Nymet Tracy
| Bow | |
|---|---|
 Bow
|
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| Bow shown within Devon | |
| Population | 1,095 |
| OS grid reference | SX8156 |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Crediton |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
Bow (Latin: place at the arched bridge) is a village and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England, about 8 miles west of Crediton. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,093 practically unchanged at the 2011 Census. There is an adjoining hamlet of Nymet Tracey which shares a church with Bow and much common history. Bow is a major part of Upper Yeo electoral ward. The total ward population at the above census was 1,708.
There is a 3rd millennium BC woodhenge west of the village. Its 19 post holes were discovered by aerial photography in 1984. It is believed to have been a centre of pagan worship for a large area of surrounding countryside. The name Nymet means "Sacred Grove" in Celtic and is associated in Roman terms with the Druids. The word Nymet is preserved in many surrounding place names (e.g. Nymet Barton, Nymet Rowland, Broad Nymet). The River Yeo, which used to be called the Nymet, flows through the "arched bridge" at the bottom of the village.
The main settlement was originally at Nymet Tracey, a mile south of Bow's present location. Nymet Tracey had parliamentary representation in late Anglo-Saxon times, from 940 onwards and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
The name Tracey comes from the 'de Tracey' family - from Tracy-sur-Mer near Bayeux - which settled in the area after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The face of a de Tracey knight is carved over the south entrance to the church at Nymet Tracey. The knight may be a representation of William de Tracy, who is said to have who founded the church in penance for the murder of Thomas Becket, although there is no independent evidence for this beyond local tradition. The church is dedicated to St Bartholomew, and has been since at least 1742. It may have previously been dedicated to St Mary, or St Martin.
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