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Spreyton

Devon geography stubsVillages in Devon

Spreyton is a small rural village just north of Dartmoor in Devon, England. Spreyton is famous for its connection to the tale of “Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all” who came from, and is thought to be buried in Spreyton. Some believe that if Uncle Tom Cobley did exist and did travel to Widecombe fair, he would have travelled from Spreyton. Spreyton was mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086) as ""Spreitone" in the ancient hundred of Wonford and in 1236 as "Sprotton". The first element of the name is the Anglo-Saxon word from which "spray" is derived, "spray" meaning "twig" or "brushwood". There is a small primary school, Spreyton County Primary School, serving the village and the surrounding area. The Tom Cobley Tavern is the village pub, placed on the main street in the village. There is also a parish church, which holds the grave of 'Tom Cobley' within its churchyard. The parish church of St Michael is built of granite ashlar and stands on a hill. The wagon roofs of the nave, aisle and chancel are medieval; the roof of the chancel has an inscription dated 1451. The Norman font is octagonal. The church is notable for its medieval ceiling boss depicting three hares with shared ears.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Spreyton (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Spreyton
Dragdown Hill, West Devon Spreyton

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Latitude Longitude
N 50.75537 ° E -3.84312 °
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Dragdown Hill

Dragdown Hill
EX17 5DU West Devon, Spreyton
England, United Kingdom
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List of settlements in Devon by population
List of settlements in Devon by population

This list is of towns and cities in Devon in order of their population, according to the 2011 census data from the Office for National Statistics. It comprises the Key Statistics for local authorities, civil parishes and wards that attempt to show their populations. The largest settlement in Devon is the city and unitary authority of Plymouth with a population of 256,720, whereas the smallest settlement was the town and civil parish of Beer with a population of 1,317. The city of Exeter, which is home to Exeter Cathedral, is the county town and headquarters of Devon County Council. The ceremonial county of Devon includes unitary authority areas of Plymouth and Torbay, but the non-metropolitan county of Devon excludes such unitary authority areas. It is governed by Devon County Council, whereas Plymouth and Torbay can govern themselves on matters such as transport and education. Traditionally a town is any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch. However, since 1974, any civil parish has the right to declare itself as a town. Prior to 1888, city status was given to settlements home to a cathedral of the Church of England such as Exeter. After 1888 it was no longer a necessary condition, leading to Plymouth gaining city-status in 1928. Historical towns such as Plympton, Stonehouse and Devonport, which were merged into the city of Plymouth, have not been included, as well as Topsham, which became a part of Exeter's urban district, and St Marychurch, which was annexed by Torquay. However, the unitary authority area of Torbay recognises the three towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. The ward for Ottery St Mary is also included, as it is titled Ottery St Mary Town. Changes to population structures have, however, led to explosions in non-traditional settlements that do not fall into traditional, bureaucratic definitions of 'towns'. Several villages, which are not included in this list, have grown steadily and are more populous than many towns. For example, the ward of Fremington, with a population of 4,310. would be ranked 34 whilst its neighbour Braunton civil parish, with a population of 8,128, would be ranked 21.

Drewe Arms, Drewsteignton
Drewe Arms, Drewsteignton

The Drewe Arms is a Grade II* listed public house on the north side of The Square in Drewsteignton, Devon. Built in the 17th century, the building was modernised in the late 19th century. There may have been a public house at the site in the 16th century. The building is made of cob on a stone base, with stone chimneystacks including one of granite. The roof is a combination of reed thatching, corrugated iron and slate. Built in a T-shape plan, the main area holds three rooms, a kitchen, a main room and a bar. There is a staircase at the rear of the centre room. It appears that the original building was an open hall house. The additional blocks were built in the late 19th and early 20th century, and include cellars and toilet facilities.The interior was largely modernised in the 19th century, but no further modernisation has occurred and some of the 17th century woodwork remains. The deed dates for the Drewe Arms to 1890, when the public house was known as the "New Inn". The name was changed to the Druid Arms, and then to the Drewe Arms in the 1920s.The building was designated Grade II* listed status on 22 February 1967. It is on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. In 1919 the Drewe Arms was taken over by Mabel Mudge, who ran the public house for 75 years before retirement, giving her the record of the longest-serving landlady in the UK. The pub shut in February 2013, owing to the high costs of maintaining the place with a small profit margin, but reopened the same year with new owners.