Dolton, Devon

Dolton
Dolton Lane leading to Cleave Farm
Dolton is located in Devon
Dolton
Dolton
Location within Devon
Population683 (2021 census)
Civil parish
  • Dolton
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
List of places
UK
England
Devon
50°53′N 4°02′W / 50.883°N 4.033°W / 50.883; -4.033

Dolton is a small village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, south-west England, surrounded, clockwise from the north, by Beaford, Ashreigney, Winkleigh, Dowland, Meeth, Huish and Merton.[1] It has a population of around 900.[2]

Dolton appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Duueltone. The name may mean "farmstead in the open country frequented by doves" (Old English dūfe + feld + tūn).[3]

St Edmund's Church, Dolton

The Tarka Trail passes by Dolton. The parish church is dedicated to St Edmund. The historic stately home Stafford Barton is close by. Dolton is twinned with Amfreville in France, and Hillerse in Germany.

Anthony Horneck FRS, the Protestant theologian, lived in Dolton between 1670 and 1671.[4] Henry Bentinck, 11th Earl of Portland, lived at a house called Little Cudworthy and died there in 1997. Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts lived at Halsdon House near the village for some years until his death in 2021.[5]

  1. ^ "Map of Devon Parishes" (PDF). Devon County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Three Bridges Ward 2011". Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  3. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hodges, Flavia; Mills, A. D.; Room, Adrian (2002). The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford: the University Press. p. 1011. ISBN 978-0-19-860561-4.
  4. ^ "Horneck, Anthony". Cambridge University. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013.
  5. ^ Paul Donovan (25 August 2011). "Villagers get a rare chance to meet rock star neighbour". North Devon Journal. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2013.