49-502: Great Torrington (often abbreviated to Torrington , though the villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington are situated in the same region) is a market town in Devon , England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below, with the lower-lying parts of the town prone to occasional flooding . Torrington is in the centre of Tarka Country,
98-578: A "Gentleman farmer of Peagham (Barton), Torrington", which was one of the farms of the Stevenstone estate, about 3/4 mile north of Stevenstone House. On 10 July 1909 he applied for a commission in the Royal North Devon Hussars , and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant on 17 July 1909. In 1911, unmarried and aged 28, he was staying at Bydown House, Swimbridge , near Barnstaple, as a guest of Robert Jameson and his wife Margaret (née McKinnon), who
147-403: A factory town. In the nineteenth century it was a centre of the glove making industry. The major employer today is Dartington Crystal , but the shops in the town centre also provide a source of employment. Most of the shops are locally owned; however, there are branches of The Co-operative Food , Lidl , Spar and Lloyds Pharmacy . Large factories have deserted the town in recent years including
196-783: A landscape captured by Henry Williamson in his novel Tarka the Otter in 1927. Great Torrington has one of the most active volunteering communities in the United Kingdom. In July 2019, Great Torrington was reported to be the healthiest place to live in Britain. Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that the area had low levels of pollution, good access to green space and health services, along with few retail outlets. There were Iron Age and medieval castles and forts in Torrington, located on
245-478: A number are weekly only service. Belle Vue Airfield is a single runway airfield about 2.5 miles northeast of Great Torrington in North Devon, England. It is for private aviation only, operating restricted flying hours and is frequented by Microlight and hang-gliding clubs. The 580-metre (1,902-foot) runway is grass. Exeter Airport 35 miles (56 km) away operates scheduled flights from Shannon Airport , Eire and
294-458: A variety of habitats, flora and fauna. An "area of waste called the Common" was donated to the town in 1194 by the feudal baron of Great Torrington . In 1889, the rights to this land were transferred by an act of parliament to an elected "Committee of Conservators". The bill was subject of a local poll, as the document now at Devon Record Office evidences: Poll of inhabitants on "A Bill for Vesting
343-451: A wealthy heiress. Clemson was born 30 May 1882 in Crumpsall, Manchester the elder son of John Henry Clemson (1856–1889) of Parkside, Altrincham, Cheshire by his wife Sara Jane Oliver (b. 1855). He had one brother and four sisters. In 1891 aged 8 he was living with his widowed mother at Brookfield House, Bury Old Road, Broughton, Salford. He attended Windermere College Preparatory School, in
392-641: A younger son of Sir John Bassett (1462 – 31 Jan 1529) of Umberleigh . James's son Philip Bassett sold it to Sir John Fortescue ( c. 1531 –1607) of Ponsbourne, near Hatfield , Hertfordshire, the eldest son of Sir Adrian Fortescue (1476–1539), descended from Richard Fortescue, younger brother of Henry Fortescue ( fl. 1426), Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland and of Sir John Fortescue (ca. 1394–1480), Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales . Denys Rolle (1614–1638) of nearby Stevenstone in
441-658: Is 1.2 miles (2 km) northwest of the town centre. Great Torrington Bowling Club, established in 1645, is the third oldest bowling club in England. Great Torrington is twinned with the French port town of Roscoff , situated in northern Brittany. Roscoff is served by the Brittany Ferries service from Plymouth and is a popular destination for school trips from the area. Torrington is served by 43 local bus services mostly operated by Stagecoach South West. Some only operate one way and
490-427: Is provided by The Voice , a station based in nearby Barnstaple that broadcasts across North Devon on FM and DAB. Most of the content on the station is locally produced. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South West and ITV West Country . Television signals are received from the nearby Huntshaw Cross TV transmitter situated north east of the town. BBC Local Radio station that broadcast to
539-497: Is said by Hoskins (1954) to have been the first brick-built house in Devon. A letter survives dated 1539 from George Rolle to his illustrious client's wife Lady Lisle "from my poor house" of Stevenstone. Two Palladian outbuildings serving as Orangery and "Library Room" were built next to the house by John Rolle (1679–1730), MP, and the Library shows above the keystone of its central arch
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#1732856129402588-508: Is still in 2015 a pub named The Puffing Billy . A few small sections of track remain, but most has been removed and replaced with a combined foot and cycle path as part of the Tarka Trail . The Tarka Trail continues to Bideford, Barnstaple and on to Braunton in one direction, and to Meeth in the other, making 32 miles (51 km) of traffic free trail. The manor of Great Torrington was granted by Queen Mary to James Basset (1526–1558), MP ,
