Slapton, Devon
| Slapton | |
| Devon | |
|---|---|
 The Chantry Tower in Slapton | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SX820449 |
| Location: | 50°17’35"N, 3°39’25"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Kingsbridge |
| Postcode: | TQ7 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | South Hams |
Slapton is a village in the south of Devon, close by the English Channel coast five miles south-west of Dartmouth along the coast. The village may be found near the A379 road between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, and it is all within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
In 1901 the population of the parish was 527,[1] decreasing to 473 by 2001. The parish is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of Blackawton, Strete, Stokenham and East Allington.
A lane runs down the short distance from the village to the beach – a long coastal bar known as Slapton Sands.
History
Slapton is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Sladone.[2]
The Collegiate Chantry of St Mary was founded in 1372 or 1373 by Sir Guy de Brian.[3] The Tower Inn and West tower of the chantry remain: the tower is now a Grade I listed building.[4]
The Church of St James dates from the late 13th or early 14th century, and is also Grade I listed.[5]
In 1944, Slapton was the location for an American training exercise in preparation for the Normandy Landings, known as 'Exercise Tiger'. It turned into tragedy when a flotilla of nine German fast attack boats, which had slipped the Royal Navy's blockade of Cherbourg, crossed the Channel and attacked the exercise's landing ships A Sherman tank that was sunk in this action has been recovered and now stands behind the beach as a memorial.
Behind Slapton Sands is Slapton Ley, a nature reserve.
Gallery
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Slapton Sands -
Sherman tank memorial, Slapton Sands
See also
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Slapton, Devon) |
References
- ↑ Harris, Helen (2004). A Handbook of Devon Parishes. Tiverton: Halsgrove. p. 163. ISBN 1-84114-314-6.
- ↑ "Slapton, Devon Folio: 102r Great Domesday Book Domesday". The National Archives. 1086. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7303131. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- ↑ @"Tower Inn". Tower Inn. Archived from the original on 2007-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20070629001719/http://www.thetowerinn.com/flash.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ↑ Images of England — details from listed building database (99900) Tower of Collegiate Chantry of St Mary
- ↑ Images of England — details from listed building database (99889) Church of St James, Slapton