Braunton

Braunton



300px|right|thumb|Braunton village centre:the old village railway station, now a newsagents. The large tree in the centre of the square has grown since the line was demolished in the mid-1970s. The line of the tracks passed under the tree and crossed the road where a pelican crossing can now be seen.

Braunton is situated 5 miles west of Barnstaple in the North Devon district, and is claimed to be the largest village in England, with a population in 2001 of 7510. It is home to the nearby Braunton Great Field, and Braunton Burrows, a National Nature and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The village boasts a number of pubs which include the " [http://www.lanternfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=526890&spid=20870 Agricultural Inn] " on "East Street"; the " [http://www.diningindevon.com/Braunton-restaurant-4.htm Williams Arms] " in Wrafton; the "Mariners Arms" on "South Street"; and the "Black Horse" on "Church Street". There are also a number of churches of various denominations with St. Brannock's being the parish church. The village holds a carnival each year near the end of May.

The tower of St. Brannock's Church is over 700 years old. Inside the church, the similarly old chancel has an arch and three lancets. The sixteenth-century benches are richly carved. The fifteenth-century south chapel has a curious brass palimpsest, hinged so that both sides are visible. There is a chest that may have come to England with the Spanish Armada.

Local Schools include Caen Street Primary School, Kingsacre Primary School, [http://www.southmead.devon.sch.uk Southmead] Primary School and Braunton Community College, the local secondary school.

The village had a railway station on the now closed Ilfracombe Branch Line.

The South West Coast Path National Trail links to the village, and gives access to walks along the spectacular North Devon coast. The Tarka Trail also passes through the village. The nearby Braunton Burrows marsh has been designated as a biosphere reserve, the first place in the country to gain this status. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/outdoors/nature/braunton_burrows.shtml]

The coastal part of the Parish lies within the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

History

The village took its name from St. Brannock, who came from South Wales as a missionary and converted the native Britons to the Christian faith in AD 550. Brannock was a priest in the household of Brychan, King of Brencknock. He married one of the King's daughters, but the family troubles were a great incentive for leaving his royal home. At that time the Welsh Britons often raided their Dumnoni neighbours on the opposite side of the Bristol channel.

In all probability Brannock came to North Devon with such a raid and is said to have landed on Saunton Sands at the mouth of the River Taw. At the time of his arrival the estuary of the Taw and Torridge rivers was wooded, as was a portion of Braunton Burrows. Brannock settled among a tribe of local Britons, soon establishing a strong Christian community. A Christian church, the first in North Devon, was built at a spot near where the Caen stream began to spread its waters on the alluvial lands around the River Taw. Brannockstood, the township that grew up around this church, later became Brauntona, and at the end of the nineteenth century, Braunton.

urfing

In recent years, the village has become a hub for surfing as it sits at the gateway to North Devon's surf beaches of Saunton, Croyde and Woolacombe. A number of major surf brands were created in the village including Tiki, Loose Fit and Salt Rock.

Twin towns

*flagicon|France Plouescat, France.Fact|date=September 2008

External links

* [http://www.braunton.net Braunton Web site]
* [http://www.braunton.org.uk/ more information]
* [http://www.brauntontic.co.uk Tourist Information Centre]
* [http://www.everythingexmoor.org.uk/_B/Braunton.php Everything Exmoor]
* [http://www.shipoffools.com/Mystery/2004/877.html Christ Church]
* [http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Braunton/ Braunton at GENUKI]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Braunton — Recorded in many spelling forms including Braun, Braune and Braunes, and the locational Branston, Braunton and Braunston, this is an English surname. Its derivation is from the pre 7th century Anglo Germanic word brand , meaning a sword or fire… …   Surnames reference

  • Braunton — Original name in latin Braunton Name in other language Braunton State code GB Continent/City Europe/London longitude 51.10847 latitude 4.16131 altitude 14 Population 8608 Date 2011 03 03 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Braunton Burrows — is a sand dune system on the North Devon coast. Braunton Burrows is a prime British sand dune site, the largest sand dune system (psammosere) in England. It is particularly important ecologically because it includes the complete successional… …   Wikipedia

  • Braunton Canal — The Braunton Canal is a cut made to straighten the course of the upper section of the River Caen, known as Braunton Pill, and to provide a new quay for the village of Braunton in North Devon, England. It crosses an area known as Braunton Marsh,… …   Wikipedia

  • Braunton Community College — Infobox UK school name = Braunton School and Community College size = latitude = 51.10272 longitude = 4.15625 dms = dms motto = motto pl = established = approx = closed = c approx = type = religion = president = head label = Headteacher head = Mr …   Wikipedia

  • Braunton Road railway accident — The Lynton Barnstaple Railway maintained an exemplary safety record throughout its short existence from 1898 to 1935, with no passenger or member of the public having ever been injured or killed. There were, however, two accidents resulting in… …   Wikipedia

  • Braunton — Braun|ton, der: brauner Farbton: warme Brauntöne bestimmen die neue Herbstkollektion …   Universal-Lexikon

  • South West Coast Path — The starting point at Minehead Length 630 miles (1,014 km) Location England: Somerset, Devon, Cornwall …   Wikipedia

  • North Devon Coast — The North Devon Coast was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in September 1959. The AONB contributes to a family of protected landscapes in the Southwest of England and a total of 38% of the region is classified by the… …   Wikipedia

  • North Devon Football League — Countries England Founded 1904 Divisions 4 Number of teams 61 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”