Kingsbridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kingsbridge |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
.svg) Coat of Arms of Kingsbridge |
|
 Kingsbridge
|
|
| Population | 6,116 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | SX7344 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KINGSBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | TQ7 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
|
Kingsbridge is a lively market town located in the South Hams area of Devon, England. In 2011, about 6,116 people lived here. The town sits at the top of the Kingsbridge Estuary. This estuary is a special type of river valley, called a ria, which reaches the sea about 6 miles (10 km) south of the town.
Kingsbridge is the third largest town in the South Hams. It is about 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Torquay and 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Plymouth.
Contents
A Look Back: Kingsbridge's Story
Kingsbridge got its name from a bridge built a very long time ago, even before the year 1000! This bridge connected two royal estates, Alvington and Chillington. Because it was the "King's bridge," the town became known as Kyngysbrygge.
In 1219, the leader of Buckfast Abbey was allowed to start a market in Kingsbridge. By 1238, the area had grown into a "borough," which meant it had some special rights. The abbey owned the land until the time when many monasteries were closed down by the king.
Kingsbridge is actually made up of two older towns: Kingsbridge and Dodbrooke. Dodbrooke also had its own market and became a borough by 1319. Even though Dodbrooke was important first, Kingsbridge grew bigger and eventually included it.
The town has two main churches. St. Edmund's Church has parts from the 1200s, like its font. It was made bigger around 1414 and mostly rebuilt in the 1800s. The other church, St. Thomas Becket at Dodbrooke, has a beautiful old wooden screen called a rood screen.
In the past, Kingsbridge was known for making cloth. In 1798, the town's mills started making woollen fabric. Later, in the early 1800s, they also began making a strong fabric called serge.
During the 1800s, Kingsbridge was a busy port. Ships carried goods along the coast. The town also built ships, had a tannery (where leather is made), and held a big monthly cattle market. Important goods sent out from Kingsbridge included cider, corn, malt, and slate.
Kingsbridge has even been featured in books! The famous writer Anthony Trollope used it as the setting for his novel Rachel Ray in 1863. More recently, Rachel Joyce's 2012 novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry also takes place here. In 2021, a movie based on The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was filmed in Kingsbridge. It came out in 2023.
Many buildings in the town centre are from the 1700s and 1800s. The Shambles, which is a covered market area, was rebuilt in 1796. However, it still has its original granite pillars from the 1500s. The old grammar school, built in 1670, is now a museum.
Kingsbridge Today: What's Happening?
Kingsbridge has been the main market town in its area for hundreds of years. It's located inside the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). This means it's a really beautiful place! Being close to the coast and places like Salcombe for sailing has made Kingsbridge a popular spot for tourists.
Visitors can enjoy many restaurants and pubs. There's also a cinema in the old Kingsbridge Town Hall building. You can visit a museum dedicated to William Cookworthy, a chemist who was born in Kingsbridge in 1705.
Kingsbridge has two large supermarkets, Morrisons and Tesco. The town also has a big secondary school, Kingsbridge Community College, which teaches over 1,000 students from the local area.
The town is connected to Plymouth and Dartmouth by the A379 road. The A381 road links it to Salcombe and Totnes. Kingsbridge used to have a railway station for 70 years, but the train line closed in 1963. Today, an industrial area stands where the station used to be.
Kingsbridge has its own local government, called a Parish Council. The town also has an elected Town Mayor.
International Connections
Kingsbridge has a "twin town" in Germany called Weilerbach. This means the two towns have a special friendship. Kingsbridge also used to be twinned with Isigny-sur-Mer in France for 58 years, but that arrangement ended in 2019.
Famous People from Kingsbridge
- William Cookworthy (1705–1780) was born here. He was the first person to find china clay in England and make English porcelain.
- John Wolcot (1738–1819), a poet and satirist known as "Peter Pindar," was also born in Kingsbridge.
- John Scoble (1799– d. after 1867), who worked to end slavery in Britain and Canada, was born here.
- William Henry Squire (1871–1963), a composer, went to school in Kingsbridge.
- Vincent Harris (1876–1971), a famous architect, was educated in the town.
- Sir William Mitchell (1925–2002), a physicist, was born in Kingsbridge.
- Mark Ellis (born 1988), a professional footballer, is from Kingsbridge.
- Giselle Ansley (1992–), an England and Great Britain hockey player, is also from the town.
- William Stone (1900-2009) was the last Royal Navy veteran of World War I living in the United Kingdom. He was from Kingsbridge.
Images for kids
-
A view of Kingsbridge.
-
The Coat of Arms of Kingsbridge.
See also
In Spanish: Kingsbridge para niños
