Dittisham
Dittisham is located within South Hams local authority area. Historically it formed part of Coleridge Hundred. It falls within Totnes Deanery for ecclesiastical purposes. The Deaneries are used to arrange the typescript Church Notes of B.F.Cresswell which are held in the Westcountry Studies Library. The population was 639 in 1801 549 in 1901 . Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In 1641/2 144 adult males signed the Protestation returns.
A parish history file is held in Dartmouth Library. You can look for other material on the community by using the place search on the main local studies database. Further historical information is also available on the Genuki website.
Maps: The image below is of the Dittisham area on Donn's one inch to the mile survey of 1765.
On the County Series Ordnance Survey mapping the area is to be found on 1:2,500 sheet 127/8 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 127NE
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SX864548. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SX85NE,SE, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Outdoor Leisure 20, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 202. Geological sheet 350 also covers the area.
Illustrations: The image below is of Dittisham as included in the Library's illustrations catalogue. Other images can be searched for on the local studies catalogue.
Extract from Devon by W.G.Hoskins (1954), included by kind permission of the copyright holder:
DITTISHAM village is eminently attractive, and is noted for the wealth of its plum orchards. Thechurch (St. George) is mostly a 15th to early 16th century building, built of the local slate, a material which is found over most of the country W. of Dartmouth. There are a number of interesting things inside: an ancient red sandstone font, c. 1200 in date, a late medieval stone pulpit a rood-screen of the same date which has, however, lost its vaulting and cornice, and aisle windows by Pugin (brought here by Lord Henry Francis Kerr, rector 1827-52).
Bosomzeal is a medieval hall-house, "modernised" in the 16th century Downton appears to be mostly a 16th century "mansion" built around a small courtyard. There is a good plaster ceiling in the Great Parlour. Lapthorne and Capton are also good examples of old farmhouse building in slate. A ferry crosses the Dart to Greenway