637-686: Is the North Devon Journal also based in Barnstaple. The Western Morning News is a regional paper widely available. Most households receive a copy of the North Devon Gazette every week. The Crier is the community newsletter and diary delivered free to most households in the town and surrounding area for ten months of the year. Torrington's football teams are Torrington F.C. and Torridgeside A.F.C. There are also rugby, netball, tennis and swimming teams. Torrington nine-hole Golf Course
686-858: The Castle Hill . Great Torrington had strategic significance in the English Civil War . In the Battle of Torrington (1646), the Parliamentarians , led by Sir Thomas Fairfax , swept into the town and defeated Lord Hopton 's forces. This marked the end of Royalist resistance in the West Country . Today the town is recognised as an important heritage centre for the history of the 17th century, and its people can often be seen dressed in costume for historical re-enactments , festivals and celebrations . An interactive Civil War Experience, "Torrington 1646", marks
735-850: The Courtenays , but were descended from an able lawyer and administrator of the Tudor era, as were the Russells, later Earls and Dukes of Bedford. Both Russells and Rolles acquired much former monastic land in Devon following the Dissolution of the Monasteries . Indeed, the Rolles were in the opinion of Hoskins (1954) "second only to the Russells in the extent of their monastic and other lands and in time were to surpass them". In 1669 Sir John Rolle (died 1706), KB of Stevenstone had an annual income of £6,000 making him "one of
784-641: The Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the Reform Act of 1832 the county parliamentary representatives were chosen effectively from only ten great families, mostly territorial magnates. The three most dominant of these were the Bampfyldes of Poltimore House and North Molton , the Courtenays of Powderham Castle , and the Rolles of Stevenstone and Bicton . The Rolles were not from the mediaeval aristocracy as were
833-542: The Warwickshire Regiment and later American troops. After the war Mr Millman finally sold the house to Mr Melville, who contrary to his stated intention at the time of purchase, proceeded to demolish it. He used much of the stone to convert the stable block into terraced housing and built several smaller houses and bungalows around it and in the former walled kitchen garden. In 1970 the vestigial ruins of Stevenstone House were purchased by Mr Parnell, who had purchased
882-713: The Channel Islands. The nearest ferry port is Plymouth 40 miles (64 km) away, at which Brittany Ferries offer a regular service from Roscoff in Brittany. There is a summertime-only ferry service based at Bideford Harbour (7 miles away) to and from Lundy Island . Torrington has no direct train services; Umberleigh (8 miles away) is served by the Tarka Line from Exeter St David's. Bus connections are available to and from Barnstaple station (11 miles away). Little Torrington Too Many Requests If you report this error to
931-580: The Conservators have met regularly to fulfil their remit to manage the land. Early activity was mainly concerned with control over the grazing and quarrying of the common, but since 1980 grazing has stopped and instead various techniques have taken its place to prevent the common from reverting to scrub and woodland. There has been building development on the commons which some locals oppose. Attractions in Great Torrington include: Torrington has long been
980-502: The DSO on 1 January 1917, and remained at Stevenstone. On 26 September 1930 the estate of Stevenstone was offered for sale by auction, including 665 acres. The property was auctioned again in May 1931, but with only 17 acres and was then described as comprising four reception rooms, 27 bed and dressing rooms and eight bathrooms. It failed to sell at £3,000. A further 300 acres were sold separately. In
1029-537: The Deer Park in the 1931 sale and had built a bungalow next to the ruins. Although the adjacent detached Library Room and the Orangery were granted Grade II* Listing on 4 October 1960, the ruins of Stevenstone House received much later on 16 February 1989 a Grade II Listing , offering them protection from demolition, but they have continued to deteriorate from adverse weather and are as at 2012 totally covered in ivy. Around
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#17328561294021078-531: The Great Torrington Town Hall, some of the more valuable ones having been sold, including a portrait of John Rolle Walter (c.1714–1779) by Pompeo Batoni . Torrington Common is an area of common land which surrounds the town on all but the eastern side. The common is administered by a body called "The Commons Conservators". The Common covers 365 acres (148 ha) and has over 20 miles (32 kilometres) of public rights of way. The landscape features
1127-777: The Management of Great Torrington Common, Castle Hill Common and other lands in the Borough of Great Torrington in the County of Devon in a Body of Conservators and to settle questions between the Commoners of Great Torrington and the Owners of the Rolle Estate and for other purposes". The Rolle Estate was the largest landowner in Devon, having been built up by the Rolle family of Stevenstone . Since 2 October 1889
1176-492: The Rolle estates, extending to about 55,000 acres, which had been held by him as life tenant under the will of his aunt's husband John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750–1842), descended to his heir male his nephew Charles John Robert Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton (1863–1957), of Huish Lord Clinton sold Stevenstone by auction in 1912 to Captain John Oliver Clemson (1882–1915) and his wife Mary McKinnon,
