Okehampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Okehampton |
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 Baptist Chapel, Fore Street, built 1889 |
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 Coat of arms |
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 Okehampton
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| Population | 5,922 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SX5895 |
| • London | 201 miles (323 km) |
| Civil parish |
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| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | OKEHAMPTON |
| Postcode district | EX20 |
| Dialling code | 01837 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon, England. It is located in the county of Devon, right on the northern edge of Dartmoor. In 2011, about 5,922 people lived here. If you include the two local areas (wards), the population was around 7,500.
Okehampton is about 21 miles (34 km) west of Exeter. It is also 26 miles (42 km) north of Plymouth and 24 miles (39 km) south of Barnstaple.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Okehampton means "settlement" or "estate" (tun) on the River Okement. Old records from 1086, like the Domesday Book, show the name as Ochementone. Later, it became linked to the common ending -hampton. However, some older people in the area still used to say "Okington" or "Okenton" even in the 1930s.
A Look at Okehampton's History
Okehampton was first settled by the Saxons. The oldest written mention of the town is from 980 AD. It was called Ocmundtune, which means "settlement by the Ockment river". It was even a place where slaves could gain their freedom at crossroads.
Like many towns in the West Country, Okehampton grew because of the medieval wool trade. Important buildings in the town include the 15th-century chapel of St. James. There is also Okehampton Castle, built by the Normans around 1090. The Okehampton Town Hall was built in the 17th century.
Okehampton Castle's Story
Okehampton was once the main center of a large feudal barony. This means it was the most important place for a powerful noble family. The castle was first owned by Baldwin FitzGilbert. Later, the Courtenay family rebuilt Okehampton Castle.
However, King Henry VIII took control of the lands in 1539. Today, English Heritage looks after the castle. You can visit it during the summer. The town also has the Museum of Dartmoor Life. Even famous people like the former Prince Charles have visited this museum.
Military Training Area
There is a large army training camp on Dartmoor. You can reach it through Okehampton. It is often called "Okehampton Camp". The Defence Training Estate manages this camp. Many military groups use it for training. This includes the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines.
The Ten Tors event is a big challenge run by the Army every year. It takes place in early May and starts from Okehampton Camp.
Schools and Learning
Okehampton has several schools. These include Okehampton Primary School and Okehampton College. There are also smaller primary schools nearby. These schools serve children from areas like South Tawton, Hatherleigh, Chagford, North Tawton, and Bridestowe.
Places of Worship
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The main Anglican church is All Saints Church. It is on a small hill west of the town center. This church has very old origins, going back to Saxon times. It was first officially recognized in 1261. The church was rebuilt in 1447. However, a fire in 1842 almost completely destroyed it.
It was rebuilt again, with an 80-foot (24 m) granite tower that survived the fire. Inside, you can see parts of an old screen called a reredos. New ones were built in stone in 1891. The choir stalls and altar rails are from this time. The church also has beautiful stained glass windows. Some old medieval glass is still in the Lady Chapel. This church is a Grade II* listed building, which means it is very important.
Fairplace United Church is on St James Street. This church has been a center for both Methodism and the United Reformed Church. It was built in 1904. Other churches include the Okehampton New Life Church, a Jehovah's Witnesses hall, and the Catholic church of St Boniface.
Okehampton's Climate
Okehampton has a wet, mild climate. Because it is on the edge of Dartmoor, it is cooler and gets more rain than lower areas in Devon. The town center usually gets about 1,536 mm (60.5 inches) of rain each year. Some areas to the south and west get even more.
| Climate data for Okehampton, 1981–2010 normals | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6 (43) |
6 (43) |
8 (46) |
10 (50) |
13 (55) |
16 (61) |
18 (64) |
18 (64) |
15 (59) |
12 (54) |
9 (48) |
7 (45) |
12 (53) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3 (37) |
3 (37) |
4 (39) |
5 (41) |
8 (46) |
11 (52) |
13 (55) |
12 (54) |
10 (50) |
8 (46) |
5 (41) |
4 (39) |
7 (45) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 165.0 (6.50) |
125.6 (4.94) |
122.9 (4.84) |
99.1 (3.90) |
103.7 (4.08) |
86.8 (3.42) |
98.4 (3.87) |
99.2 (3.91) |
116.2 (4.57) |
172.3 (6.78) |
165.9 (6.53) |
180.8 (7.12) |
1,535.9 (60.46) |
| Source: Chelsa Climate | |||||||||||||
Sports in Town
Okehampton has a football team called Okehampton Argyle F.C.. It was started in 1926. The team plays in the South West Peninsula League. This league is a few levels below the top non-league football division.
The town also has a rugby club, Okehampton RFC, which started in 1884. There is also a special building for a table tennis club next to the local post office.
Local Media
For TV news, Okehampton gets coverage from BBC South West and ITV West Country. Local radio stations include BBC Radio Devon and Heart West. You can also listen to Greatest Hits Radio South West and Radio Exe. The local newspaper, Okehampton Times, is published every Thursday.
Getting Around Okehampton
Okehampton's location near Dartmoor means it has always been an important place for travel routes.
Road Travel
The A30 is a major road that gives quick access to areas east and west of the town. In 1988, this road was changed to go around the town. Before that, Okehampton was often very busy with holiday traffic, especially on summer weekends.
Train Services
Okehampton railway station is on an old train route that used to go from Exeter St Davids to Plymouth. The line from Exeter stayed open for freight trains going to Meldon Quarry. In 1997, a passenger train service started again on summer weekends. This was to help reduce car traffic to the national park.
The station reopened for regular passenger service on November 20, 2021. This line is now called the Dartmoor line. It started with trains every two hours to Exeter St Davids. By spring 2022, trains were running every hour.
After a storm damaged the main train line at Dawlish in 2014, leaving Plymouth and Cornwall without train access, there was talk of reopening the old route through Okehampton and Tavistock.
Bus Services
Okehampton has many bus services. You can catch buses to Exeter, Bude, Newquay, and Tavistock. Stagecoach South West service 6 goes from Exeter bus station to Okehampton. Other services go to places like Launceston. There are also local bus services run by County Bus and MD Coaches.
Nearby Villages and Towns
Besides the open areas of Dartmoor to the south, Okehampton is surrounded by many smaller villages. Some interesting ones include South Zeal, known for its old cottages and the Dartmoor Folk Festival. Belstone is right on the edge of Dartmoor. Sticklepath has a yearly fire show on Bonfire Night. Other nearby places are Hatherleigh, North Tawton, Whiddon Down, Chagford, and Bridestowe.
See also
- In Spanish: Okehampton para niños
