Cheriton Bishop is a village and civil parish situated on the northern borders of

Dartmoor National park 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 P ...

between

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

and

Okehampton Okehampton ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and had a population of 5,922 at the 2011 census. Two electoral wards are based i ...

, in Devon, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 652. The history of the settlement can be traced back over a thousand years when the old village centre was established as a commercial centre for the local farming community.

History

The name "Cheriton" derives from the Old English for "church town". Treable is a farm in the parish which was first recorded in 1242. Treable is one of the few Celtic place names which survive in Devon; it means the "''trev'' or homestead of Ebell". However it can with certainty be identified with an estate called "Hyple's old land" which was granted by King Edward in 976 to his vassal Aelfsige. "Hyple" is a corrupt form of "Ebell" and also occurs in

Ipplepen Ipplepen is a village and civil parish located within the Teignbridge district of the county of Devon in south-west England. A Ipplepen Priory, priory was located there. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The population at the Unite ...

; this suggests that this Celtic landowner had been in possession of this estate not long before, probably until earlier in the 10th century. The boundaries of the estate are described in the charter of 976 and include on the east a hollow way with two massive earth banks which is still in existence.

Parish church

The church of St Mary has a 13th-century chancel but the remainder of the building is of the Perpendicular period. The west tower and north aisle are built of ashlar-granite. Features of interest include the old wagon roofs of the chancel, the Norman font, the old screen to the north chancel chapel and the 16th century pulpit.

Present day

In the most recent census (2011), the village had a population of around 650. The village has a single public house, the Old Thatch Inn, remaining open, following the closure of the Mulberry (previously the Good Knight Inn) in September 2012. The site was purchased by the Young Farmers Club in 2013, becoming its regional hub. It was formally open by

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

in 2017. The Old Thatch offers a selection of real ales and meals, and organises a range of activities, including gigs, open mic nights and pub quizzes. The village is served by a shop, doctor's surgery and primary school. There is a café and guest house on the outskirts of the village called the Woodleigh Coach House, towards the A30 near Woodleigh junction. Since 2006, the Woodleigh Coach House has hosted an annual live music festival (Gig in the Garden & Jam in June) to raise funds for the

Devon Air Ambulance The Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) is a charity providing emergency medical services through the provision of two helicopter-based air ambulances and two critical care cars, which cover the county of Devon in South West England. The helico ...

and other local charities, including the Scouts, Exeter Community Transport Association (ECTA) and Cheriton Bishop Primary School. Performers have included FOS brothers, El Cohones, Vivid Sky, Eventine, and FAB Beatles. The 'Gig in the Garden' is held on the first Saturday of September each year, although, as the name suggests, 'Jam in June' was held in June.

References

External links

Cheriton Bishop Playgroup websiteCheriton Bishop village websiteWoodleigh Coach House websiteOld Thatch Inn website
{{authority control Villages in Devon