In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Otterton like this:
OTTERTON, a village and a parish in St. Thomas district, Devon. The village stands on the descent of a fine elevation, adjacent to the river Otter, 2 miles N of the river's mouth, near a railway in course of formationin 1867 past Ottery, St. Mary to Sidmouth and Salterton, and 3½ miles S W by W of Sidmouth; is a place of great antiquity; consists chiefly of one long street of thatchedhouses; carries on the manufacture of pillow-lace; and has a post-office under Budleigh-Salterton, and fairs on Easter Wednesday and the Wednesday after Michaelmas. ...
The parish contains also Northmost-Town, Passaford, Pinn, and Pitson; and extends to the sea. Acres, 3, 479; of which 45 are water. Real property, £5, 123. Pop. in 1851, 1, 231; in 1861, 1, 140. Houses, 232. The manorand most of the land belong to the trustees of the late Lord Rolle. A Black priory was founded here, by King John; was attached, along with the manor, to the abbey of Mont St. Michel, on the coast of Normandy; passed, at the suppression of alien monasteries, to Sion abbey; and has left remains connected with the parish church. An ancient nunnery stood at Otterton House. The landcomprises a grand sweep of swells and valley; and terminates, at the coast, in lofty cliffs. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Exeter. Value, £336.* Patrons, the Heirs of Lord Rolle. The church is a venerableedifice; was partly restored by the late Lord Rolle; consists of nave, N aisle, chancel, and chantry-chapel, with fine embattled tower; and stands on a rising-ground at the S W end of the village, commanding extensive and beautiful views. There are a national school and charities £15.
Otterton through time
Otterton is now part of East Devon district. Click here for graphs and data of how East Devon has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Otterton itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Otterton in East Devon | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/6081
Date accessed: 01st May 2024
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