Clovelly

Lower part of the village, from the harbour wall

The area has had human habitation since the Iron Age as there is a hillfort at Windbury Head northwest of the village. Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the Manor of Clovelly was acquired by William the Conqueror from its Saxon tenant. It was listed in the Domesday Book as "Clovelie". William would make a gift of the village to his wife Matilda of Flanders.[1]

In the late 14th century, during the reign of Richard II, the Manor of Clovelly was bought by the judge Sir John Cary. The Church of All Saints contains several monuments to the Cary family, who remained the Lords of the Manor for another 400 years. The village remained an agricultural parish until the late 16th century, when the squire, George Cary had the stone breakwater erected creating a harbour. This provided the only safe haven for ships along this stretch of the Devon coast between Appledore and Boscastle. He also erected fish cellars and warehouses at the cliff base and cottages along the banks of the stream that provided the only route to the shore from the plateau above. Cary spent £2,000 turning Clovelly into a fishing village.[2]

The privately owned village has been associated with only three families since the middle of the 13th century. In 1738, the Clovelly Estate was acquired by the Hamlyn family. In 1901, the village had a population of 521.[3] Clovelly's preservation owes much to Christine Hamlyn who dedicated herself to renovating and expanding the ancient cottages while beautifying the village.[4]

Lifeboat station

Clovelly Lifeboat Station

The village has had an RNLI lifeboat station since 1870. The boathouse cost £175 to build.[5] Between 1899 and 1931, the lifeboat saved 158 lives.[6]

In 1988, the RNLI closed the station.[5] In response, the villagers operated their own rescue service.[7] In 1998 the RNLI reopened the station. An Atlantic 85-class lifeboat, was installed in 2014.[8][9] It was named in honour of Toby Rundle, an Oxford student who took his own life in 2010.[10]

^ Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, part 1, 1:59 (Bideford). In the Domesday Book a heading above the entry for Northlew, two entries above the entry for Clovelly, states: Infra scriptas terras tenuit Brictric post regina Mathildis ("Brictric held the undermentioned lands and later Queen Matilda") ^ W. G. Hoskins (1977). The Making of the English Landscape. Book Club Associates. pp. 124–126. ^ The Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow, 1906-1911 - Page 271 ^ "BBC Seven Wonders". Retrieved 19 June 2021. ^ a b "RNLI: Clovelly lifeboat station". Retrieved 27 December 2015. ^ "Clovelly Lifeboat Award". North Devon Journal. British Newspaper Archive. 3 December 1931. Retrieved 28 December 2015. ^ "Clovelly: Lifeboat Station". Retrieved 27 December 2015. ^ "Grief of lost son sparks cash aim for new lifeboat project". North Devon Journal. Retrieved 27 December 2015.[permanent dead link] ^ "Clovelly Lifeboat Station welcomed latest boat, named after man who died in 2009". North Devon Journal. Retrieved 27 December 2015.[permanent dead link] ^ "Devon lifeboat to be named in Toby Rundle's memory". BBC News. 21 February 2012.