Langtree
Encyclopedia
Langtree is a village
and parish
in north Devon
, England
, situated about 4 miles south-west of Great Torrington
and 8 miles south of Bideford
. Its name means "tall tree". Torridge
District Council and Devon County Council are responsible for local government
, while for religious administrative purposes it is part of the Archdeaconry of Barnstaple
and the Diocese of Exeter
.
As well as house
s and farm
s, Langtree village contains:
Langtree parish also includes the smaller village of Stibb Cross
.
An entry in White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Devonshire (1850) reads:
"LANGTREE is a considerable village, 3½ miles S.W. of Great Torrington, and has in its parish 911 souls, and 4028 acres (16 km²) of land, including the hamlets
of Stowford and Week. The Trustees of the late Lord Rolle own most of the soil, and are lords of the manors of Langtree and Stowford, and patrons of the rectory ... The Church has a tower
and five bell
s, and contains several neat monuments. There was anciently a chapel at Cross hill. The National School, built in 1840, is supported by the rector
." The school referred to was situated next to the church and later used as a village hall.
The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) adds:
"The village, which is considerable, is wholly agricultural. The soil
is clay
ey, but in some parts rich, producing good crops
of wheat
and barley
. The prevailing timber
is oak
and pine
. The road
from Torrington to Holsworthy
and Launceston passes through the parish. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £510. The living is a rectory
in the diocese of Exeter, value £348. The church, dedication unknown, is an ancient stone
structure, with a tower containing five bells. There was formerly a chapel-of-ease
at Cross-Hill. The parochial charities produce about £55 per annum. There is a parochial school for both sexes, in which a Sunday-school
is also held. The Baptists and Bible Christians have each a chapel. The trustees of the late Lord Rolle are lords of the manor."
UK national grid reference for centre point of Langtree: SS451156
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in north Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, situated about 4 miles south-west of Great Torrington
Great Torrington
Great Torrington is a small market town in the north of Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below...
and 8 miles south of Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
. Its name means "tall tree". Torridge
Torridge
Torridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Bideford. Other towns and villages in the district include Holsworthy, Great Torrington, Hartland and Westward Ho!. The Island of Lundy is administratively part of the District...
District Council and Devon County Council are responsible for local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, while for religious administrative purposes it is part of the Archdeaconry of Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
and the Diocese of Exeter
Diocese of Exeter
The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Province of...
.
As well as house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
s and farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s, Langtree village contains:
- All Saints' Church – a 13th-century Anglican church.
- Langtree Community School and Nursery Unit, a state-funded primary school. It was built in 1929 and was extended in 1992 and 1998–1999.
- A modern Parish Hall, which attracted attention in 2003 by staging the controversial pantomimePantomimePantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
Snow White and the Seven Asylum Seekers, written by Bob Harrod. - A chapelChapelA chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. - The Green Dragon pub.
- A shop and post officePost officeA post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
which has now been closed.
Langtree parish also includes the smaller village of Stibb Cross
Stibb Cross
Stibb Cross is a small village in north Devon, England. It is included in the civil parish of Langtree, and is located about one mile from that village. Its population in 2001 was 677....
.
An entry in White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Devonshire (1850) reads:
"LANGTREE is a considerable village, 3½ miles S.W. of Great Torrington, and has in its parish 911 souls, and 4028 acres (16 km²) of land, including the hamlets
Hamlets
Hamlets is the name of an open source system for generating web-pages originally developed by René Pawlitzek at IBM...
of Stowford and Week. The Trustees of the late Lord Rolle own most of the soil, and are lords of the manors of Langtree and Stowford, and patrons of the rectory ... The Church has a tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
and five bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s, and contains several neat monuments. There was anciently a chapel at Cross hill. The National School, built in 1840, is supported by the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
." The school referred to was situated next to the church and later used as a village hall.
The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) adds:
"The village, which is considerable, is wholly agricultural. The soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
is clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
ey, but in some parts rich, producing good crops
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
. The prevailing timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
is oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
. The road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
from Torrington to Holsworthy
Holsworthy, Devon
Holsworthy is a market town in the north west of Devon, England. It is situated near the county border with Cornwall, and is 9 miles from the coastal resort of Bude. It is on the intersection of the A388 and A3072 roads, and lies on the River Deer, a tributary of the Tamar...
and Launceston passes through the parish. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £510. The living is a rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
in the diocese of Exeter, value £348. The church, dedication unknown, is an ancient stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
structure, with a tower containing five bells. There was formerly a chapel-of-ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
at Cross-Hill. The parochial charities produce about £55 per annum. There is a parochial school for both sexes, in which a Sunday-school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
is also held. The Baptists and Bible Christians have each a chapel. The trustees of the late Lord Rolle are lords of the manor."
UK national grid reference for centre point of Langtree: SS451156