The small town of Moretonhampstead lies on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, within Dartmoor National Park. It calls itself “The Gateway to the High Moor”, and is a favourite stopping off point when I travel down to my holiday home in Cornwall. But on this occasion I was actually on my way back home to Northamptonshire. The town has a fascinating history.
The central region of Devon was occupied by the Saxons soon after 682 AD. It was divided into vast estates, and one of these divisions included all land within the boundaries of the rivers Teign and Bovey, with Mor Tun as its major settlement. The present parish of over 6,000 acres is the residue of that ancient crown lordship. The Domesday Book (1086 AD) shows that the manor of Moreton, with some neighbouring manors, supported upwards of 5,000 sheep. Wool and (in later years) the manufacture of woollen cloth formed the basis of the town's economy for over 700 years. The economy was evidently healthy when the town established a water-powered fulling mill before the end of the 13th century.
In 1207 AD King John granted a weekly market and an annual five-day fair, indicating that Moretonhampstead had developed into an important local community. The town grew steadily through the Middle Ages and remained prosperous until the end of the 17th century, when the wool industry began to decline. The town continued to be a local trading centre and a rest stop for travellers on the difficult routes across Dartmoor and from Exeter and Newton Abbot.
A series of fires in the 20th century destroyed many of Moretonhampstead's ancient buildings, but sufficient still remains to demonstrate the Saxon and Medieval heritage, and the later industrial prosperity. Much of the town is designated a conservation area, with many listed buildings of architectural and historic interest.
(Source: Wikipedia)
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