Sheepstor

Village of Sheepstor
View of Sheepstor village
Village of Sheepstor is located in Devon
Village of Sheepstor
Village of Sheepstor
Location within Devon
Population53 (Census 2001)
OS grid referenceSX560676
• London184 miles (296 km)
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townYELVERTON
Postcode districtPL20
Dialling code01822
PoliceDevon and Cornwall
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
WebsiteSheepstor community page
List of places
UK
England
Devon
50°29′27″N 4°01′55″W / 50.490847°N 4.032040°W / 50.490847; -4.032040

Sheepstor is a village, civil parish and former manor on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. In 2001, its population was 53, down from 95 in 1901.[1] For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of Meavy and Walkhampton to form Burrator Parish Council,[2] and for electoral purposes it is grouped with the same two parishes to form Burrator Ward.[3] Burrator Reservoir, constructed in 1898, is to the north of the village and forms part of the northern boundary of the parish.[1]

The name Sheepstor has evolved considerably since the first reference to a settlement here which was recorded in a pipe roll of 1168 as Sitelestorra. In a document of 1262, it was Skytelestor, Shittestorre in 1474, Shistor in 1547 and in c. 1620 Tristram Risdon called it Shetelstor now Shepstor.[4] The name probably derives from the Old English scyttel(s) meaning a bar or bolt, reflecting the shape of the nearby Sheeps Tor.[4]

  1. ^ a b Harris, Helen (2004). A Handbook of Devon Parishes. Tiverton: Halsgrove. p. 148. ISBN 1-84114-314-6.
  2. ^ "Burrator Parish Council". Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  3. ^ "Statutory Instrument 1999 No. 2473". HMSO. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  4. ^ a b Gover, J.E.B., Mawer, A. & Stenton, F.M (1931). "The Place-Names of Devon". English Place-Name Society. Vol Viii. Part I. Cambridge University Press: 238–239.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)