1225-543: The Rolle family, one of the most influential and wealthy of Devon families, from c. 1524 until 1907. The Rolle estates as disclosed by the Return of Owners of Land, 1873 (corrected by Bateman, 1883 ) comprised 55,592 acres producing an annual gross income of £47,170, and formed the largest estate in Devon, followed by the Duke of Bedford 's estate centred on Tavistock comprising 22,607 with an annual gross value of nearly £46,000. From
1274-475: The Rothschild family's slightly later Waddesdon Manor , which was however designed by a French architect. It sat within a deer park of 370 acres containing a large quantity of large and valuable trees. In the opinion of Hoskins writing in 1954: "Mark Rolle rebuilt the house again in the worst style of the time. The richest man in Devon built himself the ugliest house". Following the death of Mark Rolle in 1907,
1323-526: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 26949717 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 04:55:29 GMT Stevenstone Stevenstone is a former manor within the parish of St Giles in the Wood , near Great Torrington , North Devon . It was the chief seat of
1372-489: The arms of Rolle impaling the arms of the Walter Baronets of Sarsden , Oxfordshire, the family of his wife Isabella Walter (died 1734). Hoskins states that the manor house itself was rebuilt or remodelled sometime in the 18th century, Pevsner states c. 1709, perhaps therefore at the same time as the building of the outbuildings. An engraving of this Georgian house survives, by James Bingley, published in 1831. The house
1421-423: The descent of Stevenstone as follows, based on the work of the Devon topographer Tristram Risdon , himself born within the parish of St Giles, at Winscott House. The earliest recorded holder of the manor was Michael de Stephans, who granted it to Richard Basset, the father of Elias Basset, who granted it to Walter de la Lay, or Ley. His descendant John de Lay changed his name to John de Stephenston. The overlord who
1470-474: The last of the male line, John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750–1842), descended from George Rolle's second son George Rolle (died 1573) of the manor of Marrais in the parish of Week St Mary in Cornwall, which manor had been procured for him by his father who had obtained the wardship of Margaret of Marrais and bequeathed the same in his will to his son George, who became her husband. The descendants of George Rolle
1519-416: The line of George Rolle of Marais on the failure in the male line in 1747 on the death of Samuel Rolle of Hudscott, Chittlehampton . The earliest record of the form of the manor house is that given by John Leland (died 1552), who wrote : "There is an hamlet longging to Tarington toun not a mile by est from Tarington coullid S. Gilys , wher George Rolles hath buildid a right fair house of bryke". It
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1568-403: The meat factory after a fire, and the milk factory which also caught fire has moved its production elsewhere. Various converted and purpose-built care homes in the town also provide a significant source of employment. In 2006, Tesco sought to open a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m) store in the town; however, this was opposed by many locals and the planning application was rejected. Local radio
1617-518: The other married a member of the Moyle family, who received Stevenstone as his wife's share of the inheritance. He made it his chief residence, and Prince suggests, on the basis of Tristram Risdon 's assertion, that his descendant Sir Walter Moyle, a Justice of the King's Bench in 1454, was born here. George Rolle (died 1552), MP, the founder of that family in Devon, purchased the estate not long before 1524. He
1666-518: The parish of St Giles in the Wood , acquired the lordship of the manor of Great Torrington from his descendant Sir William Fortescue. Denys Rolle (1614–1638) founded the Bluecoat School in Torrington The fountain and clock in the square were given in 1870 by Mark Rolle (1835–1907) A number of family portraits were given to the town by the heirs of Mark Rolle, some of which remain on display in
1715-547: The parish of St Mary's Church Applethwaite, Windermere, in which church his name appears on a memorial tablet "Boys of the Old College who fell in the Great War". He later attended Sedbergh School between 1897 and July 1900. In the 1901 census he was residing at Red House, Windermere, as a boarder in a preparatory school with three other pupils. He matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford in 1901. He described himself in about 1909 as
1764-470: The patriarch's eldest son John Rolle (died 1570) failed in the male line in 1642 on the death of the infant John Rolle (1638–1642). Stevenstone and several other manors which had by then been accumulated by purchase and inheritance from heiresses, passed eventually to Sir John Rolle (1626–1706), the grandson of George Rolle (died 1573) of Marrais. Some of the estates of the patriarch's fourth son Henry Rolle of Heanton Satchville , Petrockstowe , also reverted to
1813-409: The previous lots. Mr Millman however changed his intention against selling, but by then the auction could not be stopped. He bought-in as many lots as he could, and the house continued for a few more years, reduced in size again by the demolition of the servants' wing which connected the house to the stable block. The house was still habitable during World War II as troops were stationed there, namely
