Woodbury Common in
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council has been based in Honiton since February 2019, and the largest town is Exmouth (with a population of 34,432 at the time of the 2011 census).
The district was formed ...
, England is an area of
common land
Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel.
A person who has a ...
that is predominantly
heathland
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
adjacent to the village of
Woodbury. It is bordered to the south by the edge of the towns of
Exmouth
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter.
In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the 5th most populous settlement in Devon.
Histo ...
and
Budleigh Salterton
Budleigh Salterton is a seaside town on the coast in East Devon, England, south-east of Exeter. It lies within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and forms much of the electoral ward of Budleigh, whose ward population at t ...
, the hamlet of
Yettington to the east, and the A3052 to the north. It is part of the East Devon
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 ...
, and is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Within the common is
Woodbury Castle
Woodbury Castle is an Iron Age hillfort near the village of Woodbury in the English county of Devon, some eight miles southeast of the city of Exeter.
The fort is situated on a high point of Woodbury Common, at approximately above sea level, ...
, an
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
hill fort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
situated on a viewpoint overlooking westwards the villages of Woodbury and
Woodbury Salterton and across the
Exe
Exe or EXE may refer to:
* .exe, a file extension
* exe., abbreviation for executive
Places
* River Exe, in England
* Exe Estuary, in England
* Exe Island, in Exeter, England
Transportation and vehicles
* Exe (locomotive), a British locomotive
...
estuary to the
Haldon Hills
The Haldon Hills, usually known simply as Haldon, is a ridge of high ground in Devon, England. It is situated between the River Exe and the River Teign and runs northwards from Teignmouth, on the coast, for about until it dwindles away nort ...
, and overlooking eastwards the
Otter Valley, part of the
East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The heathland has wide swathes of
gorse and
heather (bell, cross-leaved and ling varieties) and is a popular spot for
orienteering,
hill-walking
Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much uncultiv ...
,
mountain biking and flying radio-controlled aircraft. It has a wide variety of wildlife, in particular the
Nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds in the family Caprimulgidae and order Caprimulgiformes, characterised by long wings, short legs, and very short bills. They are sometimes called goatsuckers, due to the ancient folk tal ...
, which migrates from Africa each year.
The common contains a training ground for the
Royal Marines, part of the
Commando Training Centre Royal Marines
Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) is the principal military training centre for the Royal Marines. It is situated near the villages of Lympstone and Exton, between the city of Exeter, and the town of Exmouth in Devon, England.
Histo ...
based at nearby
Lympstone
Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia. in the parish of Woodbury.
To the north end of Woodbury Common is the Woodbury Park Hotel, Golf and Country Club complex established by former
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
driver
Nigel Mansell.
The Battle of Woodbury Common, 1549
The Battle of Woodbury Common, which took place on 4 August 1549, was part of the
Prayer Book Rebellion
The Prayer Book Rebellion or Western Rising was a popular revolt in Cornwall and Devon in 1549. In that year, the ''Book of Common Prayer (1549), Book of Common Prayer'', presenting the theology of the English Reformation, was introduced. The ...
.
Reinforcements in the form of Italian mercenaries and German
Landsknecht
The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front lin ...
s under the command of
Lord William Grey arrived on 2 August to assist the king's troops under
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford., who was charged with defeating a large force of rebelling men from
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
and
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. Devo ...
.
The next day, the king's army of some 5,000 men began a march from
Honiton
Honiton ( or ) is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 11,822 (based on mid-year estimates for the two Honiton Ward ...
to relieve
Exeter, which was under siege at the time, but instead of taking the heavily barricaded highway, Russell went westward, across the downs. Russell's scouts found their way barred by 2,000 men at
Alfington
Alfington is a small village in East Devon, on the River Otter. It is 2 miles (3 km) north-east of Ottery St Mary.
The church of St James (Church of England) was built of brick in the Early English style in 1849–52 to designs by t ...
and sent in Captain Travers to clear the road. In the words of
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
's chronicler,
John Hayward, those Cornishmen who were disarmed in this assault were "slain like beasts". Russell's advance continued onto Woodbury Common, where he pitched camp at a windmill. Here, Paulo Batista Spinola, the Italian commander, kept his men awake all night, fearing a night attack. This actually occurred at dawn the next day, on 4 August, when
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. Devo ...
ian and
Cornish forces defending
Clyst St Mary came out to confront the larger force at the windmill. The difference in numbers and force of arms did nothing to deter them and the second battle of the uprising began. There were heavy losses on both sides and the result was inconclusive but Russell's army took many prisoners, 900 of whom were executed the next day in the
Clyst Heath
Today Clyst Heath is a suburb to the south east of the city of Exeter, Devon, England. An area of relatively high ground to the west of the River Clyst, it remained heathland until the early nineteenth century when it was cultivated for the first ...
massacre. This number was confirmed by John Hayward.
Philip Payton
Philip John Payton is a Cornish-Australian historian and Emeritus Professor of Cornish and Australian Studies at the University of Exeter and formerly Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies based at Tremough, just outside Penryn, Corn ...
. (1996). ''Cornwall''. Fowey: Alexander Associates
References
{{coord, 50.673, -3.369, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Parks and commons in Devon
Military history of Cornwall
Battles involving the Cornish
Woodbury, East Devon