| West Buckland | |
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West Buckland
West Buckland shown within Devon |
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| OS grid reference | SS655315 |
|---|---|
| Parish | East and West Buckland |
| District | North Devon |
| Shire county | Devon |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BARNSTAPLE |
| Postcode district | EX32 |
| Dialling code | 01598 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | North Devon |
| List of places: UK • England • Devon | |
West Buckland is a small village located 8 miles (13 km) east-south-east of Barnstaple in North Devon, England. The hamlet of Elwell lies to its north-east.
Formerly part of the Fortescue Estate, West Buckland is reached by most along a winding, mostly single track, steep hill up from the North Devon Link Road. The village may be best known for having given its name to the adjacent co-educational independent West Buckland School: educators of, amongst others, England cricketer Harold Gimblett and British world record triple-jumper Jonathan Edwards.[1] Despite taking the name, the school comprising its preparatory school, three boarding houses and the public school itself is located on an extensive campus about 1 km east of the village and instead it is the small parish church which draws most visitors from the local area.
Until 2008 the village was served by a small post office; the post office is now held in the church on two afternoons a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 14.30 - 16.00. West Buckland was one of the first villages in the country to arrange this facility.
The village has an ageing village hall, a busy garage, which no longer serves petrol and there is no public house.
In September there is a thriving, annual four day Festival, of Music, Art and Entertainment, which includes both international and local performers, a very successful Art and Craft Exhibition and various workshops.
South Molton is the nearest town.
Beware the school traffic which includes a large fleet of long coaches in and out through the narrow village street twice a day.