Horrabridge is a village in
West Devon, England with a population of 2,115 people in 2006, down from 2,204 in 1991. It is located approximately north of the city of
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
and south of
Tavistock and is within the
Dartmoor National Park. ''Horrabridge'' is a major part of Walkham
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
. The population at the 2011
census was 3,115.
It sits on the
River Walkham, a fishing river famous for its salmon. The village's name may have been taken from the 15th century pack-horse bridge which remains the only vehicular route from one side of the village to the other, and featured in the children's television programme
Bagpuss. The bridge is a
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 ...
building.
Horrabridge has two pubs the London Inn and The Leaping Salmon but has lost many of its shops over the last 20 years including a draper, television shop and a general store. The village does however retain its post office, family bakery, hairdresser, florist and newsagent.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the main industry was the mining of
copper and
tin. This industry has completely disappeared, leaving a legacy of unmapped mineshafts in the village and the surrounding area. It is a popular starting point for walks on Dartmoor and has become a
dormitory village
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
for the adjoining towns.
Horrabridge has a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club associated with it; Horrabridge Rangers Sports Association. The football club has 2 adult teams and 20 youth teams of boys and girls. The football club has been around for over 100 years and provides a useful activity for the children of Horrabridge and the surrounding villages of
Yelverton,
Buckland Monachorum,
Crapstone,
Meavy
Meavy is a small village, civil parish and former manor in the English county of Devon. Meavy forms part of the district of West Devon. It lies a mile or so east of Yelverton. The River Meavy runs near the village. For administrative purposes ...
and
Walkhampton
Walkhampton is a village and civil parish on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. The village lies on the Black Brook, a tributary of the River Walkham, about south-east of Tavistock, near the villages of Horrabridge, ...
.
Musician
Seth Lakeman recorded his album ''
Kitty Jay'' in Horrabridge.
Horrabridge is twinned with
Tilly-sur-Seulles in Normandy and the Twinning Association has existed since 1974.
References
External links
Bagpuss Opening Credits
{{authority control
Villages in Devon
Dartmoor
