King's Nympton

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King's Nympton
Devon

King's Nympton
Location
Grid reference: SS683193
Location: 50°57’32"N, 3°52’34"W
Data
Post town: Umberleigh
Postcode: EX37
Local Government

King's Nympton is a village in northern Devon, in the heart of the rolling countryside between Exmoor and Dartmoor, some four and a half miles south of South Molton and four miles north of Chulmleigh.

The parish exceeds 5,500 acres in area and sits mostly on a promontory above the River Mole. The river was anciently named the 'Nymet', and gives the village its name.

Many of the outlying farmhouses date from the 15th and 16th centuries and the village has cottages and a pub, with thatched roofs. Nearly all of its 5,540 acres are given over to agriculture with beef, sheep, dairy, arable and egg production forming the bulk of farming activity.

History

At the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the whole manor of Nimetone, in the Hundred of Witheridge, belonged to the King,[1] but King Henry I (1100–1135) granted the manor to Joel de Mayne. After passing through several families, the manor was purchased by Sir Lewis Pollard (c. 1465-1526), in whose family it remained until Sir Hugh Pollard, 2nd Baronet (c.1610-1666) sold the manor to his cousin Sir Arthur Northcote, 2nd Baronet (1628–1688).

The Northcote family held the manor until 1740 when it was sold to James Buller (the younger) whose family held it until 1842 when it was purchased by James Tanner.

King's Nympton Park

Kings Nympton Park is a Grade I listed building.[2] In 1872 it belonged to James Tanner, Esq., although the lord of the manor of King's Nympton was H. M. Byne, Esq.[3] An on-site auction sale held by Kivell's auctioneers occurred at Park Farm on the Kingsnympton Park Estate on 25 January 2010, which included pedigree North Devon cattle, sheep and machinery.

Railway station

The village gives its name to the King's Nympton railway station, although the station itself is situated two and a half miles from the village, in parish of Chulmleigh.

Outside links

References

  1. Thorn, Caroline & Frank, Domesday Book: Vol.9: Devon, Ed. Morris, John, Chichester, 1985, 2 parts, Chap. 1,49
  2. King's Nympton Park
  3. John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1870-72