Population 7,489 (2011) Region South West Sovereign state United Kingdom Shire county Devon District Torridge UK parliament constituency Torridge and West Devon | OS grid reference SS450290 Country England Post town BIDEFORD Local time Sunday 1:31 PM Dialling code 01237 | |
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Weather 12°C, Wind SW at 40 km/h, 86% Humidity | ||
Custom picture frames northam devon tel 01837 682745
Northam is a small town and electoral ward named Northam exists, not covering Westward Ho!. in Devon, England, lying north of Bideford and east of Westward Ho!. A little over a mile away along the coast is a village called Appledore. The population at the 2011 census was 5,427.
Contents
- Custom picture frames northam devon tel 01837 682745
- Map of Northam UK
- History
- Northam Burrows
- Sport and recreation
- Facilities
- Railway
- Bus services
- References
Map of Northam, UK
History
Northam is thought to have been the site of an Anglo-Saxon castle, and the area between Northam and Appledore is said to have been where the Danish viking Ubba (or Hubba) was repelled (perhaps by Alfred the Great or by the Earl of Devon). This is commemorated in local place names like Bloody Corner and Hubba's Rock (or Hubbleston), which is supposed to be the site where Ubba was killed.
In 1832 a meeting was held in Northam to protest an attempt by Augustus Saltren-Willett, lord of the manor, to take ownership of the commons of Northam Burrows.
Royal North Devon Golf Club was formed at Northam Burrows in 1864; its course is the oldest on its original site in England.
Between 1901 and 1917, the town and golf course were served by Northam railway station.
Northam Burrows
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Northam Burrows is a saltmarsh and dune landscape, adjacent to the Torridge Estuary.
It is part of the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, sits within the North Devon Biosphere, and .
It is also home to the oldest golf course in England, the Royal North Devon Golf Club.
Sport and recreation
Northam has a King George's Field as a memorial to King George V.
Torridge Pool, off Churchill Way, has lane and learner pools but despite the name, it has a wider role as a leisure centre with gym and sauna.
Facilities
Northam has a public library. This burned down in 2005 destroying the building and 90% of the books, in a fire believed to have been caused by the action of a hands-free magnifier on a pile of leaflets. The public library was threatened with closure in 2014 due to cuts in the County's budget.
Railway
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway (B,WH&A,R) was most unusual amongst British railways in that although it was built as a standard gauge line it was not joined to the rest of the railway network, despite the London and South Western Railway having a station at Bideford, East-the-Water, meaning on the other side of the River Torridge from the main town.
The line was wholly situated on the peninsula made up of Westward Ho!, Northam and Appledore with extensive sand dunes the Torridge and Taw estuary. Northam station and the line closed in 1917 having been requisitioned by the War Office, and is now used as part of the Tarka Trail cycle route which forms part of the South West Coast Path.
Bus services
W.Ho! Buses serve the Square, Sandymere Rd and Atlantic Way. Appledore buses serve Lenards Rd and Churchill Way.