Swimbridge
Swimbridge is located within North Devon local authority area. Historically it formed part of South Molton Hundred. It falls within Shirwell 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 1082 in 1801 1106 in 1901 . Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In 1641/2 289 adult males signed the Protestation returns.
A parish history file is held in South Molton 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 Swimbridge 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 14/9 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 14SW
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SS620300. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SS62NW,SS63SW, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Explorer 127, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 180. Geological sheet 293 also covers the area.
Extract from Devon by W.G.Hoskins (1954), included by kind permission of the copyright holder:
SWIMBRIDGE lies on the main road from Barnstaple to South Molton.
The church (St. James) is a 15th century rebuilding, except the tower and lead-covered broach spire, which remain from the early 14th century church. The spire is one of three medieval spires in this district, the other two being at Braunton and Barnstaple. The fittings of the church are of exceptional interest, most notable being the stone pulpit (c. 1490) which retains some of its original colour and is freely and beautifully carved and ornamented. The rood-screen, well restored by Pearson in the 1880s, is of about the same date, and is singularly fine and perfect. The font cover is a good example of Renaissance carving of early 16th century date, and above this is a richly decorated tester or canopy.
Notice the monument to Charles son of John Cutcliffe of Damage (1670), surmounted by a beautiful oval portrait in oils, which has been attributed to Lely but is more probably the work of James Gandy (1619-89), a pupil of Vandyke.
Hearson, Stowford, and Marsh were formerly "mansions." Stowford is the traditional birthplace and there is no reason to doubt the tradition of St. Urith, who was martyred at Chittlehampton in the 8th century. The present house is in part medieval. Ernesborough was an ancient freehold estate, first recorded in 1175, and taking its name from the "eagles' hill" (earn- beorh). There are considerable traces of antiquity in the present house.
