Rockbeare

Industrialisation and Victorian Rockbeare

Historically Rockbeare formed as part of East Budleigh Hundred. During this period the population was 419 in 1801 and 404 in 1901.

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. The original house was built c. 1760-70 and owned by Sir John Duntze. About 1820 the house was remodelled with complete simplicity and refinement, possibly by Kendall of Exeter "who gave Plymouth and Exeter so many scholarly buildings between 1820 and 1840." Rockbeare manor was the main jobs provider in the area at the time along with agriculture and quarrying.

Chart¹ shows the occupational status for people in 1881, the general trend is that most people were working in the services and agricultural sector and unspecified occupations.

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.

The Dumnonii

The Dumnonii or Dumnones inhabited Devon from the Iron Age up to the early Saxon period and are believed to be the first inhabitants of this district.

Roman links

Although the evidence for Rockbeare to have been part of a roman settlement is fairly vague, the University of Exeter's Archaeology team has revealed new findings of how the county's inhabitants lived during the Roman period. The team uncovered archaeological features and significant amounts of imported Roman pottery, along with locally made goods. 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 for the Portable Antiquities Scheme. All of these findings suggest that people having lived in this area were influenced in some way by the Romans. Although these finds have been made, it is still displayed in a puzzling setting as it does not really compare to other known Romano-British settlements when compared to surrounding counties including, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Sites from those counties produce much more finds such as coins and brooches and a greater amount of pottery. The question is: "We are wondering whether the Dumnonii, the tribe who lived in the area now known as Devon, still retained their traditional identity rather than becoming entirely Romanised." Environmental evidence suggests differing agricultural activities to those of the Romans, possibly to feed the Roman army.

Post 1800

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, th e Bishop of Exeter.

Culture and attractions

Rockbeare offers cultural places to visit including Rockbeare manor & St. Mary's church.

The Jack in the Green's pub located on London Rd Listed under the top 50 Gastro pubs in the UK and was recently named the best in Devon.

Rockbeare manor offers a scenic background of 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. Rockbeare manor is a grade I listed building

The former Independent Chapel located near the quarry has survived and been renamed to Marsh Green's village hall.

Education

Rockbeare Church of England Primary School was established in 19. Following the July 2012 Ofsted inspection, the school was rated 2 "Good".

Industry

Rockbeare Quarry located above Allercombe, Upcott and Pithead was a former quarry used to produce gravel, cement, bricks, tar and stones in 1986. In 2006 a proposal by Michel Ragody Hughes has been submitted to fill the existing quarry due to it being a "disused water storage". The proposal has been unfruitful.

The Cheeky Cow catering company offers catering services to Exeter and Devon. Their catering services include the finest locally produced meats and vegetables. Cheeky Cow is located in the village of Rockbeare.

Rockbeare Manor contributes to the local economy by providing a venue for weddings and events. The Manor provides jobs for locals that in turn improves the local revenue.

Most local businesses are located along London Rd.

Transport links

Exeter Airport is approximately 2.9 miles west of Rockbeare and reachable by bus or car. Several bus links including the number 4, 4A, and 4B run through Rockbeare connecting it with surrounding villages, the airport and Exeter City Centre. Bus services to the city centre run hourly and are operated by Stagecoach. Exeter Airport just outside Rockbeare's South West boundary has its main flight path just to the south of the village, therefore there is small noise pollution.

Cranbrook offers a rail station with services run by South West Train's to Exeter, London Waterloo, and Gillingham.

Climate

Rockbeare, as with the rest of the UK, experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Its southern location makes it one of the warmest areas in England. Mean average data has been sourced from the Met Office, data has been collected from the Exeter Airport climate station. Below you'll find the annual average temperatures for the Exeter Airport and Rockbeare parish district.

Topography

Referring to the to the Landscape Character map¹ , Rockbeare has been designated into three different landscape characters:

1C – Pebble Bed Heaths. In Rockbeare Parish, the main area requiring protection is already under the ownership of the National Trust. Care should be taken that quarrying does not extend into this area.

3B – Lower rolling farmed and settled slopes. This forms the majority of the Parish and it is vital to prevent encroachment of built-up areas relating to the Cranbrook development changing its character.

4D – Lowland Plains. This is the area most prone to flooding and as such is better preserved as meadow land and open space free from building.

The land is generally used for mixed agricultural activities including cattle and sheep grazing on poorly drained land and better drained areas for cereal and maize.

Agricultural classification: as defined by Defra, the parish offers good quality farming land i.e. grade 2 and 3b.

Cranbrook development

Around 35,000 people commute into Exeter on a daily basis.

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.

It also aims 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 in Exeter. The aim is to be sustainable as well as offer affordable housing for young families drawing more people into the area. The 250 home proposal would connect Rockbeare to Cranbrook, although Rockbeare and Cranbrrok would merge, the proposal would contribute 25% more affordable housing according to Waddeton Park Ltd, the developer of the site.

Rockbeare is strongly opposed against this development as it would have to compromise 820 residential dwellings, one primary school, cemetery, sports and recreation facilities at land West Station Road, Broadclyst.