Halwell
 |
| Halwell | |
|---|---|
 The village of Halwell as seen from nearby Moreleigh | |
| OS grid reference | SX776531 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TOTNES |
| Postcode district | TQ9 7 |
| Dialling code | 01548 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Halwell is a small village located within the South Hams district council area, in Devon, South West England.
Location
It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Totnes, 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Kingsbridge and 8 miles (13 km) west of Dartmouth, on the junction of the A381 and A3122 roads serving the three towns.
History
Alfred the Great (871-899) had a fortified town, or burh, built at Halwell. According to the Burghal Hidage, an early 10th Century document setting out the details of all burhs then functioning, Halwell's wall was 1237 feet long and the nominated garrison consisted of 300 men drawn from the surrounding district in the event of an invasion. The other burhs in Devon were Exeter, Pilton (near Barnstaple) and Lydford. In the 10th Century, possibly as early as 907, the burh was transferred to Totnes, probably because it was better placed for trade at a time when the Viking threat had diminished.