Halberton | |
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Halberton shown within Devon | |
Population | 865 (Parish 2011) |
OS grid reference | SS955125 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | TIVERTON |
Postcode district | EX16 |
Dialling code | 01844 |
Police | Devon and Cornwall |
Fire | Devon and Somerset |
Ambulance | South Western |
EU Parliament | South West England |
UK Parliament | |
Halberton is a village and civil parish in Devon, England. The Grand Western Canal runs through the village. The village is situated between the historic market towns of Tiverton and Cullompton.
The large parish has an area of about 7,520 acres (30.4 km2) and it is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Uplowman, Sampford Peverell, Burlescombe, Uffculme, Willand, Cullompton, Butterleigh, Silverton, Bickleigh and Tiverton.
Its name is derived from ‘Haligbeort’ (Albert), the name of the Saxon Chief, and ‘tun’, a farm settlement. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The ward population at the 2011 Census was 2,096. Halberton was once important enough to be a Hundred, an administrative division of a shire. The hundred of Halberton included the parishes of Halberton, Sampford Peverell and Willand, as well as parts of Uplowman and Burlescombe. Many of the farms date back to Domesday or shortly after and Halberton is still largely a farming community.
Halberton village is divided into two parts, Higher Town and Lower Town, separated by the mill stream and pond. The pond is fed by warm springs and never freezes.
The Great Western Railway once had a branch line running through Halberton to Tiverton, but this has now gone. However, the Grand Western Canal still runs through the village and this is now a country park. It is 11 miles (18 km) long running from Tiverton to Loudwells. Rock Bridge was constructed to carry the road (formerly the A373) over the canal. The same engineers that built the canal also built a substantial country house, turnpike house and cottages at the site. Several other bridges were also constructed at Halberton to carry minor roads over the canal.