Chagford
| Chagford | |
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 Chagford's ironmongery stores, Webbers and Bowdens |
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 Chagford
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| Chagford shown within Devon | |
| Area | 11.7 sq mi (30 km2) |
| Population | 1,449 (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 125.6/sq mi (48.5/km2) |
| OS grid reference | SX700876 |
| • London | 194 miles (312 km) |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWTON ABBOT |
| Postcode district | TQ13 |
| Dialling code | 01647 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | http://www.chagford-parish.co.uk |
Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign. It is located off the A382, about 4 miles (6 km) west of Moretonhampstead. The name Chagford is derived from the word chag, meaning gorse or broom, and the ford suffix indicates its importance as a crossing place on the River Teign. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,470 which decreased at the 2011 census to 1,449.
Archaeological remains confirm that a community has existed here for at least 4000 years. In historical times, Chagford grew due to the wool trade and from tin mining in the area. A weekly market was held here from before 1220, and a livestock market in the town survived until the 1980s. In 1305 it was made a stannary town where tin was traded. Among the most prominent tin-mining families in the 16th century were the Endecotts, Knapmans, Whiddons and Lethbridges.
In a Civil War skirmish Sydney Godolphin, the poet and Royalist MP for Helston, was shot and killed in the porch of the Three Crowns.
In 1987, the New Scientist reported that Chagford contained "the most radioactive loo in the world", a reference to the high levels of Radon gas in this granite area.
The parish of Chagford comprises historic estates including:
Today Chagford is a thriving community with high property prices, busy streets, and an unusually wide range of shops for a town of this size, although not immune to national trends having lost its post office and banks. Two large hardware stores side-by-side in the town square were run by the same two families for over a century, but one of these closed in 2017. It is also known for its arts community, celebrated through the autumn Chagford Film Festival, the springtime Chagword literary festival (every two years), the summer's Chagstock Music Festival, the annual Wonderworks crafts weekend, and other regular cultural events. There are several tea rooms and whole food cafés, one Bangladeshi restaurant, and four pubs. There are numerous guest houses and hotels in the surrounding countryside. These provide accommodation for the large influx of visitors during the year.
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Wikipedia