Pickwell, Devon

Pickwell is a small settlement with a converted manor house in the civil parish of Georgeham, in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England.

Pickwell
A view of Pickwell
Pickwell Location within Devon
OS grid reference	SS457409
Civil parish	Georgeham
District	North Devon
Shire county	Devon
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRAUNTON
Postcode district	EX33
Dialling code	01271
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	North Devon
List of places UK England Devon 51.1469°N 4.2067°W / 51.1469; -4.2067

Pickwell lies between the village of Georgeham and the coast above Woolacombe and Putsborough beach, close to the South West Coast Path. It gives its name to the Pickwell Down Sandstones Formation which are red and brown sandstones with shales which extend from the hills of Pickwell Down and Woolacombe Down overlooking Morte Bay east-southeastwards to Muddiford and Bratton Fleming.^[1][2]

History

Pickwell was known as pediccheswella in the Domesday Book.^[3]

The manor was owned by John Harris who was the member of parliament for Barnstaple in the mid 19th century.^[4]

During the Victorian era Pickwell was owned by the Hole family who paid for much of the restoration of St George's church in Georgeham. The church contains a "Pickwell chapel" which dates from 1762 and is separated from the body of the church by an ornate screen.^[5]

Manor house

The manor house still contains some of the structure which built in the late medieval period, however it was largely rebuilt between 1902 and 1905 for Sir Montague Style of the Style baronets. It is a Grade II listed building.^[6]

The main range of the house, which is in a Jacobean style, is L-shaped and consists of two storeys. The central gable has an oculus. To the rear of the range is a 15th-century doorway with a moulded surround. In the grounds is a folly built to resemble a chapel.^[6]

The manor house has now been converted into self-catering holiday apartments and a wedding venue.^[7][8][9] Several of the surrounding farm buildings are also available for rent.^[10][11]

References

1. "Pickwell Down Sandstones Formation". British Geological Survey. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
2. Brown, Anthony; Bennett, Jenny; Rhodes, Edward (2009). "Roman mining on Exmoor: a geomorphological approach at Anstey's Combe, Dulverton" (PDF). Environmental Archaeology. 14 (1): 50–61. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.506.1731. doi:10.1179/174963109X400673.
3. "Georgeham Medieval Manor House". Explore the North Devon Coast. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
4. "HARRIS, John (1703-68), of Pickwell Manor, nr. Barnstaple, Devon, and Wrotham, Kent". The History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
5. "Georgeham (St Georges)" (PDF). Explore the North Devon Coast. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
6. "Pickwell Manor including front garden walls and features and retaining wall with outbuilding to rear". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
7. "Pickwell Manor". Pickwell Manor. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
8. Bennett, Suzy (9 March 2016). "Pickwell Manor, Devon: review". Telegraph. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
9. Williams, Holly (2 December 2014). "Pickwell Manor, Devon: Stay the night". Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
10. "Pickwell Barton Cottages". Pickwell Barton Cottages. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
11. "Pickwell Manor Farm Holiday Cottages". Pickwell Manor Farm Holiday Cottages. Retrieved 13 August 2016.