Chudleigh History Group
The Chudleigh History Group was formed in 2002. It now has a membership exceeding 150, and takes a very active interest in any matters relating to the preservation or investigation of the fabric of the community, and constantly monitors any proposed changes or rearrangements affecting the town.
The History Group led the successful ‘Save Our Twin Oaks’ campaign in 2005 and was in the forefront of the conservation of the Town Mills’ Leat in 2004. An exhibition of Chudleigh’s past was staged in 2003, and a local ‘Big Dig’ was organised the following year.
The Group is currently supporting a significant investigation taking place at The Bishop’s Palace, and in 2007 wrote and published a book which was distributed to the local schoolchildren to commemorate the Great Fire of Chudleigh in 1807. The commemoration culminated in the building of a replica of the town centre which was then ceremoniously burned down, despite appalling weather conditions on the day.
This year (2009) we marked the 700th anniversary of the granting of the Town Charter to Chudleigh by staging a Medieval weekend which included a Medieval Banquet for 150 local residents dressed in period costume.
If you would like to join our thriving group then please get in touch, click here to go to the Contact page.
Historical Overview
Few towns can have the diverse history of Chudleigh. Prehistoric remains found in the caves at the Rock are evidence of Stone Age man. Overlooking the town to the east is an Iron Age hillfort, 1500BC - 400AD, which would have been inhabited by people we now refer to as Celts. The origin of the town itself is Saxon. Some of our place and farm names are of this origin; a Saxon church probably existed in the site of the present church.
Following the Norman conquest and the country being under Norman rule the town grew in importance and in 1309 Bishop Walter Stapledon was granted a charter by King Edward II allowing a weekly market and annual fair to be held. During the 11th and 12th centuries the Bishops of Exeter built a large palace in Chudleigh (a few remains can still be seen at the bottom of Rock Road). Until the Reformation the town was overseen by the church but during the 16th century ownership passed into lay control. The town continued to grow in importance along with the woollen trade. During the civil war it played host to both Royalists and Parliamentarians.
In 1807 the greatest disaster in Chudleigh history saw two thirds of the town burned down and 1200 people made homeless because of it. The then Lord Clifford of Ugbrooke, headed the relief committee which saw the town rebuilt by 1811.
The Industrial Revolution heralded the demise of the woollen industry but the established coaching trade kept Chudleigh alive. Being on the main coaching route between Exeter and Plymouth several ale houses and post houses opened along with all the ancillary businesses connected with the coaching trade. The coming of the railway began the demise of the coaching era. The railway passenger line closed in 1958. During the mid 1900sthe town suffered severe disruption through increased traffic along the A38, which then passed through the town. Upon the opening of the A38 bypass in 1973 the town regained some normality and became a close community again.
Over the passed fifty years the population has doubled and Chudleigh is now very desirable being so close to the A38, M5, Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth.
The History Group Logo
The History Group logo is in the form of a shield and is a representation of four coats of arms belonging to families once influential in the parish, the families were:
Top Left: Pynsent - see Pynsent History
Top Right: Inglett
Bottom Left: Eastchurch
Bottom Right: Wychalse