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Your guide to the parish of Hartland in North Devon. From here you can find out more about the history of Hartland, tourism, businesses, activities and what's happening in Hartland. The website acts as an entry point for local information. |
Hartland, North Devon - A brief introduction
| Situated in the furthest north western corner of the county of Devon, England. It is the largest parish in Devon excepting Dartmoor. Bound on two sides by water gives Hartland two distinct coastal properties, the wild wave dashed cliffs of the west Shaped by the Atlantic and the sheltered valleys of the north which faces the Bristol Channel. Hartland was and possibly still is the farthest point from a railway (measured by drawing the largest full circle on the map which does not cross a rail-line) this gives it some seclusion and provides the unspoiled countryside that attracts the visitor. Full of features such as gardens, historic buildings, woodland walks, The Coastal Path and National Trust properties Hartland has a lot to offer for both a day visit and as the central location for the longer holiday. | |
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| Below are short introductions to some of the many events held at Hartland through the year. Further information on the locality and accommodation can also be found on the Hartland Peninsula Association website( LINK). Further in the Hartland Forum website you can explore the history of the area both ancient and the more modern please take time to have a wander through. | |
Hartland Carnival Week (external Website) held in August each year. A week long mixture of traditional evenings with a Wednesday being a feature activity event and the carnival procession on the Saturday evening. Procession starts normally at 7pm but you need to be in your place much earlier as this is one of the biggest rural shows in the westcountry. The annual 'One Week in Summer' Musical Festival at St. Nectan's is always a great occasion, its week-long programme of concerts providing a variety of interest for differing musical tastes. Hartland's festival is over thirty years old. It is centred around the Church of Saint Nectan at Stoke, often referred to as the 'cathedral of North Devon', with its amazing medieval screen, Norman font and extremely tall tower. To get to the church one goes through the town towards Hartland Quay. On the way to the church is Hartland Abbey, the jazz night venue, and St John's Music and Arts Centre in The Square at Hartland. The Church Room is in the main car park and acts as the Festival Office. Hartland Times |
Hartland Garden Show, held on the last Saturday in July is always a great day, a tradition for more than 140 years. Local gardeners always produce a fine display of flowers, fruit and vegetables; cookery, needlework and floral arrangement will play there part and, of course, the children always exhibit a fine array of craft and art. The sports program, catering for all, will last all the afternoon and Hartland Town Band adds musical enjoyment - all that it needs is a good, fine day! There is traditionally an Autumn SHow each year as well Religion Schools The National Trust maintains a number of properties and landscapes at Hartland - LINK |
Hartland Arts & Crafts Society - taken from their promotional leaflet. How It All Started: In 1989 a few local artists were invited to stage a small exhibition and this prompted the formation of the society. Its aims are to encourage, promote and exhibit the talents of local artists and crafts-people. Today the society is thriving. |
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HARTLAND ABBEY: Founded soon after 1157 as a monastery to serve St. Nectan's Church, Stoke, the parish church of Hartland, the Abbey has a fascinating history, surviving longer than any other in the country before in was dissolved in1539 by Henry VIII. Much more extensive than the present building, the Abbey was indeed impressive, as illustrations which still survive clearly show. King Henry made a gift of the property and lands to the sergeant of his wine cellar and it has been passed down by successive generations to the present day, never being sold, though on three occasions it has passed through the female line. The present building dates from 1705 and building schemes continued until 1779 - the old Abbey and surrounding buildings, long in decay, demolished to make way for the new structure. The Stucley family, the present owners, inherited the property via the third heiress, Anne Orchard, in 1824. Her great-grandson, Sir George Stucley, who became a baronet in 1859, was responsible for the present interior decoration and so the house remains today, a mixture of three architectural styles - medieval, Queen Anne and Georgian - with rich Victorian decoration, a living history book so fascinating to visit. Housed in the Servants Hall - the former cloisters of the old Abbey - an exhibition of documents dating back to 1160 make interesting reading. A large collection of photographs relating to the owners charts the changing social history and many other interesting items can be seen. Deep in the old kitchens the ladies of the Parish Church are on hand providing an array of excellent home baked refreshments and welcome cuppas. |
HARTLAND QUAY: The museum at Hartland Quay provides a detailed insight into the coastal history of the area and includes a comprehensive collection of photographs, documents and artifacts regarding the shipwrecks that have taken place along this often treacherous coastline. Models and graphic displays take one to the very scene of some of the heroic rescues that have taken place, as ships have floundered on the rocks. A small museum by any standard, it is housed in the upper floor of a couple of former cottages, the work of co-founders Mark Myers and Dr. Michael Nix. Mark is a noted maritime artist, who lives nearby at Woolley, Morwenstowe, and Michael, a former schoolteacher at Hartland is now working at Glasgow Museum service. The pair of them have also produced a couple of guides to the nearby coast around Hartland Quay - one northwards from the Quay, the other taking you southwards. Each suggests several walks and lists the vessels which have been wrecked off that particular stretch of coastline. Another joint venture has been to produce a history of Hartland Quay. Entitled Hartland Quay, The Story of a Vanished Port, it is a forty-eight page book, giving not only the history of the place but also something of an insight of what life was like living and working there in bygone days. As well as maps and reproductions of documents it also contains sixteen old photographs, some of which show the Quay as a working port. First published in 1982, it has since been to the printers for a fifth impression.
