Hartland, Devon
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  Map sources for Hartland, Devon at grid reference SS2524
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The town of Hartland, which incorporates the hamlet of Stoke to the west and the village of Meddon in the south, is the most north-westerly settlement in the county of Devon, England.
Now a small town which acts as a centre for a rural neighbourhood and has minor tourist traffic, until Tudor times Hartland was an important port. It lies close to the promontory of Hartland Point, where the coast of Devon turns from facing north into the Bristol Channel to face west into the Atlantic Ocean. There is an important lighthouse on the point. The town's harbour, Hartland Quay, is to the south of the point, and has long been too small for modern shipping. The high tower of the Church of Saint Nectan at Stoke remains a significant landmark for ships in the Bristol Channel.
Hartland is a convenient centre for walking parts of the South West Coast Path, and the wild coastal scenery around the point is some of the most dramatic on the path, with excellent views across to Lundy Island. It is from Hartland Point that the Lundy Company operate their helicopter service to Lundy, during the months of November to March.
[edit] Origin of the name
The name "Hartland" presumably derives from the Old English word "hart" for a deer, and it is therefore surprising that it is not more common in England. The many places in other English speaking countries called Hartland probably bear witness to the historic importance of Hartland rather than being independent derivations, since the word "hart" was largely obsolete before the European discovery of the New World.
The town was in the past known as Harton and was an unreformed borough, finally abolished in 1886. [1]
[edit] External links
- Hartland Forum — "A guide to the parish of Hartland in North Devon"
- Hartland (DMOZ.org)
