High Bickington
| High Bickington | |
|---|---|
 High Bickington High Street and Post Office |
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 High Bickington
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| High Bickington shown within Devon | |
| Population | 1,668 (2011 including outlying hamlets and localities, some with separate articles) |
| OS grid reference | SS598209 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | UMBERLEIGH |
| Postcode district | EX37 |
| Dialling code | 01769 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
High Bickington is a largely rural village in Devon, England spread across largely cultivated hills and wooded valleys of North Devon, between Exmoor, Dartmoor and Bodmin moor. The village is centred 8.6 miles (13.8 km) from Barnstaple, 10 miles (16 km) from South Molton, 8 miles (13 km) from Great Torrington and 33 miles (53 km) from Exeter.
The village is on the valley top, almost 600 feet, 190M above sea level, overlooking the river Taw valley, and has spectacular unbroken views across the valley towards Exmoor.
With its origins in Saxon times (around 650), or earlier, the manor of High Bickington is referred to as 'Bichentone' in the Domesday Book of 1086. Before the Norman Conquest, the manor belonged to a Saxon nobleman, Britric, nicknamed Meau ('the fair'), who also held rights to the land revenues of Gloucester and extensive estates in the West Country. He spurned the advances of Matilda, the Duke of Flanders' daughter, who later as Queen of England imprisoned Britric and eventually had him put to death. All his lands passed to her, including Bichentona, Clovelly, Bideford, Winkleigh and Tiverton. The lands were later inherited by Matilda's son, William Rufus, who became William II of England).
William gave Bichentona to Robert Fitzhamon whose daughter was later married to Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, illegitimate son of Henry I.
At around 1150 the manor of High Bickington came into the possession of the Champernownes of Umberleigh. Lady Joan Champernowne gave some of the lands to the Lodges family. Hugh de Loges held the manor of Buckington Loges during the reign of King John, (1199-1261). This was later inherited by William Boyes in 1364, although by this time the lands around the village had been divided between several others including Holt, Clavil, Snape, Stowford, Corpsland, Burvet and Wotton, whose names still survive today in hamlet, farm and field names around the parish.
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Wikipedia