Lympstone

Lympstone

Lympstone river frontage from Cliff Field: Peters Tower and the traditional washing poles on the beach are visible
Lympstone
 Lympstone shown within Devon
Population 1,754 (2001)
OS grid referenceSX990839
Civil parishLympstone
DistrictEast Devon
Shire countyDevon
RegionSouth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town EXMOUTH
Postcode district EX8
Dialling code 01395
Police Devon and Cornwall
Fire Devon and Somerset
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK ParliamentEast Devon
List of places
UK
England
Devon

Coordinates: 50°38′46″N 3°25′47″W / 50.6460°N 3.4298°W

Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754.[1] There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia.[2] The promontory to the north of the harbour is topped by a flat pasture, Cliff Field, that is managed by the National Trust and used for football matches and other local events.

Lympstone has rail services on the Avocet Line to Exmouth and Exeter from Lympstone Village railway station.

It is known locally for Peter's Tower, an Italianate riverfront brick clock tower built around 1885 by W.H. Peters as a memorial to his wife,[3] and for its tradition of residents drying washing on the foreshore.[4] The riverside houses back directly on to the shore, with no continuous seawall, and the passageways between them to the beach are equipped with metal flood gates that are closed by residents when they are warned of high tides by a local alert network.[5]

Near the village is the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), the principal military training centre for the Royal Marines. The training centre has its own dedicated railway halt, Lympstone Commando, (not in public use) on the Exeter-Exmouth branch line.

Ralph Lane, equerry to Queen Elizabeth I, was born in Lympstone. He was a soldier who went with Sir Walter Raleigh on his second expedition to the New World in 1585. He founded a colony on Roanoke Island amidst great hardship and deprivation. He was later present at the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Singer and lead guitarist of The Kinks, Dave Davies, lived in Lympstone in the 1990s.

Sport and leisure

Lympstone AFC were formed in 1906, they have sides in the Devon & Exeter Football League.

Lympstone has a non-league football club Royal Marines A.F.C. who play at Endurance Park CTCRM. They have since folded in April 2012.

The Exeter-Exmouth cycle route passes through the village. The cycle route is popular for commuters and recreational cyclists. Prior to the opening of the cycle route the only direct route to cycle between Exmouth and Exeter was along the busy A376. The cycle route passes through the centre of the village bringing custom to the shop, cafe and pubs and adds to the vibrancy and sustainability of the village centre and its businesses. Despite this, a minority group is currently campaigning to change the route and are concerned it affects the village centre and could be made safer for users and villagers.

The 1st Lympstone Sea Scouts Group celebrated its centenary in 2012. It currently has flourishing Scout and Cub sections. It meets in the Scout HQ on Cliff Field.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : East Devon Retrieved 27 January 2010
  2. ↑ Lympstone Village Design Statement, East Devon Council
  3. ↑ Peter's Tower, Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project
  4. ↑ Washing line row hits flood plans, BBC News, online, 5 July 2005
  5. ↑ Waterproof! Lympstone tidal defence scheme complete, Exe-press News, Spring 2006

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lympstone.