively mild
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
climate.
Gallery
File:Bulverton Plantation.JPG, Bulverton Plantation as seen from Fire Beacon Hill.
File:Bulverton from Fire Beacon Hill.JPG, The land of Bulverton can be seen in the top right portion of the picture, taken from Fire Beacon Hill.
File:Kebles Seat at Bulverton Hill, Sidmouth.jpg, Keble's Seat
References
External links
Sidmouth Folk Week
{{Jurassic Coast
Hamlets in Devon
East Devon District
Jurassic Coast