Clovelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clovelly |
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 The village sits 400 feet (120 metres) above the harbour and Bideford Bay |
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 Clovelly
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| Population | 443 —Whole parish (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SS315245 |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BIDEFORD |
| Postcode district | EX39 |
| Dialling code | 01237 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Clovelly (/kləˈvɛli/) is a special village in Devon, England. It's unique because it's privately owned! The village and the land around it belong to John Rous, who inherited it from his family. His family, the Hamlyns, have looked after Clovelly since 1738.
This village is built right into the side of a wooded sea cliff on the north Devon coast. It has a very steep main street made of cobblestones where only people can walk. Because it's so steep, donkeys used to carry goods up and down. Now, people mostly use sledges for moving things! Many visitors come to Clovelly. You pay a fee at the visitor centre, which helps maintain the village. This fee also lets you see two museums, the beautiful Clovelly Court gardens, and an audio guide about the village's history. Clovelly is a popular place for tourists and even has a fun Lobster and Crab festival every year.
In 2011, about 443 people lived in Clovelly. The island of Lundy is also part of the Clovelly Bay area for elections.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: Clovelly's History
People have lived in the Clovelly area since the Iron Age, which was thousands of years ago! There's even an old hillfort (a fort built on a hill) nearby. After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, a very important event, William the Conqueror took over the land where Clovelly is. It was even mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from that time. William later gave the village to his wife, Matilda of Flanders.
Later, in the late 1300s, a judge named Sir John Cary bought Clovelly. The Church of All Saints in the village has many memorials to the Cary family. They were the main landowners, or Lords of the Manor, for the next 400 years! For a long time, Clovelly was mostly a farming village. But in the late 1500s, George Cary, who was the squire (the main landowner), built a stone wall to create a harbour. This harbour was super important because it was the only safe place for ships to stop along that part of the Devon coast. He also built places to store fish and cottages along the stream that led to the shore. George Cary spent a lot of money turning Clovelly into a busy fishing village.
Clovelly has been owned by only three families since the 1200s. In 1738, the Hamlyn family took over. In 1901, about 521 people lived here. A big reason Clovelly looks so well-preserved today is thanks to Christine Hamlyn. She worked hard to fix up and expand the old cottages and make the village even more beautiful.
Clovelly's Lifeboat Station
Clovelly has had a RNLI lifeboat station since 1870. The RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea. The first boathouse cost £175 to build. Between 1899 and 1931, the lifeboat crew saved 158 lives!
In 1988, the RNLI closed the station. But the villagers didn't give up! They started their own rescue service. Then, in 1998, the RNLI reopened the station. In 2014, a new, fast lifeboat called an Atlantic 85-class lifeboat was placed there. It was named in memory of Toby Rundle, an Oxford student who passed away in 2010.
Clovelly's Unique Buildings
Almost all the buildings along Clovelly's cobbled street are special and protected because of their history and design. These are called listed buildings. More than 50 out of 71 buildings on the main street are listed! Only a few are not.
The most important listed building is the Church of All Saints. Parts of this church might even have some very old Norman architecture from the 1100s. However, most of it was built in the 1400s and early 1500s, and then fixed up in the 1800s.
How Clovelly is Managed
The Clovelly Estate Company owns all the buildings in the village. They are in charge of keeping the village in good condition and making sure it keeps its special old-world charm. John Rous, who lives at Clovelly Court, leads the company. He is part of the Hamlyn family, who have owned the village for a long time.
In 2021, Clovelly had about 80 cottages, two chapels, two hotels, and lots of woodlands and farmland. The village works hard to attract tourists, and it has been very successful at it!
Getting Around Clovelly
You can't drive cars on Clovelly's main street. It's just too steep and narrow!
Because cars can't go on the main street, people use sledges to move things. This isn't just for show; it's how they really get things done! Goods are pulled down the hill on sledges from the car park at the top. And when it's time to collect rubbish, it's pulled down the hill to a vehicle waiting at the harbour.
You can get to Clovelly by bus using the Stagecoach service 319. This bus route connects to towns like Barnstaple, Bideford, and Hartland. The South West Coast Path, a long walking trail, also starts at the top of the village.
Since 2023, there's a fee to enter the village. This fee helps pay for the village's upkeep. It includes entry to the village, the gardens of Clovelly Court, and car parking. For adults, it costs £9.50, and for children, it's £5.50. Kids under 7 can enter for free. If you bring a dog, make sure it's on a lead!
Clovelly's Twin Town
Clovelly has a special friendship with a town in France. This is called twinning.
Cesny-Bois-Halbout, France
