In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Bicton like this:
BICTON, a parish in St. Thomas district, Devon; on the river Otter, near the coast, 4 miles WSW of Sidmouth, and 7 ½ S by E of Whimple r. station. It includes the hamlet of Yettington; and its Post Town is Budleigh-Salterton, under Exeter. Acres, 1,294. Real property, £2,114. Pop., 166. ...
Houses, 34. The property all belongs to the Hon. Mark Rolle, son of Lord Clinton. The manor was given by William the Conqueror to W. Porto; went through various families to Sir Robert Dennys; and passed, by marriage, to Sir Henry Rolle, the ancestor of Lord Rolle. Bicton House, the family seat, is an elegant mansion, in one of the finest parks in England. The gardens were noted by the late Mr. Loudon as among the best he had ever seen; an arboretum in the park is one of the choicest and largest in the kingdom; and there is a noble avenue of auracaria, oak, and beech. The jail for the county was provided in terms of the tenure of the estate; and stood in the parish till 1518. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Exeter. Value, £220. Patrons, the Heirs of Lord Rolle. The church is a handsome edifice, recently erected by Lady Rolle. The previous church was a curious old structure; and part of it is now a mausoleum, connected by a cloister with the ancient tower.
Bicton through time
Bicton is now part of East Devon district. Click here for graphs and data of how East Devon has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Bicton itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Bicton in East Devon | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1748
Date accessed: 24th April 2024
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