Bampton, Devon

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Bampton
Devon
Castle Street, Bampton.jpg
Castle Street, Bampton
Location
Grid reference: SS957222
Location: 50°59’23"N, 3°29’10"W
Data
Population: 1,260  (2011)
Post town: Tiverton
Postcode: EX16
Dialling code: 01398
Local Government
Council: Mid Devon
Parliamentary
constituency: 		Tiverton & Honiton

Bampton is a small town in Devon, on the River Batherm, a tributary of the River Exe. It is to be found about six miles north of Tiverton, by the border with Somerset, which encompasses the north-east and north-west sides of the parish.[1]

History

Pre-Norman

The history of Bampton is thought to have started with a Roman fort, but later Saxon remains are most easily seen. Some hedges conform to the Saxon furrow measure of 625 feet (the later furlong) and traces of Saxon strip farming can be seen to the north-east of the later castle. The circular churchyard is also Saxon in origin.[2]

Middle Ages

The 11th-century Norman Bampton Castle was built in about 1067 by Walter Douai or his son, Robert. Originally it probably had a timber tower on top of the motte. To the east of the mound was a rectangular bailey, defended to the south by the steep slope down to the River Batherm. Following a dispute with King Stephen about the ownership of lands around Uffculme, Robert Douai rebelled against the King. Stephen then besieged the castle which eventually surrendered. Robert’s fled into exile and his lands were granted to Henry de Tracy.[3][4]

Civil War

The Civil War reached Bampton in 1645, when Royalists from Tiverton Castle burnt the town, so that few buildings earlier than the 17th century survive.[2]

Sights of the village

Bampton now has over 70 listed buildings including the Grade I listed church, dedicated to Saint Michael & All Angels, whose tower dates from the 13th century.[5] It was rebuilt and enlarged in the fifteenth century and restored in 1872.

The Bampton Recreation Ground on Morebath Hill is a five-acre playing field, enrolled as a Queen Elizabeth II Field.

In the hamlet of Petton which is in the parish, is the small church of Saint Petrock.[1] Parts of the former vicarage date from the middle of the 15th century;[6] and the Exeter Inn on the edge of the town was originally a farmhouse built in 1495.[7]

Bampton Fair

History

The annual Bampton Fair was established by Royal Charter in 1258 and is held every year on the last Thursday in October.[8] although a fair was mentioned in 1212 and is possibly even older.[9] The first surviving charter for a fair to be held at the church of Saint Luke is from 1258 and was granted by King Henry III to the rector of the church, Master Osmund. Later fairholders included the Coggan, Fitz Warine, Courtney and Bourchier families. It was known as Saint Luke's fair for many years as it was held on the feast day of Saint Luke.[10] Traders selling goods at the fair were required to pay tolls which were originally paid at a toll booth at the entrance of the fair. In 1790 the booth moved to the Market or Manor Rooms in Newtown Square. [11] Until 1883 there was also a three day fair at Whitsun which was held at the manor.[12] This was granted in 1267 to John Cogan, who was then the Lord of the Manor, along with a right to hold a weekly market. By 1302 John Cogan held the rights to the Saint Luke's fair as well.[13]

As well as trade, the fair has also always offered entertainments of various kinds. In the early years these would have been mystery plays with a biblical theme. As time went on however, the plays began to have themes around myth and history. There would have been bear baiting, jugglers, acrobats and puppet shows plus boxing and wrestling matches. Later fairground rides became part of the fair.[14]

The fair continued through the First World War, in which years there were high prices for cattle, sheep and ponies due to the demand for meat and horses caused by the war.[15] In 1921 The Bampton Cattle and Sheep Market Committee made a 21 year agreement for the right to hold auctions in Kings Close for an annual rent of £9.[16] In the 1920s a miners strike caused large sell off of pit ponies and prices at Bampton collapsed. In 1928 some ponies were given away for free. However, when Second World War began, prices for cattle and livestock rose again, and as during the previous war the fair continued through the war. [17]

In 1972 Mr Baxter leased the right to take tolls at the far to the town council. This agreement included a clause that the council would pay the business rates associated with the fair, and be responsible for running the fair and cleaning up afterwards. The first payment to Mr Baxter was set at £25. This entailed a lot of organisation by the council such as providing road signs to the fair, cleaning up waste and litter after the fair and traffic management. From 1972 Brook Street was shut to traffic on fair days. The Station Car Park became the site of the funfair in 1973. By 1984 the receipts from the fair were £1040. The money raised by the fair allowed the council to add equipment for the Station Playground and also make grants to many local organisations.[18]

