Bampton, Devon
Bampton is a small town and parish in northeast Devon, England, on the River Batherm, a tributary of the River Exe. It is about north of Tiverton, 19 miles north of Exeter and the parish borders Somerset on its north-east and north-west sides. Bampton is a major part of the electoral ward of Clare and Shuttern. The ward population at the 2011 Census was 3,412.
History
Toponymy
The name Bampton is derived from the Old English bæðhǣmetūn meaning 'settlement of the bath dwellers', either referring to baths for bathing, or perhaps to nearby Morebath.Pre-Norman
The history of Bampton is thought to have started with a Roman fort, but later Saxon remains are most easily seen. Some hedges conform to the Saxon furrow measure of 625 feet and traces of Saxon strip farming can be seen to the north-east of the later castle. The circular churchyard is also Saxon in origin.Norman
The 11th-century Norman Bampton Castle was built in about 1067 by Walter Douai or his son, Robert. Originally it probably had a timber tower on top of the Motte. To the east of the mound was a rectangular bailey, defended to the south by the steep slope down to the River Batherm. Following a dispute with King Stephen about the ownership of lands around Uffculme, Robert Douai rebelled against King Stephen. Stephen then besieged the castle which eventually surrendered. Robert’s fled into exile and his lands were granted to Henry de Tracy.Civil War
The English Civil War reached Bampton in 1645, when Royalists from Tiverton Castle burnt the town, so that few buildings earlier than the 17th century survive.Nineteenth Century
The population in the 1841 census was 1,275 inhabitants.Landmarks
Bampton now has over 70 listed buildings including the Grade I listed church, dedicated to Saint Michael and All Angels, whose tower dates from the 13th century. It was rebuilt and enlarged in the fifteenth century and restored in 1872. In the hamlet of Petton, which is in the parish, is the small church of Saint Petrock. Parts of the former vicarage date from the middle of the 15th century; and the Exeter Inn on the edge of the town was originally a farmhouse built in 1495.Bampton Fair
History
The annual Bampton Fair was established by Royal Charter in 1258 and is held every year on the last Thursday in October. Although a fair was mentioned in 1212 and is possibly even older. The first surviving charter for a fair to be held at the church of Saint Luke is from 1258 and was granted by Henry III to the rector of the church, Master Osmund. Later fairholders included the Coggan, Fitz Warine, Courtney and Bourchier families. It was known as Saint Luke's fair for many years as it was held on the feast day of Saint Luke. Traders selling goods at the fair were required to pay tolls which were originally paid at a toll booth at the entrance of the fair. In 1790 the booth moved to the Market or Manor Rooms in Newtown Square. Until 1883, there was also a three-day fair at Whitsun which was held at the manor. This was granted in 1267 to John Cogan, who was then the Lord of the Manor, along with a right to hold a weekly market.As well as trade, the fair has also always offered entertainments of various kinds. In the early years these would have been mystery plays with a biblical theme. As time went on however, the plays began to have themes around myth and history. There would have been bear baiting, jugglers, acrobats and puppet shows plus boxing and wrestling matches.
In the 1920s, a miners' strike caused large sell off of pit ponies and prices at Bampton collapsed. In 1928, some ponies were given away for free. In 1972, Mr Baxter leased the right to take tolls at the fair to the town council. This agreement included a clause that the council would pay the business rates associated with the fair, and be responsible for running the fair and cleaning up afterwards. The first payment to Mr Baxter was set at £25. This entailed a lot of organisation by the council such as providing road signs to the fair, cleaning up waste and litter after the fair and traffic management. From 1972, Brook Street was shut to traffic on fair days. The Station Car Park became the site of the funfair in 1973. By 1984, the receipts from the fair were £1040.
After the end of pony sales in 1985, the revenue from the fair began to decline with fewer stallholders than previously and there was an increase in the number of food stalls. In response to this. Bampton Fair Working Group was set up in 1990 which still continues. The fair is now let for a nominal £100.