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Boundaries, brooks, crosses and more from Alphington

"A day at the races"

By Rowena Jay

The Alphin Brook and the Exeter Canal

The Alphin Brook rises at Holcombe Burnell and along its route towards Alphington it meets up with the Nadder Brook at Pocombe Bridge and the Fordland Brook at Ide. Before 1566 The Alphin Brook joined The River Exe opposite the Countess Weir Mill just up stream from Lampreyford Weir. In 1566 John Trew built The Exeter Canal and as The Alphin Brook caused an obstruction it was diverted into the Matford Brook. When the canal was deepened and extended towards Topsham between 1671 and 1676 it was the Matford Brook that caused the obstruction this time so it was dropped into iron cylinders three feet below the bed of the canal.

The floods

On the 2nd July 1760 there was a sudden flooding of The Alphin Brook and more than 20 houses were washed away. On this occasion over £1000 worth of damage was caused. During another flood on the 20th October 1875 several other houses were also washed away. During April 1877 100 sheep owned by Mr William Hawkin and 35 belonging to Mr Robert White were drowned. A serve flood took place on the 22nd October 1960 and many people had to be rescued from their flooded homes by boat. Neighbours either took them in or they went to stay with relatives until the floods subsided. The church paid for coal to enable them to dry out their homes. After this the Alphin Brook was taken away from its natural course and it was canalised to stop any further flooding.

Cattle markets and horse fairs

From 1862 until the last part of the 19th century Alphington was famous for the Cattle and Horse Fairs. The Horse Fair was the largest in Devon and people including gypsies from miles around attended. They were held on the first Wednesday after 20th June and on the Wednesday after Michaelmas day. The inns in the village would hang a Blackthorn bush outside their doors when the beer and cider was ready; this is why they were known as "bush houses". A rent was paid to the Lord of the Manor for holding these fairs. The Michaelmas Fair was the largest and also known as Goose Fair, up to sixty Geese were cooked at The Admiral Vernon. The last Cattle and Horse Fair was held in 1870.

"A day at the races"

Races were held at Haldon Hill as far back as during the reign of Charles II (1630-1685). During early August in the early part of the 19th century The Haldon Races were held on a Wednesday and a Thursday. The main route from Exeter to Haldon went through Alphington and the village began renting out carts, wagons and Donkeys. Carts and wagons cost 1/- and Donkeys 6d. It seems it was not the safest way to travel as there were many accidents along the way especially on the descent of Haldon Hill; in 1822 a new road was built from the bottom of Telegraph Hill to Chudleigh.

Boundaries

Boundaries have always given occasions for great celebrations to ensure that the participants did not forget the boundary points. In the village in 1753 a parish feast was prepared and it included ale, rum, port, beef, cheese, butter, cabbage, mutton, bread, cider, beer and tobacco all provided by the parish. Another celebration was "beating the bounds" and this could be found in almost every English parish. Besides this more usual name it was also known as "riding the marches", "riding the fringes" or "common riding". The custom involved walking around the parish boundary and beating it with a stick or stripped willow branch known as a wand. Certain trees, stones or markers points were beaten by bumping a boy, often a choirboy, against the marker. He was either suspended upside down and his head gently tapped against the marker or sung against it while being held by his hands and feet. No one knows how and why the tradition started, one explanation is that it was to help the young remember their parish limits.

Crosses

Alphington Cross is one of three 13th-century crosses in the parish. This cross has moved several times, first, between the two World Wars and then once more when there was major road reconstruction carried out on the junction of Alphington Road and Cowick Lane. It gave the name to Crosse Cottage and Crosse House. The second cross is the War Memorial Cross but only the head is original. It was found on the corner of Mill Lane and then given a modern shaft. The original shaft was found in the garden of Belvil or Belleville (Fairfax House) and now leans against the northwest buttress of the Church tower. Because the Devonshire Regiment was still fighting on the Russian Front until 1919 the War Memorial actually reads 1914-1919 for the First World War. Little John's cross is the third cross.

Research for this web page was carried out in Local Libraries and Studies Libraries. Read more about Alphington's historical monuments etc. in my book "Alphington History and Memories".