After the end of pony sales in 1985, the revenue from the fair began to decline with fewer stallholders than previously and there was an increase in the number of food stalls. In response to this. Bampton Fair Working Group was set up in 1990 which still continues. The fair is now let for a nominal £100. There is now less money to support local causes, but some money is still provided, with money for the children's playground being provided in 2006.[19]

Livestock and Cattle Markets and Fairs

The Great Cattle Market at Bampton which started in the 13th century, took place on the last Wednesday of the month and at one time up to 14,000 sheep were sold at Bampton Fair. However, the trade in sheep and cattle began to decline in the 1830s and 1840s due to a decline in the agricultural market and the woollen industry.[20][21] After the railway arrived in Bampton, very long trains would be used to transport the livestock sold at the fair, and extra passenger trains were also arranged on the fair day.[22] However after the Second World War the site of the market at King's Close was sold to developers and the great cattle market closed. The town council did consider purchasing the site but did not reach a decision in time to buy it.[23]

Pony sales

Bampton Fair only began to be well known for the sale of ponies when in 1856 Frederick Knight began selling his ponies at the fair. Despite this being a relatively recent part of the fair, the fair is still often called 'Bampton Pony Fair'. [24] Exmoor Ponies used to be rounded up on the moors during the so called Autumn Drift and driven by road to be sold at the fair. The fair was officially recognised by the Exmoor Pony Society as a designated market place for the Exmoor Pony.[25] After being driven from the moors by way of Dulverton and Exebridge, the ponies were brought to an old orchard behind the Tiverton Hotel (now called the Quarryman's Rest) where they were kept in wooden pens. The auction ring was a small round pen nearby. Large numbers of fair-goers would pay an entrance fee to see the pony pens. The sellers would pay two fees - one for the auctioneer and a toll to the Lord of the Manor (or whoever the toll was leased to).[26] In 1979 the Dartmoor Preservation Society sought to stop pony sales and called in the RSPCA with allegations of cruelty to the ponies. It took until 1984 to dispel this charge but at the end of the 1984 fair the RSPCA were satisfied with the way the fair was organised and in 1985 Bampton again received no official complaints about the pony fair. Nevertheless, the RSPCA requested a number of improvements to the way ponies were loaded onto lorries and for repairs to some of the pens, which would have required expenditure none was willing to bear, and the sales in 1985 were the last for many years.[27] From 2004 to 2013, farm-tackle, Exmoor ponies and other livestock were auctioned as part of the Fair again, a little way out of town, at Luttrell Quarry. However due to a reduction in demand for pony sales and Lutrell Farm becoming unavailable for the auction this has ended.[28]

The fair today

The fair is still a popular event, not least for its timing during the school half-term break. As well as a traditional funfair, there is a street market, often very crowded, selling novelties, and West Country produce. [8]

Outside links

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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harris, Helen (2004). A Handbook of Devon Parishes. Halsgrove. pp. 12-13. ISBN 1841143146. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Bampton: The History Section". http://www.bampton.org.uk/history.html. Retrieved 30 January 2017. 
  3. ↑ "Bampton Castle". http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/south_west/bampton_castle.html. Retrieved 2 February 2017. 
  4. ↑ Brtiain - Ireland Castles: Bampton Castle
  5. ↑ "Bampton's Listed Buildings". http://www.bampton.org.uk/listed-b.html. Retrieved 30 January 2017. 
  6. ↑ Mid Devon District Council. Bampton Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan. p. 6. https://www.middevon.gov.uk/media/114964/bampton-conservation-area-appraisal-text.pdf. Retrieved 30 January 2017. 
  7. ↑ "Bampton's Historic Inns". http://www.bampton.org.uk/history-inns.html. Retrieved 30 January 2017. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Townspeople join in a celebration of 750-year tradition at Bampton Fair". Western Morning News. 26 October 2012. http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/townspeople-join-celebration-750-year-tradition/story-17186578-detail/story.html. Retrieved 18 December 2016. 
  9. ↑ "A Brief History of the Fair". http://www.bamptoncharterfair.org.uk/fair-history.html. Retrieved 18 December 2016. 
  10. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 22-23.
  11. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 19-21
  12. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 22-23.
  13. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 38-39.
  14. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 94-95.
  15. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 87-92.
  16. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, p 99.
  17. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 100-101.
  18. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 106-110.
  19. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 114-115.
  20. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, p 19.
  21. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 71-72.
  22. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, p 86.
  23. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, p 103.
  24. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, p 27.
  25. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, p 79.
  26. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 84-85.
  27. ↑ Collier-Lovell, 2007, pp 111-114.
  28. ↑ "Homepage". http://www.bamptoncharterfair.org.uk/. Retrieved 18 December 2016. 
  • Collier-Lovell (2007). Bampton Fair: and a little bit more. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1425133193. 
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