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DOCTON MILL GARDENS: Tucked away in Spekes Valley, Docton Mill, an ancient water mill that once ground the corn for the local farmers, is now surrounded by three and a half acres of beautiful lawns, gardens and orchards which visitors are welcome to wander through. The mill, which was restored in the early 1980s - its water wheel continuing to turn - it was the home of Steve and Iris Pugh. They bought the property in the late 1970s and first renovated the mill as a home. By 1983 they had completed the restoration of the water wheel, mill pond and the leat which feeds it. But, most striking of the changes that have taken place at Docton Mill are those affecting the grounds, which total nearly eight acres. Long derelict and unkempt, the large orchard was in danger of reverting to the wild. Now much of the extensive grounds have been restored and varying types of garden established, including a large collection of shrub roses, making it well-known in gardening circles, featuring in many television programmes. The process of garden development and plant conservation still continues. The hills behind the house has been drained and laid to lawn, a large bog garden created and woodland walkways constructed. Situated in a sheltered valley, away from the prevailing winds, the gardens escape the worst of the weather, a quiet oasis when winds are blowing. Docton Mill Gardens Website |
Hartland Artists and Makers Hartland Artists and Makers is a group of like-minded craftspeople who live and work in Hartland, each with her or his own skill and individual style. Their workshops are dotted around the village, but are within easy walking distance of each other. Perhaps because Hartland is off the beaten track, there is a strong sense of community, and members may work together on a project, help each other out, or just enjoy a drink together in our local. David Charlesworth - Teaches Fine furniture making skills Merlyn Chesterman - a painter & printmaker James Morley - Designs and makes contemporary furniture Phillip & Frannie Leach - Fine pottery George Morgan - Restores and sells antiques Bob Seymour - Hand made windsor chairs and fine photography |
St NECTANS CHURCH: No list of places which welcome visitors would be complete without mention of St. Nectan's, the Parish Church of Hartland - often referred to as the 'Cathedral of North Devon.' Believed to date from 1360, it has certainly been welcoming visitors the longest! It replaced an earlier church on the site of which only the font still remains and is thought to date from 1170. The 128ft tower, rising in four stages, claimed to be the highest in Devon, has for centuries been a landmark. It was built about sixty years after the main church and it contains a peal of six bells, last rehung in 1952, weighing practically 3 tons. The arch of the tower, open today, once housed a musicians' gallery where the 'church orchestra' of fiddles, double bass, flute and clarinet played for services. The magnificent rood screen, dating from 1450, is a massive structure of eleven bays, 45ft 6ins long, 12ft 6ins high and 5ft 10ins wide at the top. Earlier times saw both the organ and seating on top of the screen! An interesting collection of artifacts can be seen in the little room above the north porch, 'Pope's Chamber', including the barrel mechanism of an older organ which enabled a selection of hymn tunes to be used when a musician was not available. The old stocks are among the other 'treasures'. |
Cheristow Lavender Farm (from their Website) We are a family based business based on a traditionally run farm in rural North Devon. We work in harmony with our natural environment, and use the countryside and our gardens as inspiration for our products. The main theme of our business is lavender – which inspires our food, toiletries and plant selection. We are open to the public from 1 March to 31 October, CLOSED FRIDAY'S. Free admission Our tearoom serves homemade food using our own and locally sourced produce, with a lavender theme. All our pasties, rolls, cakes, teacakes, scones, ice cream, and pastries are made on the premises. We are customer focused, aiming to provide excellent customer service. |
