Topsham (Devon)
| Topsham | |||
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| Coordinates | 50 ° 41 ′ N , 3 ° 28 ′ W | ||
| OS National Grid | SX966884 | ||
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| Residents | 3730 (2011) | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | EXETER | ||
| ZIP code section | EX3 | ||
| prefix | 01392 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| region | South West England | ||
| Shire county | Devon | ||
| District | Exeter | ||
| British Parliament | East Devon | ||
Topsham is a small town in Devon , England . It lies on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe between Exeter and Exmouth and had a total of 5,519 inhabitants according to the 2011 census.
The Celtic settlement of Topsham became the port of the city of Isca Dumnoniorum (now Exeter) after the Roman invasion of Great Britain in the first century AD and retained this role until the Romans withdrew from southern England around 400. In the 7th century, under the Saxon rule in eastern Devon , the settlement grew into a village of considerable size.
Though it only had a village population, Topsham was given town charter by a royal statute of 1300. Today the place is officially a suburb of Exeter. Topsham's location, offering a sheltered bay for sea trade, allowed it to flourish as a port and center of fishing and shipbuilding. In the English Civil War , an attack of the Navy of parliament took place here.
The attraction of the formerly important seaport lies today in the architecture, the landscape and the proximity to the nature reserves for wading and migratory birds around the mouth of the River Exe , a Site of Special Scientific Interest .
Topsham has many Dutch-style houses that date from Topsham's heyday as a cotton port. Many of the houses in Topsham were built with Dutch bricks, which came as ballast on Dutch ships exporting wool and cotton from south-west England.
Topsham Museum is located in one of several 17th century buildings that overlook the Exe Estuary. In addition to the stylishly furnished rooms, exhibits of local history and memorabilia of the actress Vivien Leigh can also be viewed . The museum is open from April to October.
The St Margaret's Church , the Church of England belongs, dates back to the 10th century. Although it was rebuilt several times over the centuries, the place determined by King Æthelstan in 937 always remained the same.
The Bridge Inn on the road to Clyst St George is at a location mentioned in the Domesday Book .