Holsworthy, Devon
| Holsworthy | |
 Town View |
|
  Holsworthy Holsworthy shown within Devon | |
| Population | 2,256 (2001 Census)[1] |
|---|---|
| District | Torridge |
| Shire county | Devon |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HOLSWORTHY |
| Postcode district | EX22 |
| Dialling code | 01409 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Torridge and West Devon |
Holsworthy is a market town and civil parish in the north west of Devon, England. It is situated near the county border with Cornwall, and is 9 miles from the coastal resort of Bude. It is on the intersection of the A388 and A3072 roads, and lies on the River Deer, a tributary of the Tamar. The population increased by 15% from 1981 to 1999 and was estimated at 2,116: the census figure for 2001 is 2,256.
Holsworthy is a historic market town with hundreds of years of history and is mentioned in the Domesday Book, as having been part of the estate of Harold Godwinson. The town has occupied a hill top site since Saxon times, and in 1154 became a safe trading centre (known as a port town). The date of the original charter for the market and charter fair is between 1154 and 1185.
At that time, the spokesman for the inhabitants was known as the portreeve and the ruling council as the court leet. The Court Leet used to hold their tribunals beneath the Great Tree, and a metal disc set in the road on Stanhope Street marks the site.
A second charter was granted by King James I in 1614 and this is proclaimed by the town crier on Wednesday of St Peter’s Fair. Holsworthy is twinned with Aunay-sur-Odon, Calvados, France.
Holsworthy was the birthplace in 1886 of the prominent Methodist minister and ecumenist Robert Newton Flew.[2]
The Church of St Peter and St Paul
Festivals and events
- Craft fairs held 4 times a year in the Memorial Hall.
- Farmers' market held every Wednesday.
- A vintage car rally is held every June.
- St Peter’s Fair is held every July, lasts for one week, and there is live entertainment/music. The fair was originally held in what is now the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul's Church. Over time, it became the custom to hold the fair on the feast day of the saint that the church was dedicated to, so the fair was named after St. Peter. It had to move in 1285 due to the Statute of Winchester, and because the Gregorian calendar was altered in 1752 by the omission of 11 days, the fair has been held 11 days after the feast day of St. Peter (29 June).
During Fair Week, the annual presentation of the Pretty Maid takes place. This ceremony, which dates back to 1841, was created when a legacy left by the Reverend Thomas Meyrick was established that stipulated that the annual income of the legacy was to be paid to a young maid from Holsworthy.
A highlight of the town's calendar and of the local farming community is the one day Holsworthy and Stratton Agricultural Show [4] which is held annually on usually the third Thursday in August. The show began in 1883 as the Holsworthy and Stratton Agricultural Exhibition and for many years the venue alternated between Stratton and Holsworthy, but following the end of World War II a permanent show ground was purchased. The latest move to Killatree, approximately 2 mile west of Holsworthy, has provided a much larger and more suitable site. The show used to be held in May and was Devon’s first agricultural show of the season.
Holsworthy Carnival is held every November. This is Devon’s last carnival of the season.
World War Two
During World War II, POW Camp No. 42 (Exhibition Field Camp)[5] was situated at what is now Stanhope Close. The Church of St Peter now displays a crucifix, carved by a German POW, and also two hand painted stained glass windows made by Italian POWs, used in a hut which served as their Roman Catholic church.
Industry
Holsworthy is home to the only centralised anaerobic digestion facility in the UK. Turning dairy farm slurry into biogas, the plant has an installed capacity of 2.1 MW. There are proposals to provide low cost heat to the householders of the town from the plant.[6]
Sport and leisure
Holsworthy has a thriving Cricket Club, as well as a Bowling Club, which both play in Stanhope Park. Holsworthy has a Non-League football club Holsworthy A.F.C. who play at Upcott Field.[7]
Railway
The railway arrived in 1879, and was operated by the Devon & Cornwall Railway Company. Holsworthy railway station was closed in 1966, but the viaducts, built either side of Holsworthy, still exist.
Now, Holsworthy has two main bus services:
- X9 - Exeter to Bude - Operated by First
- 85 - Holsworthy to Barnstaple - operated by Stagecoach
Villages nearby
Nearby settlements include the parishes of Milton Damerel, Chilsworthy, Clawton, Bradford, Cookbury, Pyworthy, Derriton and Bridgerule.
References
- ↑ "Parish Headcounts: Holsworthy". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 2001-04-01. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ↑ Flew's ODNB entry: Retrieved 18 September 2011. Subscription required.
- ↑ Folk-Lore Journal, (2003) i. 23-24
- ↑ Show's website: http://www.holsworthyandstrattonagriculturalshow.co.uk/index.html
- ↑ German Prisoners of War in Britain
- ↑ Holsworthy Biogas Plant
- ↑ JSM (2012-12-26). "How to find us - Holsworthy A.F.C". Holsworthy A.F.C. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
Gallery
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Town crier
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Fair Dance
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Fair Week
External links
- Holsworthy on the Open Directory Project
- Holsworthy Parish Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
- BBC Devon - Holsworthy - My home town article by Charles Cornish
- Holsworthy Museum
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