Meavy is a small village, civil parish and former

manor Manor may refer to: Land ownership *Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England *Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism *Man ...

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 The River Meavy is a river in the southwest part of Dartmoor in Devon in south-west England. It runs entirely in the national park and connects Burrator Reservoir to the River Plym. Course The river is long, and flows in a generally south-wes ...

runs near the village. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of

Sheepstor Sheepstor is a village, civil parish and former manor on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. In 2001, its population was 53, down from 95 in 1901. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of ...

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, ...

to form Burrator Parish Council, and for electoral purposes it is grouped with the same two parishes to form Burrator Ward. In 2010, Meavy was one of the filming locations for the

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

film '' War Horse''.

Buildings

;Parish church The parish church of St Peter is at least partly

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

with additions of the 13th and 15th centuries. There is a

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

of 1884 by

J.D. Sedding John Dando Sedding (13 April 1838 – 7 April 1891) was an English church architect, working on new buildings and repair work, with an interest in a "crafted Gothic" style. He was an influential figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, many of wh ...

and a foliated churchyard cross. The oak tree on the village green in front of the churchyard wall is known as the Meavy Oak and was described by John Claudius Loudon in his ''Arboretum'' of 1838; the tree may be over 900 years old. Next to the church is an unremarkable manor house of the Drake family. ;Royal Oak Inn The Royal Oak Inn dates to the late 15th century, and is owned by the civil parish of

Burrator Burrator is a grouped parish council in the English county of Devon. It is entirely within the boundaries of the Dartmoor National Park and was formed as a result of the Local Government Act 1972 from the older councils of Meavy, Sheepstor and ...

, with the profits being used by the parish council to fund projects within the parish. Some of the seating consists of pews formerly located in the nearby church.

Manor

The manor of Meavy (''alias'' Meavy Church, Mewy, etc.) was held in 1086 at the time of Domesday Book by Robert le Bastard. Later it was held by the ''de Meavy'' family from the reign of Kings Henry III to Richard II. Their feudal

overlord An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or serje ...

was the de Pomeray family, feudal barons of Berry Pomeroy. It was later held by the Milliton family, whose armorials were: ''Gules, a chevron argent between three millets hauriant or'', where "millets" are mullet fish. Richard IV Strode (d.1552) of Newnham, about 6 miles south, married Agnes Milliton, daughter of John Milliton of Meavy. Meavy was later one of the residences of Sir William IV Strode (1562–1637), and later became the seat of the latter's 2nd son William Strode (1594-1645), MP. A junior branch of the Crymes family of Crapstone, Buckland Monachorum, was resident in the parish of Meavy. Risdon: "The manor of Buckland was bought by one Grimes, of London, who built a house upon the same, which descends to his posterity, and is now inherited by that name". Meavy was purchased by

Sir Francis Drake, 3rd Baronet Sir Francis Drake, 3rd Baronet (1642–1718), of Buckland Abbey in the parish of Buckland Monachorum and of Meavy, both in Devon, England, was elected seven times as a Member of Parliament for Tavistock (UK Parliament constituency), Tavistock in ...

(1642–1718), of Buckland Abbey in the parish of Buckland Monachorum, who sometimes resided at the manor house west of St Peter's Church, in which survives the "Drake Aisle" or manorial chapel. The external stonework is inscribed with the date "1705" and the "Drake star" from his coat of arms. His mother was Susan Crimes, a daughter of William Crimes (or Grimes), of Buckland Crimes and a sister of Elizeus Crimes. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.301, pedigree of Drake

References

External links

Village websiteRoyal Oak InnMeavy Amateur DramaticsMeavy C of E Primary School
* {{authority control Villages in Devon Dartmoor