Sandford
Sandford is located within Mid Devon local authority area. Historically it formed part of Crediton Hundred. It falls within Crediton/Sandford 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 1742 in 1801 1248 in 1901 . Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In 1641/2 383 adult males signed the Protestation returns.
A parish history file is held in Crediton 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 Sandford 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 55/14 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 55SW
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SS828025. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SS80SW, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Explorer 114, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 191. Geological sheet 325 also covers the area.
Extract from Devon by W.G.Hoskins (1954), included by kind permission of the copyright holder:
SANDFORD is a large, unspoiled village, with some good farmhouse and cottage architecture, of which Town Barton (late 16th century) is a fine example. Sandford School (1825) is a large classical building, erected by Sir Humphrey Phineas Davie, l0th and last baronet, of Creedy Park.
The church (St. Swithin) is disappointing externally, but has much to commend it within. It was largely rebuilt in 1523-4, and was restored and enlarged in 1847-8, when the clear story was added. There is a fine W. gallery (1657) with an elaborately carved front, erected by the second Sir John Davie of Creedy; and many vigorously carved bench-ends, with medallion busts of men and women, which are probably contemporary with the rebuilding of the fabric. There are various monuments and mural tablets to the Davies, from 1627 to 1846; and a fine brass in the N. aisle to Mary Carew, sister of George Carew (first and only Earl of Totnes) and widow of Walter Dowrich of Dowrich in this parish (1604).
The parish is exceptionally interesting for its houses. Creedy Park is still the seat of the Davies, who descend from John Davie, a successful Exeter merchant. He built the first house here about 1600, which was called Newhouse alias Creedy. This house, much altered since it was first built, was entirely burnt down in 1915, and has been rebuilt in the Tudor style. It stands in a fine park of 370 acres.
Dowrich is a far older house, though much restored in part. It was the home of the Dowrich family fromc. 1200 until 1717. There are substantial remains of a 15th century gatehouse, which formerly opened into a courtyard. The house itself has some 15th century work, but was much restored early in the 19th century Dodderidge was the home of the family of that name from the 13th century until 1746. Prowse, formerly called Higher Dodderidge, appears an ordinary thatched farmhouse, but internally it keeps much of its ancient plan. The central passage has a fine carved oak roof (c. 1500) with a coat-of-arms, probably that of the builder, and a contemporary oak screen to the hall. Bremridge, now a farmhouse also, was the home of the BrenIridges from about the time of King John until the late 18th century
Ruxford Barton is mentioned in a charter of 930, granting a large estate in Sandford to the canons of Crediton. The present farmhouse was largely rebuilt c. 1608, the date given on the plaster coat-of-arms in the principal bedroom.
