Bishopsteignton
| Bishopsteignton | |
 Bishopsteignton in 2006. |
|
| Population | 2,423 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SX911735 |
| District | Teignbridge |
| Shire county | Devon |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | TQ14 |
| Dialling code | 01626 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Teignbridge |
| List of places: UK • England • Devon | |
Bishopsteignton (
/ˌbɪʃəpˈsteɪntən/[citation needed]) is a village in South Devon, England between Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, close to the Teign Estuary. The village is on a steep hill, and has a post office, small pharmacy and a small, family-run supermarket. The village school has about 150 pupils.
The village has three churches - one gospel hall (Plymouth Brethren), one Methodist and one Anglican - St John The Baptist, with a fine Norman doorway which survived Victorian restoration. Among the tombstones are some who were victims of plague, and above the churchyard are the remains of a 14th century sanctuary chapel built by John Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter to provide a refuge for felons who had accepted life banishment, as they travelled from Exeter to sail from Teignmouth.[1]
The village has three pubs: The Ring of Bells, The Cockhaven Manor and the Bishop John De Grandisson. It also has a local brewery (Red Rock), a vineyard (Old Walls) and a Pick Your Own farm (Shute Fruit and Produce).
There is a small beach on the estuary, known locally as The River Beach or Red Rock. It is reached via a footpath from the village that crosses the main Teignmouth to Newton Abbot road and the railway, and goes down some steep steps - Luxton Steps. This ancient footpath leads to the point where villagers could ford the river at low tide to reach Coombe Cellars.
Half a mile away, overlooking the town, is the Bishop's Palace, now a ruin (hence the local name of the old walls), that was built in the 13th century by Walter de Bronescombe, and expanded later by Grandisson.
[edit] References
- ^ Harris, Helen (2004). A Handbook of Devon Parishes. Tiverton: Halsgrove. p. 22. ISBN 1-84114-314-6.
[edit] External links
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