Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Bere Alston

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OS grid reference
  
SX4466

Country
  
England

Post town
  
YELVERTON

Local time
  
Friday 2:06 PM

District
  
West Devon

Civil parish
  
Bere Ferrers

Region
  
South West

Sovereign state
  
United Kingdom

Postcode district
  
PL20

Shire county
  
Devon

Dialling code
  
01822

UK parliament constituency
  
Torridge and West Devon

Bere Alston httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Weather
  
9°C, Wind S at 23 km/h, 93% Humidity

Bere alston carnival 02 05 2015


Bere Alston is a small village in West Devon in the county of Devon in England. It forms part of the civil parish of Bere Ferrers.

Contents

Map of Bere Alston, Yelverton, UK

Jackson stops hewton house bere alston devon


History and geography

With a population of approximately 2000, the village lies in the Bere peninsula, between the rivers Tamar and Tavy. Its origins lie in the once thriving local mining industry and market gardening sector. At one time, the mainline trains to London would stop at the village to pick up locally grown produce destined for the capital.

Trains still run to Bere Alston railway station on the picturesque Tamar Valley Line, and there has been discussion of making the town a junction once again by reopening the former 'main line' to Tavistock, the largest town in Devon currently without a railway station. Occasionally reopening the whole line through to Okehampton and Exeter is suggested, since the current Plymouth to Exeter route is dependent on an extremely vulnerable route below the sea cliffs at Dawlish Warren.

Bere Alston elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons. Only a few burgage holders were entitled to vote but as most, if not all, of these holdings were held by a single individual for most of the time that Bere Alston was a parliamentary borough elections were seldom contested (see rotten borough). Its MPs included Sir George Beaumont, 7th Baronet, Peter King, 1st Baron King and Josceline Percy. The borough was stripped of its franchise in the Reform Act 1832.

Once home to numerous pubs, the village now only has one public house, The Edgcumbe Hotel, on Fore Street, which at one time was also a jail and later a schoolhouse. There is also modern cafe located next door to Bere Alston United Church.

The surrounding area is surrounded by woodland and fields.

Architecture

The village is notable for having one of the oldest primary schools in Devon, Maynard's School. Erected by Sir John Maynard in 1665, the original building still forms part of the primary school today (the date is carved on a porch above the original red doorway).

The Bere Alston United Church on Fore Street was built in 1811. The Anglican church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1848.

Sport

Bere Alston United Football Club is a member of the Devon Football Association. The 1st team play their matches in the East Cornwall Premier Division. and are managed by Kevin Taylor.

There are four pool teams playing in the Winter Tamar Valley Pool League from Bere Alston.

From the Edgcumbe Hotel: The Edgcumbe 'Aces' - Division 2 & The Edgcumbe 'B' - Premier Division (Division 1 Champions 2009-2010)

We also have a Lawn bowling club in the village playing in many leagues in Devon. The club is visited by many touring teams throughout the season. There is also a club night every Tuesday night.

References

Bere Alston Wikipedia