Washfield
| Washfield | |
| Devon | |
|---|---|
.jpg) St Mary the Virgin, Washfield | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SS935153 |
| Location: | 50°55’40"N, 3°30’56"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Tiverton |
| Postcode: | EX16 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Mid Devon |
Washfield is a village in the middle of Devon, standing about two miles north-west of Tiverton. It is beside a minor stream which just below Washfield runs into the Exe Valley.
The parish is with the county's West Budleigh Hundred.
The parish church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.
History
Washfield is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as two separate manors, now referred to as Little Washfield and Great Washfield.[1] It is close to Tiverton Castle, one of the most important mediæval strongholds in Devon, and principal seat of the Earls of Devon, feudal barons of Plympton.
Great Washfield was held by Ralph de Pomeroy,[2] one of William the Conqueror's Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief. It is listed in Domesday Book as the 39th of his 58 Devonshire manors.[3]
Little Washfield was held in chief by Ralph de Paynell, Sheriff of Yorkshire (it is listed as the ninth of his ten Devonshire manors).[4] His tenant at Washfield was Gerard, himself a tenant-in-chief of two manors within Tiverton Hundred,[5]
The two manors in time came into the Worth family (named after another of their manors)[6] who continued to hold the manor until 1880, when Reginald Worth died without sons.[6]
References
- Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985
