South Hams

South Hams
From Start Point looking towards Hallsands and Beesands
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South Hams shown within Devon
Coordinates (Totnes): 50°25′53″N 3°41′28″W / 50.43139°N 3.69111°W / 50.43139; -3.69111Coordinates: 50°25′53″N 3°41′28″W / 50.43139°N 3.69111°W / 50.43139; -3.69111
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Non-metropolitan county	Devon
Formed	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	District council
• HQ	Totnes
• Sub-divisions	Civil parishes
• UK Parliament	South West Devon Totnes
• MPs (respectively)	Gary Streeter Sarah Wollaston
• Political party	Conservative
Area
• Total	342.28 sq mi (886.51 km2)
Area rank	Ranked 39th
Population (2011 est.)
• Total	83,600
• Rank	Ranked 278th
• Density	240/sq mi (94/km2)
• Ethnicity	99.09% White 97.04% White British 0.47% White Irish 1.57% Other White   0.13% Asian 0.06% Indian 0.02% Pakistani 0.02% Bangladeshi 0.03% Other Asian   0.12% Black 0.05% Black Caribbean 0.04% Black African 0.03% Other Black   0.49% Mixed 0.10% White & Black Caribbean 0.05% White & Black African 0.16% White & South Asian 0.18% White & Other   0.17% East Asian and Other 0.07% Chinese 0.10% Other
ONS code	18UG
Website

South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England, with its headquarters in the town of Totnes. It contains the towns of Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge, Salcombe — the largest of which is Ivybridge with a population of 16,056.

To the north it includes part of Dartmoor National Park, to the east borders Torbay, and to the west Plymouth. It contains some of the most unspoilt coastline on the south coast, including the promontories of Start Point, and Bolt Head. The entire coastline, along with the lower Avon and Dart valleys, form most of the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The South Hams, along with nearby Broadsands in Paignton, is the last British refuge of the Cirl Bunting.

History

The South Hams were originally part of the Brythonic (Celtic) Kingdom of Dumnonia later reduced to the modern boundary at the River Tamar as Cornwall presumably during the tenth-century reign of Æthelstan. Post-Roman settlement on coastal promontory hillforts, such as Burgh Island, follows the established pattern of trading—of tin in particular—found across the western, so-called 'Celtic', Atlantic coastal regions. In the later Anglo-Saxon era, the South Hams was a feudal estate consisting of all of the land between the River Plym and River Dart and south of Dartmoor with the English Channel forming the southern boundary. There is some evidence that Cornish was spoken and understood in the area until the late Middle Ages.^[1]

In 1917, the village of Hallsands was abandoned after much of it was lost to the sea. This happened because the shingle bank protecting the shore was removed to help build Devonport dockyard.^[2]

In 1944 several villages were evacuated so that training for D-Day could be carried out in secret. The area was chosen because of the resemblance of its beaches to those of Normandy. Preparations were disrupted, and secrecy nearly compromised, by a devastating E-boat attack during Exercise Tiger.

In 1967, the suburban towns of Plympton and Plymstock were amalgamated with the City of Plymouth.

The current district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of:

• Borough of Dartmouth
• Borough of Totnes
• Kingsbridge Rural District
• Kingsbridge Urban District
• Plympton St Mary Rural District
• Salcombe Urban District
• Totnes Rural District

Settlements

• Ashprington, Aveton Gifford
• Bantham, Berry Pomeroy, Bickleigh, Bigbury, Bittaford, Blackawton, Brixton, Broadhempston, Buckland-Tout-Saints
• Charleton, Chillington, Chivelstone, Churchstow, Cornwood, Cornworthy
• Dartington, Dartmouth, Dean Prior, Diptford, Dittisham, Dodbrooke
• East Allington, East Portlemouth, Ermington
• Frogmore
• Halwell, Harberton, Harford, Holbeton, Holne
• Ivybridge
• Kingsbridge, Kingston, Kingswear
• Littlehempston, Loddiswell
• Malborough, Marldon, Modbury, Morleigh
• Newton Ferrers, North Huish
• Rattery, Revelstoke, Ringmore
• Salcombe, Shaugh Prior, Sherford, Slapton, South Brent, South Huish, South Milton, South Pool, Sparkwell, Staverton, Stoke Fleming, Stoke Gabriel, Stokenham
• Thurlestone, Torcross, Totnes, The Mounts
• Ugborough
• Wembury, West Alvington, Woodleigh
• Yealmpton

References

v t e Ceremonial county of Devon Devon Portal Unitary authorities Plymouth Torbay Boroughs or districts Exeter East Devon Mid Devon North Devon Torridge West Devon South Hams Teignbridge Major settlements Ashburton Axminster Barnstaple Bideford Bovey Tracey Bradninch Brixham Buckfastleigh Budleigh Salterton Chagford Chudleigh Chulmleigh Colyton Crediton Cullompton Dartmouth Dawlish Exeter Exmouth Great Torrington Hartland Hatherleigh Holsworthy Honiton Ilfracombe Ivybridge Kingsbridge Kingsteignton Lynton Modbury Moretonhampstead Newton Abbot North Tawton Northam Okehampton Ottery St Mary Paignton Plymouth Plympton Princetown Salcombe Seaton Sidmouth South Molton Tavistock Teignmouth Tiverton Torquay Totnes See also: List of civil parishes in Devon Rivers Ashburn Avon Axe Barle Bovey Burn Clyst Creedy Culm Dart East Dart West Dart Erme Exe Heddon Lemon Lew Lumburn Lyd East Lyn West Lyn Meavy Mole Okement East Okement West Okement Otter Plym Sid Swincombe Tamar Tavy Taw Teign Thrushel Torridge Walkham Wallabrooke East Webburn West Webburn Wolf Yealm Topics Flag Devon County Council Parliamentary constituencies Economy Places Towns by population SSSIs Country houses Grade I listed buildings History Museums Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Notable people Dartmoor Exmoor Jurassic Coast South West Coast Path North Devon's Biosphere Reserve