1862-442: The richest gentlemen in the country". He died in 1706 seized of more than 40 manors in Devon. The family built several different houses on the same site known as Stevenstone House, the last Victorian version of which was built between 1868 and 1872. It was significantly reduced in size soon after 1912 and then after 1931 it was gradually demolished piecemeal for building materials. John Prince in his "Worthies of Devon" gives
1911-423: The summer of 1931 the house and some of the parkland was purchased by Mr George Millman, the tenant of Winscott Barton (the ancient home of Tristram Risdon ), by then part of the Stevenstone estate, within the parish of St Giles. He immediately offered it for sale as building materials prior to complete demolition, split into 609 lots. Lot 609 was the residual shell of the house itself after all else had been sold in
1960-664: The town is BBC Radio Devon on 94.8 FM. The regional radio station Heart West can be received in the town on FM and DAB. The station is a part of the Heart network and broadcasts across the South West of England. Most of the shows broadcast are national shows from the Heart London studios, rather than region-specific ones. Region-specific content includes the weekday Drivetime show produced in Bristol , and local advertising. The local newspaper
2009-514: The town's historically important role. The Torrington jail was not big enough for more than one man so the Royalists kept all the Parliamentarian prisoners in the church. Then 70 barrels of gunpowder exploded and killed everyone held captive and many of their captors. Great Torrington Town Hall , a neoclassical style building, was completed in 1861. The branch line from Barnstaple to Bideford
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2058-576: The unveiling by Mrs. Clemson, and the dedication by the Vicar (Rev. C. Walker), the "Last Post" and Reveille were sounded on cornets, and the effect was grand in its solemnity. Special hymns and psalms were sung by the choir, and the Vicar based his address on the significance of the memorial". His grave is in the Lala Baba Cemetery in Turkey. Mrs Clemson remarried to Col. B.C. James, 8th Devon Regiment, awarded
2107-763: The war-time lack of domestic staff. He was Master of the Stevenstone Foxhounds . Captain Clemson was mobilised on 4 August 1914 and sailed for Gallipoli on 24 September 1914, as part of the South Western Mounted Brigade, during which campaign he died from wounds on 9 December 1915. He is remembered by a monument in St Giles' Church inscribed as follows: "In Loving Memory of John Oliver Clemson, of Stevenstone, Captain Royal North Devon Hussars, who
2156-415: Was demolished in 1868 by Hon. Mark Rolle (died 1907) who erected in its place between 1868 and 1872 to the design of Charles Barry Jr. (died 1900) a Victorian mansion in the "French Chateau style" (or "Franco-Italian style" as it was termed by a contemporary issue of Building News , ) widely considered today to have been a building of little architectural merit. It may be compared, but in simpler form, to
2205-565: Was extended to Great Torrington in July 1872 by the London and South Western Railway , which built a railway station and locomotive depot in the town. The station was always named 'Torrington', not 'Great Torrington'. The locomotive depot was closed in 1959 and the line was closed to passenger traffic as part of the Beeching Axe . It was closed to goods traffic in 1984. At the site of the old station there
2254-645: Was killed in action in Gallipoli 9th December 1915, aged 33. A great and glorious thing it is to die for one's country". He is recorded on the Exeter College, Oxford Roll of Honour, and also on the Altrincham & District Roll of Honour. His widow Mary erected a bronze memorial tablet in the church naming the twelve men of the parish who had lost their lives in World War I, reported on in the local press thus: "Following
2303-545: Was probably born in Dorset, rose to prominence as a lawyer in London, and had as clients several monastic houses in Devon. One of his most prominent clients was Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle (died 1542), whom he served as legal counsel until the latter's death. He served as MP for Barnstaple in 1542 and again in 1545. The male descendants up to 1842 of George Rolle included about twenty Members of Parliament . In 1842 died
2352-492: Was the brother-in-law of Mary McKinnon, also then residing in the house, aged 28 and born in Calcutta , Clemson's future wife. In 1912 at Paddington, London, he married Mary McKinnon, 3rd daughter of the late John McKinnon of 10 Hyde Park Gardens, London. They had one daughter. The new owners demolished about half of the east front of the house including the main tower and one corner tower, to make it more manageable, presumably due to
2401-540: Was then a later Elias Basset, lord of the manor of Beaupier in Wales, released all his interest in Stevenstone to John de Stevenstone. He was followed by another John, Walter and John de Stephenston. The latter left a daughter Elizabeth de Stephenston his sole heiress, who brought the manor by marriage to her husband Grant of Westlegh, near Bideford . Grant was himself also lacking in male progeny and left two daughters joint heiresses, one of whom married Monk of Potheridge, whilst
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