Bovey Tracey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bovey Tracey |
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 Bovey Tracey town square |
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 Bovey Tracey
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| Population | 4,729 |
| OS grid reference | SX817784 |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWTON ABBOT |
| Postcode district | TQ13 |
| Dialling code | 01626 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Bovey Tracey is a town in Devon, England. It's located right next to Dartmoor, which is why it's known as 'The Gateway to the Moor'. People who live there often call it 'Bovey'.
The town is about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Exeter. It sits on the A382 road, roughly halfway between Newton Abbot and Moretonhampstead. In 2011, the population of the wider Bovey area was about 7,721 people.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Bovey Tracey has been a community since Saxon times. Its name comes from the River Bovey. In an old book called the Domesday Book, it was first called Bovi.
The second part of its name, 'Tracey', came from the de Tracey family. They owned the land after the Norman Conquest. The town was first called Bovitracy in 1309.
Important Events in History
One member of the de Tracey family, William de Tracy, was involved in the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170. It's believed he rebuilt the local church as a way to make up for his actions.
In the early 1200s, Henry de Tracey made Bovey Tracey a special area called a borough. In 1259, he was given permission to hold a weekly market and a yearly three-day fair.
The English Civil War
During the English Civil War, a famous event happened in Bovey Tracey. On January 9, 1646, Oliver Cromwell and his Roundhead army arrived after dark. They surprised some of the Royalist officers who were playing cards in an inn.
Many Royalist soldiers escaped, but Cromwell's army captured about 400 horses. A local story says the Royalists threw coins from windows to distract the Roundhead troops. The next day, a battle on nearby Bovey Heath ended with Cromwell's army winning.
Today, you can still find reminders of Cromwell in the town. There's a pub called The Cromwell Arms. There are also remains of a stone arch, sometimes called Cromwell's Arch. However, this arch is actually part of an old building that was there before the current Baptist Church.
Pottery and Town Twinning
The Bovey Tracey Potteries made pottery in the town for about 200 years, starting in the 1750s.
Bovey Tracey used to be twinned with Le Molay-Littry in Normandy, France. However, in 2018, the French town surprisingly twinned with a different place.
Where is Bovey Tracey?
Bovey Tracey is in the valley of the River Bovey. It's where the A382 road (which goes between Newton Abbot and Moretonhampstead) meets the B3387 road.
Local Weather
The weather in Bovey Tracey has been recorded for many years. Since 1990, the hottest temperature was 27 °C (81 °F) in July 2018. The coldest temperature was -5 °C (23 °F) in February 1991 and March 2018.
| Climate data for Bovey Tracey (Yarner Wood) 120m amsl (1991–2020 averages) (extremes 1990–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13 (55) |
13 (55) |
14 (57) |
20 (68) |
23 (73) |
25 (77) |
27 (81) |
25 (77) |
22 (72) |
20 (68) |
16 (61) |
14 (57) |
27 (81) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
16.1 (61.0) |
19.0 (66.2) |
20.8 (69.4) |
20.5 (68.9) |
18.0 (64.4) |
14.2 (57.6) |
10.9 (51.6) |
8.5 (47.3) |
14.0 (57.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) |
2.6 (36.7) |
3.6 (38.5) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.0 (50.0) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
10.3 (50.5) |
8.0 (46.4) |
5.4 (41.7) |
3.3 (37.9) |
6.9 (44.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3 (27) |
−5 (23) |
−5 (23) |
1 (34) |
3 (37) |
8 (46) |
10 (50) |
8 (46) |
6 (43) |
5 (41) |
1 (34) |
0 (32) |
−5 (23) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 178.8 (7.04) |
133.0 (5.24) |
111.9 (4.41) |
93.6 (3.69) |
80.1 (3.15) |
83.1 (3.27) |
73.6 (2.90) |
91.9 (3.62) |
93.9 (3.70) |
158.7 (6.25) |
154.6 (6.09) |
185.7 (7.31) |
1,438.8 (56.65) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 16.4 | 13.9 | 12.3 | 11.7 | 10.4 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 15.2 | 16.2 | 16.9 | 153.1 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 54.5 | 79.8 | 123.7 | 179.3 | 203.6 | 203.8 | 209.1 | 188.0 | 148.7 | 99.2 | 68.3 | 47.4 | 1,605.2 |
| Source 1: Met Office | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: MSN | |||||||||||||
Getting Around
Bovey Tracey is connected to other places by train and bus.
Train Travel
The closest train station is Newton Abbot railway station. This station is on the main line between Exeter and Plymouth. You can catch trains to places like Exmouth, Exeter St Davids, and London Paddington.
Bovey Tracey once had its own train station. It opened in 1866 but closed for passengers in 1959. Goods trains continued until 1970.
Bus Services
Local bus companies like Stagecoach South West and Country Bus (Newton Abbot) serve the area. Their routes link Bovey Tracey with towns like Exeter, Newton Abbot, and Moretonhampstead.
Cool Places to See
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Bovey Tracey has many old and interesting buildings. Over a hundred of them are officially protected.
The Parish Church
The main church, called St Peter, St Paul and St Thomas of Canterbury, is at the top of the town. It's a very important historic building. Its tower is from the 1300s. Inside, you can see many carvings from the 1400s. It also has a beautiful screen that was restored in 1887. The church has had vicars (priests) listed all the way back to 1258.
Other Historic Buildings
On Hind Street, the East Dartmoor Baptist Church was built in 1824. It was started by workers from the Bovey Potteries. The Bovey Tracey Town Hall was finished in 1866.
Local Attractions
Since 1986, the Devon Guild of Craftsmen has been in a building called Riverside Mill. This building, from 1854, has an old waterwheel that used to pump water.
The Bovey Tracey Heritage Centre is in the old Bovey railway station. Volunteers run it, and it's open during the summer.
On the edge of town, you'll find the House of Marbles. This is a fun place to visit where the historic pottery used to be. Also nearby is Parke, the main office for the Dartmoor National Park Authority. You can also visit a Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserve at Bovey Heath. The path of the old Haytor Granite Tramway also runs through the area.
The town council says Bovey Tracey has a "good mixture of shops". There's also a farmers' market every other Saturday morning.
Fun Events in Bovey Tracey
Bovey Tracey hosts many events throughout the year for both visitors and locals:
- Nourish: A food and gin festival held in September.
- Green Man Festival: A festival with morris dancers and other folk traditions, held at the end of April.
- Contemporary Craft Festival: A festival celebrating modern crafts, held in June.
Historic Estates
Within the Bovey Tracey area, there are some old estates:
- Indio: This was once the home of the Southcott family. An old pottery called Indeo Pottery was here between about 1766 and 1785.
- Parke: This was the home of Nicholas Eveleigh in the 1600s. Today, it's the main office for the Dartmoor National Park Authority.
Sports and Activities
Bovey Tracey is the starting point for the Dartmoor Devil bicycle ride. This is an annual cycling event in late October. It covers over 100 km (62 miles) around Dartmoor and involves more than 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) of climbing. The ride finishes in nearby Manaton.
The town also has a Non-League football club called Bovey Tracey A.F.C.. They play at The Western Counties Roofing Ground.
See also
In Spanish: Bovey Tracey para niños
