Rockbeare is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of the county of Devon, England, located near Exeter Airport and the city of Exeter. "Whilst the name has nothing to do with either 'rocks' nor 'bears', it simply means 'rooks in the grove (of trees)'."[2][3] "The parish comprises the hamlets of Marsh Green, Pithead, Allercombe, and Little Silver". The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the high road from Honiton to Exeter, and is an agricultural town.[2] The land is nearly evenly divided between arable and pasture, with about 200 acres of common.[2] According to the 2011 Census there were 431 males and 483 females living in the parish.[4] "Rockbeare is written within the Broadclyst ward and electoral division, which is in the constituency of East Devon County Council".[5]
| Rockbeare | |
|---|---|
 St Mary with St Andrew, Rockbeare | |
  Rockbeare Location within Devon | |
| Population | 914 (2011 Census) [1] |
| OS grid reference | SY0242295464 |
| • London | 196 mi (315 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Exeter |
| Postcode district | EX5 |
| Dialling code | 01392 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | http://rockbeareparishcouncil.co.uk |
"Rockbeare has a grade II* listed church dedicated to St Mary with St Andrew, Rockbeare[6] and a football club called Rockbeare Rangers FC.[7] Rockbeare Manor is a grade I listed building.[8]
History
edit19th Century Rockbeare
editHistorically Rockbeare formed as part of East Budleigh Hundred. During this period the population was 419 in 1801 and 404 in 1901.[9]
"Rockbeare Manor, also known as 'Rock Wood' was given by the Bishop of Bath and Wells to Matilda, Countess of Gloucester in the reign of Edward III. From the Countess the manor passed to the abbey of Canonleigh, while at the Reformation it was acquired by the Sainthill family.[9] The original house was built c. 1760-70 and owned by Sir John Duntze.[10] About 1820 the house was remodelled with complete simplicity and refinement, possibly by Kendall of Exeter."[10]
Chart1 shows the occupational status for the population in 1881, the general trend is that although most people were working in the services and agricultural sector, many worked in unspecified occupations.[11]
"Rockbeare Court, beside the church, is a plain stuccoed late Georgian mansion. The church (St. Mary) is a melancholy exhibition of "restoration": it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1888 and is devoid of interest.[10]"
Post 1800
edit
"Rockbeare, par. and vil., Devon, 6½ miles E. of Exeter, 2375 ac., pop. 472; P.O.; Rockbeare House and Rockbeare Court are seats. The manor belonged formerly to Canonsleigh-abbey, and belongs now to T. Porter, Esq. R. House and R. Court are chief residences. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Exeter. Value, £148.* Patron, the Bishop of Exeter.[12]"
Roman links
editEvidence for Rockbeare to have been part of a Roman settlement came from the University of Exeter's Archaeology team who have revealed new findings of how the county's inhabitants lived during the Roman period.[13] The team also uncovered archaeological features and significant amounts of imported Roman pottery, along with locally made goods.[13] The site was first discovered by metal detectorists Jim Wills and Dennis Hewings who reported their finds to archaeologist Danielle Wootton, who is the Devon Finds Liaison Officer (Antiquities Scheme).[13] All of these findings suggest that people having lived in this area were influenced in some way by the Romans. It is questioned "whether the Dumnonii, the tribe who lived in the area now known as Devon, still retained their traditional identity rather than becoming entirely Romanised."[13]
Geography
editClimate
editRockbeare, as with the rest of the UK, experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Its southern location makes it one of the warmest parts in England. Mean average data has been sourced from the Met Office, data has been collected from the Exeter Airport climate station.[14] Below are the annual average temperatures for Rockbeare and Exeter Airport area.
