Local Towns & Villages

We will develop this section but we initially feature Stratton, the mother town of Bude, and give an introduction to the many delightful villages nearby in Cornwall and in Devon. Each little village has its own identity, community and customs - so please explore ...

LOCAL DEVON VILLAGES

Pictures and links to follow ..

BRADWORTHY Eight miles north of Holsworthy and seven miles inland from the coast, Bradworthy is a spacious, well-kept village with a large square and a long history. It was probably one of the earliest Saxon settlements founded soon after 700 AD and is one of the best examples of Anglo-Saxon layout and planning in the West of England. The affix - worthy meant "enclosure" and "Brad" probably meant broad. The parish church of St. John the Baptist stands on the edge of the village, its fine tower at once conspicuous with its embattled turret and well-proportioned pinnacles.

BRIDGERULE on the Devon/ Cornwall border is cut in two by the little River Tamar. The name comes from its Norman owner, Ruald Adobed - the bridge of Ruald. The 15th century church, standing well above the village, has a tower crowned by turrets and pinnacles. The church, dedicated to St. Bridget is elaborately decorated, perhaps like our medieval churches used to be. Its oldest possession is a crude Saxon font, hewn from rock over a thousand years ago and the flooring is of chequered Cornish slate from the Delabole quarries near Tintagel, which were known to have been worked in Roman times.

CLAWTON, about three miles south of Holsworthy is a village clustered round the meeting place of four roads, where a striking cross stands to all who served in the two World Wars. The church, a little way across the River Claw, is chiefly 14th century but has a Norman font and a Norman piscina (a drain for rinsing sacred vessels).

HARTLAND, to the far north of the area was once a most important borough. Its charter, dated 1825, has lapsed and its Town Hall has vanished too, and on its site was built, in 1839, St John's Chapel-of-Ease. The tall tower of St Nectan's Church, at Stoke, between Hartland Town and Hartland Point, is seen from many a long mile away, and is 144 feet high. The church dates from about 1350 and the tower from around 1400. Hartland Abbey, built on the site of the original abbey dates from the 11th century, and incorporates some of its ancient cloisters.

PYWORTHY, some two and a half miles from Holsworthy. The Church of St Swithin is of stone in the perpendicular style, with a tower of five bells, cast in 1758.

SHEBBEAR There is a legend about the Devil's bones buried beneath a one ton stone on the Green in the village. The stone was turned every year on the 5th of November, after a religious service being held around it, and then a long jangle of bells, to prevent the devil from getting his rest.

WELCOMBE, a delightful scattered parish comprised of several clustering hamlets, lies 11 miles north of Bude just within the Devon border. This is totally rural country - an area of outstanding beauty with narrow lanes and an abundance of wild flowers. Welcombe beach, approached by a long rough track, is rocky and unspoilt with a long stretch of beautiful sand at low tide. The area with its rugged coastline has spectacular cliff walks, a fascinating old church, thatched Old Smithy Inn and a working pottery.

COOKWORTHY WOODS: near Halwill have been developed by the Forestry Commission and offer visitors a forest path, car park and picnic area. The woods - formerly known as Halwill Forest - are situated about five miles to the east of Holsworthy. One forest walk is of particular interest, carefully waymarked and with interpretation material displayed. The two-mile walk is along forest tracks and back along the former railway line.