Abbots Bickington
| Abbots Bickington | |
|---|---|
 St James' church |
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 Abbots Bickington
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| Abbots Bickington shown within Devon | |
| Population | 35 (2001) |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HOLSWORTHY |
| Postcode district | EX22 |
| Dialling code | 01409 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Abbots Bickington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Devon, located 7.7 miles north-northeast of Holsworthy and near the River Torridge.
The name Bickington is derived from an "estate associated with a man named Beacca" plus the Old English practice of adding "ing" and "tūn" to create a place name. In 1086 it was recorded as Bicatona, in 1107 Bechintona, and in 1580 Abbots Bekenton, to reflect the possession by Hartland Abbey.
The village is located in the Torridge local authority area. It is within the Church of England's Deanery of Holsworthy and the Diocese of Exeter.
In the late 19th century it was reported that blue limestone was quarried in the village for building construction, and trustees of Lord Rolle were patrons of the church.
The village was held by Goda the priest in the time of King Edward before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The area was part of the Black Torrington Hundred and had 10 households, 8 were smallholders and 2 were slaves. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086–7 as Bichetone, when it was held by Gerald the Chaplain, the tenant-in-chief and lord. He was also associated with two other locations in Devon: Stoke and Shapley.
In the 12th century the manor was given to Hartland Abbey by Geoffrey de Dinant, as part of the abbey's initial endowment. It remained as property of the abbey until dissolution in 1539. The church was built as a "cell" of the abbey.
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