Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for BICTON

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.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 4th order divisions")
Administrative units: Bicton AP/CP       St Thomas RegD/PLU       Devon AncC
Place: Bicton

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