Accott Woods

Codden Hill lies just in view to the right of this image with Codden Farm in the valley next to it.

Carved stone post by the UC road, in parish of Swimbridge (North Devon District), Goodleigh Road, Gunn, opposite Berry Lane and post box, at end of shrubbery, by fence, on North side of road. Barum tombstone, erected by the Barnstaple turnpike trust in the 19th century. Inscription reads:- 5 BARUM Carved benchmark on lower face. Devon & Dartmoor HER listed. HER Number: MDV72449 Link Milestone Society National ID: DV_BSIFg05

Taken from the West end.

Taken from the North-East.

Looking west towards Hutcherton

A farm with its own farm shop which specialises in fresh lamb and pork. Looking north-north-west

Looking south-south-east

Looking south east. The plume of smoke on the left indicates the site of the chipboard factory near South Molton

Entrance to the farm, looking south. A barn here at one time had machinery powered by a waterwheel

The entrance gateposts seem slightly elaborate for the location but once served West Buckland School. Looking south-south-east

Looking south

Near the church, looking east

Looking east to the west tower, the only part of the church to escape the 19th century rebuilding. Note the raised churchyard, just possibly an indication of a pre-Christian site

Near the summit and the parish boundary with East Buckland

Taken from one of several sharp bends in the no through lane from West Buckland to Taddiport, followed by the Tarka Trail and the Macmillan Way West, both of which continue across the valley. The lane can be seen descending past the nearest trees, down a side valley. Left of centre, beyond Accott Woods, another deeper side valley enters from the opposite side of the Venn.

Accott Woods run alongside a stretch of the Venn valley as well as its tributary system, of which this is a view. The valley crossing from left to right carries the Tarka Trail and the Macmillan Way West from Sandick Cross to West Buckland. The wooded side valley ahead is descending from Accott. Seen here from the Tordown Farm conservation walk.

Accott seen from the lane crossing Hutcherton Down between Stone Cross and Gunn Cross. The following history is taken from Link (no longer available) : "Accott Manor is believed to date from the 12th century and although the original manor house fell derelict in the 1950's the detached Grade II Listed private chapel adjoining is in sound condition…. Accott is reputed to be named after Acca, a local Saxon landowner who also gave his name to Ackland, Landkey. The Manor which comprised several farms originally formed part of the episcopal manor of Bishops Tawton and has quite a long history. According to another document Accott was held by Richard Cotell of Drogo de Lington in 1127, whose ancestors had been granted the estate by a Bishop of Exeter. A century and a half later Alice Cotell gave it in exchange for a "sore goshawk" and a life annuity to John Giffard, whose family owned it for about another century. The estate left the Giffard family eventually when it was sold by three sisters who had inherited it jointly when their two brothers, who were wild characters, had killed each other in a quarrel. The Chichester family of Hall owned the farm for over 300 years until the early 1900's. At the western end of the manor house is a chapel used for Roman Catholic services when the Giffards lived there in the late 1500's after the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. In 1890, during repairs to the house, workmen removed some cannon balls which were embedded in the walls. These seemed to indicate that Accott may have been the scene of an engagement, probably during the Civil War of the 1650's. Soon after the Chichester Estate had to sell off Accott for Estate Duty reasons and both farms were bought by the Lee family. Since they only needed one house to live in the manor house was used for storage purposes." The buildings are better seen from SS6431.