Lydford
| Lydford | |
|---|---|
| Basic data | |
| status | City |
| region | South East England |
| District | West Devon |
| Trad. county | Devon |
| country | England |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| population | 394 (2001 Census) |
| Post Code | EX20 |
Lydford (sometimes: Lidford ) is a village in Devon , England . It is eight miles north of Tavistock and on the western edge of Dartmoor .
description
The village has a population of 458 inhabitants. It is located on the small river Lyd , which is crossed by a single bridge.
The village is known for its history and the surrounding landscape. It is very popular with tourists. From the church of St. Petrock you have a good view over the Dartmoor . Some of the remains of Lydford Castle have been preserved near the church . The area of Lydford is very large with 200 square kilometers.
Southwest of Lydford runs Lydford Gorge , a 1.5 mile long wooded gorge cut through a slate rock. The valley area belongs to the National Trust . The valley is known for its 30 meter deep waterfall.
Origin of name
In the Anglo-Saxon language the village was called Hlidaford (or Hlidan ). This name comes from hlid , which means lid . Over the years the name has been changed again and again. The different names were: Lyghatford , Lidefort , Lideford and finally the current spelling Lydford .
history
The village was founded by Alfred the Great as one of the four Saxon boroughs in Devon . It was first mentioned in history in 997, when the Danes made a looting expedition through England. The story was recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
During the reign of Æthelred there was a mint and coins were minted. They became LVD. , LVDA and LVDAN embossed. During the reign of Edward the Confessor , the village was the most popular center in Devonshire after Exeter.
By the 12th century, parishioners from all over Dartmoor were brought to Lydford to be buried. The path for this final journey is known as the " Lynch Way ". There have been reports of many processions of white monks walking this path.
The story from the 13th century mainly takes place around the castle. It was first mentioned in 1216 when it was endorsed by William Brewer . In 1238 the borough of Henry III. handed over to Richard, Earl of Cornwall. The borough had a separate judge and bailiff starting in 1275, but it was never declared independent by a charter.
During the English Civil War , Lydford was the home of the infamous Gubbins Gang, a gang of muggers who took advantage of the riot at the time.
In 1987 Lydford finally lost its claim to be the largest parish in England. It was divided into two separate parishes, Lydford and Dartmoor Forest . spiritual ward was also divided with Princetown as a separate ward.
The Lydford Church
The first church in Lydford was a wooden church built around 650 AD. It is likely that the church was burned down by the Vikings during a pillage in 997.
The church was later rebuilt in the Gothic style. It is in the original location.
The church was enlarged in the 13th century and the tower added in the 15th century. Another expansion took place around 1890. The sacristy and the north corridor were added.
Lydford and Castles
Two castles were built at Lydford, the first in 1066. The second castle was built around 1132. It was on the side of the first castle. It was a tower with three floors, from which one had a good view over the landscape.
The use changed under the auspices of Edward I and became a prison. His reputation was not good, however. Sir Richard Grenville used the prison as a dungeon for his political opponents.
Most of the castle was in ruins during the Cromwell's Commonwealth period . But in the 18th century it was restored and used again as a prison and meeting place for the borough's manor and courts. Today it is publicly subsidized by the English Heritage and entry is free.
Lydford's Customs Road
Lydford is on the former stagecoach route between Tavistock and Okehampton, now the A386 . On steep hills, heavily loaded carriages could add a duty-free horse to help them get over the hills, but these horses were removed at the top. Because some stones were set, they still exist today.
Parish partnership
Web links
- Lydford Parish Council official website
Individual evidence
- ↑ Homepage of the National Trust ( Memento of the original from December 20, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Lydfors website ( Memento of the original from November 29, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Princetown website ( Memento of the original from June 29, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Lydford Castle website ( Memento of the original from November 7, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 50 ° 39 ′ N , 4 ° 6 ′ W