Lower Street

In the past Lower Street was quite a self- contained neighbourhood, a little apart from the Town, rather as was New Street. In the Victorian period it had its own shops and inn, gardens for vegetable growing and a few families that had lived here for generations.

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[To explore these maps further visit the maps section.]

Earlier it may have been even more separate, without the buildings beyond Bishop’s House and consisting of a few farm houses.

Settlement has spread since the Tithe Map of 1841 and that is apparent when you see the properties which have spread into what we have called ‘Beyond’ for the purposes of this exhibition. It is surprising though how some views of Lower Street are almost unchanged.

2 and 4 Lower Street

Peter Hill understood that a farmhouse was built here in 1702 for £25 by a lieutenant in the Royal Navy on land bought from the Hayter Hames estate.

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In 1841 the Tithe Map shows John Northcott as owner and William Hellier as occupier. It is described as ‘cottages, barn and yard’, and stretches down the side lane. William Hellier (spelt Helyer in the census till 1881, then Hellier) is described as a baker, 35 years old, in the census for 1841.

See separate pages for:

Gallery

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This page is compiled from an exhibition mounted by the society. Here are the notes that accompanied the exhibition.

We have had much assistance from householders who have shared their knowledge with us and others who have recalled people and incidents in Chagford’s past. We have also drawn on records such as the Tithe Map and Apportionment, Parish Council Minutes, deeds, diaries, census, trade directories etc.

It is inevitable that over the ten years some of our oldest sources of oral recollection have passed away: Dick Collins was a great help with our first study, of New Street, and Eric Webber was always a tremendous fund of local knowledge – and incidentally a founder member of the Society.

We realise our exhibition leaves many gaps but we hope it is a start and that it will be useful to others in the future who wish to carry on with recording Chagford’s history. If you can fill in any of the gaps please see the stewards at the desk and we can add your contribution to our records. And please tell us about our mistakes – you usually do’

This exhibition was produced by Jean Rhodes, Liz Griffiths, Sue Price and Christine Baker.

We should like to thank the following for their help:

Edna Rowe Sheila Chorley Joyce Storey Alan Stone Julia Endacott Gaye Hill Ray Butt Roger Harvey Esther Avery Margaret Tibbles Pauline Tremlett Vera Wotton Rosemary Webber Gwen Mortimore Liz Hawes Margaret Jeffreys Jean Nyburg Maureen and David Pitt Anthony and Ann Paddon Hilary and Sally Lewis Allan and Muriel Rice Deidre and Brian Skelton Ruth and Jonathan Bint Elizabeth Lockley David Rhodes John Baker

The Montessori School

Chagford Primary School Ann Searson Kathryn and Chris Askew Vi Dicker The Late Peter Hill

This exhibition would not have been possible without the Devon Library Service – they have loaned us all the exhibition stands.