Doddescombe Leigh
| Doddiscombsleigh | |
|---|---|
 St Michaels Church, Doddiscombsleigh |
|
 Doddiscombsleigh
Doddiscombsleigh shown within Devon
|
|
| OS grid reference | SX8586 |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
Doddiscombsleigh (anciently Doddescombe Leigh) is a small settlement in Devon, England. It is 8 kilometres (5 mi) southwest of the city of Exeter.
Despite its proximity to the city, the village is notorious locally for being difficult to find, as it is surrounded by twisting-narrow-lanes and deep valleys, with the foothills of Dartmoor National Park stretching away to the horizon. The village is accessed via minor roads which are predominately single track with passing places. The A38 passes within 3 miles at Haldon Hill. The war memorial has the O S grid reference SX 855 865 and for sat nav users the postcode is EX6 7PS.
Of particular note, is the C of E parish church of St Michael. Remarkably, apart from that in the Great East Window of Exeter Cathedral, St Michael’s contains the greatest collection of medieval stained glass to be found in situ anywhere in Devon, as the panels in St Michael’s, which were installed c1480, and some of the glass at Exeter Cathedral, were all produced in the 15th century by the same glazing workshop.
These panels left Exeter over five hundred years ago - around the time of the Wars of the Roses - transported out of the city during the late Middle Ages on a cart and hauled up and down the precipitous hills of West Devon, before being installed in the church for which they were made. And they remain there today, rare survivals of perhaps the most fragile of medieval art forms.
Town Barton - which lies between the church of St Michael and The NoBody Inn is the historic Manor house; also known as the Capital Messuage or Mansion House of Doddiscombsleigh and has a fascinating history.
The first record of Town Barton is in the Domesday Book of 1086 when Doddiscombsleigh was known as Terra Godeboldi under the reign of one Godbold the Bowman. Town Barton was the Capital Barton (Manor House) for Godbold`s Domesday Estates.
This makes it one of the very rare instances of a property truly being specifically traceable to where a Doomsday owner dwelt. The manor of Doddiscombsleigh was also known as Legh-Peverel, but the name was dropped when the manor changed hands, with a Sir Ralph Doddescomb being recorded as living in the old mansion house in the reign of Henry III (1216-1272). Town Barton was renowned for its twenty acres of apple orchards which produced "remarkably fine cider", no doubt supplying the local hostelleries.
...
Wikipedia