In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Colyton like this:
COLYTON, a small town, a parish, a sub-district, and a hundred in Devon. The town stands on the river Coly, near the Yeovil and Exeter railway, 5 miles SW of Axminster; is irregularly built; consists chiefly of very ancient houses; is a seat of petty sessions; and has a post office‡ under Axminster, a station on the railway, two chief inns, a parish church, three dissenting chapels, and a free school. ...
The church is later English; Comprises nave, aisles, and chancel; has an interesting eastern window of stained glass; and contains monu ments of the Courtenays, the Poles, the Yonges, and others. A small weekly market is held on Thursday; and fairs on the first Wednesday of May and 30 Nov. Manu factures of paper and of pillow-lace are carried on. A royal force, while holding the town in the wars of Charles I., was attacked and defeated at it by a detachment of the parliamentarians from Lyme. The parish includes also the tything of Colyford. Acres, 7-, 196. Real property, £12, 741. Pop., 2, 446. Houses, 503. The property is divided among a few. The Courtenays and the Poles were seated at Colcombe Castle; and the Yonges, at Colyton Great House. See Colcombe. The living is a vicarage, united with the p. curacy of Monkton, in the diocese of Exeter. Value, £403.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Exeter. Charities, £238. -The sub-district is in Axminster district; and contains five parishes and an extra-parochial tract. Acres, 19, 856. Pop., 6, 190. Houses, 1, 281. -The hundred contains eleven parishes. Acres, 28, 487. Pop., 7, 810. Houses, 1, 630.
Colyton through time
Colyton 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 Colyton itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Colyton in East Devon | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/5707
Date accessed: 18th April 2024
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