Pilton, Devon

Pilton is a suburb of Barnstaple. It is located about half a mile north on the outskirts of Barnstaple in Devon, England. It is home to about 2000 residents, and has its own primary and secondary school. It is easily accessible via Barnstaple.

Schools

Pilton has four schools, Pilton Infants (Reception - Year 2, Pilton Bluecoat (Year 3-6) and the larger secondary school Pilton Community College (Year 7-11).

Pilton Community College

Pilton Community College is a specialist language college serving most of Barnstaple in secondary school education for an age range of 11-16. It is a large school, located in Chaddiford Lane which is a convenient location near to Braunton Road and Pottington Industrial Estate. It has been rival to Park Community School for a number of years now and they are second in the rugby league (West Buckland are first).

Pilton Bluecoat CofE Primary School

Pilton Bluecoat is a junior school serving an age range of 7-11. Pupils from this school usually proceed into Pilton Community College at age 11.

Pilton Infants School

Pilton Infants is an infants school serving 5-7 year old pupils in and around the Pilton area. At the age of 7, pupils usually proceed into the Pilton Bluecoat Junior School.

History

Pilton was originally separate to Barnstaple. It has been subsumed as a suburb of the nearby town due to ribbon development in the 1930s.

Situated on an easily-defended hill at the head of the Taw estuary, and close to where the river narrows enough to be fordable, Pilton was an important Saxon settlement, and site of the original burh through much of the 10th century, until this was moved a mile or so to the South-East, to become Barnstaple, a market town and then borough. A Saxon ford would typically have been indicated by a "stapol", or post - "Bearda's stapol" giving the town of Barnstaple its name.

Victorian Pilton

White's Devonshire Directory (published 1850) described Pilton in these terms:-

Morris and Co.'s Commercial Directory and Gazetteer (published 1870) expanded this with:-

Railways

From 1898 to 1935, Pilton was the main depot and operating centre for the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. The site, a triangle of land to the East of Pilton Causeway, South of Yeo Vale Road and North of what is now the A361, was originally part of the tannery, and reverted back to its original ownership when the line closed. The Yard Offices were for many years after home to "The Sheepskin Shop", and more recently used as an antiquarian furniture shop. The carriage sheds, locomotive shed and other remnants of the railway were destroyed in a fire in 1992, and much of the site is now used for car parking, although there are still many signs of the former railway use. Part of the L&B is being restored, and visitors can take trips from the new centre, based at the former through station at Woody Bay

Pilton Festival

Pilton was granted the right to hold an annual festival by Edward III. The Pilton Festival is normally held on the third weekend of July and incorporates the Green Man Day. The festival includes market stalls, live music and performances at Pilton House. The Green Man performances involve the Green Man, the Prior of the Benedictine Priory of Pilton, and the Pilton Worm, an ancient monster.

External links

* [http://www.northdevon.gov.uk North Devon District Council]
* [http://www.piltoncollege.devon.sch.uk Pilton Community College]
* [http://www.barnstaple-pilton-bluecoat.devon.sch.uk Pilton Bluecoat Junior School]
* [http://www.piltonfestival.co.uk Pilton Festival]