Northam, Devon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northam |
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 Northam Church |
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 Northam
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| Population | 7,489 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SS450290 |
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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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Northam is a market town, civil parish and electoral ward in Devon, England, lying north of Bideford. The civil parish also includes the villages of Westward Ho!, Appledore, West Appledore, Diddywell, Buckleigh and Silford, and the residential areas of Orchard Hill and Raleigh Estate. The population at the 2011 census was 5,427.
History
Northam is thought to have been the site of an Anglo-Saxon castle, and the area between Northam and Appledore is said to have been where the Danish viking Ubba (or Hubba) was repelled (perhaps by Alfred the Great or by the Earl of Devon). This is commemorated in local place names like Bloody Corner and Hubba's Rock (or Hubbleston), which is supposed to be the site where Ubba was killed.
In 1832 a meeting was held in Northam to protest an attempt by Augustus Saltren-Willett, lord of the manor, to take ownership of the commons of Northam Burrows.
Royal North Devon Golf Club was formed at Northam Burrows in 1864; its course is the oldest on its original site in England.
Between 1901 and 1917, the town and golf course were served by Northam railway station.
Northam Burrows
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Northam Burrows is a saltmarsh and dune landscape, adjacent to the Torridge Estuary.
It is part of the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, sits within the North Devon Biosphere, and .
It is also home to the oldest golf course in England, the Royal North Devon Golf Club.
Sport and recreation
Northam has a King George's Field as a memorial to King George V.
Torridge Pool, off Churchill Way, has lane and learner pools but despite the name, it has a wider role as a leisure centre with gym and sauna.
Facilities
Northam has a public library. This burned down in 2005 destroying the building and 90% of the books, in a fire believed to have been caused by the action of a hands-free magnifier on a pile of leaflets. The public library was threatened with closure in 2014 due to cuts in the County's budget.
Notable residents
- Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin KeatsG.C.B.resident of Port Hill and Durrant House
See also
In Spanish: Northam para niños