| Climate data for Rockbeare, England (1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.1 (52.0) |
13.3 (55.9) |
16.8 (62.2) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.7 (71.1) |
21.5 (70.7) |
19.2 (66.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
11.7 (53.1) |
9.8 (49.6) |
14.8 (58.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
3.7 (38.7) |
4.5 (40.1) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.4 (54.3) |
12.3 (54.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
8.0 (46.4) |
4.8 (40.6) |
2.4 (36.3) |
6.8 (44.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 82.2 (3.24) |
60.7 (2.39) |
56.8 (2.24) |
62.1 (2.44) |
57.2 (2.25) |
48.4 (1.91) |
45.8 (1.80) |
53.4 (2.10) |
58.8 (2.31) |
88.9 (3.50) |
83.4 (3.28) |
87.3 (3.44) |
785 (30.9) |
| Source: Exeter Airport [15] | |||||||||||||
Economy
editMost local businesses are located along London Rd. Rockbeare Quarry located above Allercombe, Upcott and Pithead was a former quarry used to produce gravel, cement, bricks, tar and stones until 1986.[16]
Cranbrook development
editCranbrook is located just north-west of the village of Rockbeare. This provides opportunity for a structure plan, following a development proposal that would incorporate the parish of Rockbeare.[17]
"The vision for Cranbrook is to create a self-sufficient, low carbon new community in close proximity to skilled employment opportunities, encouraging people to use sustainable modes of transport and to reduce the need for them to travel between work and home by car."[18]
The aim is to become a modern market town with close functional links with the other developments in the growth area, such as Skypark and Exeter Science Park. It is also envisioned to construct sustainable homes, as well as offer affordable housing for young families. As a result Rockbeare and Cranbrook would merge. Rockbeare, however, is strongly opposed as it would have to compromise 820 residential dwellings, one primary school, cemetery, sports and recreation facilities.[19]
Culture and community
editRockbeare is surrounded by the rolling hills of Dartmoor along with a well-appointed manor "perfect for weddings and other occasions including celebration dinners, parties, corporate team building days and charity fundraisers."[20] St. Mary's with St. Andrew's Church is the main church in the civil parish of Rockbeare. The former Independent Chapel located near the quarry has survived and been renamed to Marsh Green's village hall.[21]
Transport
editExeter Airport is located approximately 2.9 miles south west of Rockbeare.[22] Bus services to the city centre run hourly and are operated by Stagecoach.[23]
Cranbrook offers a rail station with services run by South Western Railway to Exeter, London Waterloo, and Gillingham.[24]
Education
editRockbeare Church of England Primary School was established in 1872.[25] Following the July 2012 Ofsted inspection, the school was rated 2 "Good".[26]
References
edit- ^ Neighbourhood Statistics
- ^ a b c "Rockbeare 1868". genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Rockbeare 1868". genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Rockbeare Key Statistics". Neighborhood statistics. Office for national statistics. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ StreetCheck. "Interesting Information for Rockbeare, Exeter, EX5 2LU Postcode". StreetCheck. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- ^ "St Mary with St Andrew, Rockbeare".
- ^ "Club website features for sports clubs".
- ^ Historic England. "ROCKBEARE MANOR INCLUDING TERRACES ADJOINING TO SOUTH (1203803)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ a b Historic England (12 August 1987). "Rockbeare Manor (1000193)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ^ a b c Foundation, Internet Memory (9 March 2017). "UK Government Web Archive – The National Archives". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Vision of Britain | 1881 Census: Ages | Table 10". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ Bartholomew, John (1887). Gazetteer of the British Isles (1st ed.). Edinburgh: Bartholomew.
- ^ a b c d "University of Exeter". www.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Exeter Airport Climate".
- ^ "Climatological Information for Rockbeare, England", Exeter Airport, 2010. Web: [1].
- ^ "Domesday Reloaded - Rockbeare Quarry 1986". BBC. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012.
- ^ "Cranbrook - Exeter and East Devon Growth Point". www.exeterandeastdevon.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Cranbrook - Exeter and East Devon Growth Point". www.exeterandeastdevon.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Home - Rockbeare Parish Council". rockbeareparishcouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Rockbeare Manor".
- ^ "Parish Map - Rockbeare Parish Council". www.rockbeareparishcouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Rockbeare Bus Timetable" (PDF). Stagecoach Group. 25 February 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2017.
- ^ "Stagecoach Official website". Stagecoach Group. Archived from the original on 2 October 2009.
- ^ "Cranbrook". South West Trains. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Rockbeare Church of England (VA) Primary School and Pre-School - School". www.rockbeareprimary.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ "Rockbeare Church of England Primary School - Inspection Report 2012". Ofsted. Ofsted. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2017.