South Brent
Encyclopedia
South Brent is a large village on the southern edge of Dartmoor, England
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...

, in the valley of the River Avon
River Avon, Devon
The River Avon, also known as the River Aune, is a river in the county of Devon in the south of England. It rises in the southern half of Dartmoor National Park in an area of bog to the west of Ryder's Hill. Close to where the river leaves Dartmoor a dam was built in 1957 to form the Avon reservoir...

, population 2998 (2000), 8 km (five miles) north-east of Ivybridge
Ivybridge
Ivybridge is a small town and civil parish in the South Hams, in Devon, England. It lies about east of Plymouth. It is at the southern extremity of Dartmoor, a National Park of England and Wales and lies along the A38 "Devon Expressway" road...

, and next to the Devon Expressway
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...

 which connects Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...

 51 km (31.7 mi) to the north-east and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

 29 km (18 mi) to the west.

History

It was originally a woollen and market centre with two annual fairs. Now the village centre is within the boundaries of Dartmoor National Park, and it is a thriving community with shops, public houses, businesses, school, village hall and community centre.

A railway station serving the village was opened on the South Devon Railway
South Devon Railway Company
The South Devon Railway Company built and operated the railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England. It was a broad gauge railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel-Chronology:* 1844 South Devon Railway Act passed by parliament...

 on 15 June 1848. It served as the junction for the branch line to Kingsbridge
Kingsbridge
Kingsbridge is a market town and popular tourist hub in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of about 5,800. It is situated at the northern end of the Kingsbridge Estuary, which is a textbook example of a ria and extends to the sea six miles south of the town.-History:The...

 from 19 December 1893. The station closed in 1964, though for some years there has been a movement to reopen it in order to reduce commuter traffic on the roads. South Brent United is the local football team established in 1931.

Scope and features

The parish includes the small hamlets of Aish
Aish, South Brent
Aish is a hamlet in the English county of Devon. It is near the large village of South Brent.This Aish is not to be confused with the Aish near Stoke Gabriel, in the same district.Some locals pronounce Aish as Ash....

, Harbourneford, Lutton (Hamlet)
Lutton (hamlet)
Lutton is a small farming hamlet on the outskirts of South Brent, Devon. It can be found on the south sheet of the OL28 map of the UK Dartmoor at . It is a hillside community on the side of Brent Hill. It is only a small hamlet of about 15 people....

, Brent Mill, and many scattered farmhouses. On Brent Hill, the steep hill just outside the village from which it takes its name (Old English brant – steep), are the ruins of an ancient building, supposed to have been a chapel, and of a windmill, built about 1790. On the high moorlands are many hut circles, enclosures, and barrows, all dating from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

. The manor of Brent belonged to Buckfast Abbey
Buckfast Abbey
Buckfast Abbey forms part of an active Benedictine monastery at Buckfast, near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. Dedicated to Saint Mary, it was founded in 1018 and run by the Cistercian order from 1147 until it was destroyed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries...

 from the time of the foundation of the abbey in the early 11th century and was bought at the Dissolution by Sir William Petre, a large receiver of monastic spoils in South Devon. The panoramic view from the top of the hill is one of the most impressive in the county .

The massive Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

 tower of St Petroc’s Church (now at the west end) was apparently the central tower of a cruciform building, the west portion of which was demolished at some date, perhaps in the early 14th century when the existing nave was rebuilt with two transepts. In the early 15th century these transepts were enlarged into aisles. The fine font, of red sandstone, is late 12th century in date, and is similar in style to others in neighbouring churches. On the south of the churchyard is the manor house, part of which is 15th century in date. In 1436 the vicar, the Rev John Hay, was dragged out of the church and murdered while officiating at divine service. The door through which he was taken has been walled up, though the old doorway is just visible.

South Brent primary school supports about 250 children. The buildings are modern and replace the old school which is now a community centre.

South Brent is located just south of Dartmoor. Locals complain that South Brent experiences higher rainfall than surrounding towns and villages. It seems likely that the hills of Dartmoor do affect the microclimate of South Brent.

The Dartmoor historian William Crossing
William Crossing
William Crossing was a writer and documenter of Dartmoor and Dartmoor life. He lived successively at South Brent, Brentor and at Mary Tavy but died at Plymouth.-Early life:...

 (1847–1928) lived in the village from 1872 onwards.

South Brent FC

The Palstone Park Recreation Ground is where the home of South Brent Football Club can be located. The club compete in the South Devon Football League
South Devon Football League
The South Devon League is a football competition based in England, and is sponsored by WBW Solicitors. Its top division, the Premier Division, sits at level 12 of the English football league system. This league is a feeder to the South West Peninsula League...

and are managed by John Parsons.
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