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Summary

Newton Abbot developed as a single town from two separate medieval boroughs of Newton Abbot and Newton Bushel. Newton Bushel in Highweek parish was founded on the north side of the River Lemon in 1246 while Newton Abbot to the south of the River Lemon, on the fringe of the parish of Wolborough, was founded in 1269. It is described as Nova Villa in 1274. The two boroughs existed side by side for some 400 years, each with its own market. Eventually, however, Newton Abbot gained the upper hand and the two boroughs were merged into a single town in the 19th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87SE/167

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BURGH (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Beresford, M. W. + Finberg, H. P. R., 1973, English Medieval Boroughs. A Handlist (Monograph). SDV6626.

Newton Abbot. Market and three-day fair granted to the Abbot of Tor in 1269. Described as Nova Villa, and a market grant of King John claimed in 1274.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 133-135, 137, 140, 149 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

The modern town of Newton Abbot lies along the valley of the River Lemon. During the medieval period there were two separate borough towns here, both of them laid out as new by ambitious lords of the manor on an important routeway across south Devon. Their location, at a fording point on a main route is typical of many of the 'new towns' in Devon at this time and the fact that both are on the fringes of their respective parishes is further evidence of their deliberate plantation. Newton Bushel to the north of the Lemon, on the edge of the parish of Highweek, takes its name from the family which held the manor of Teignwick in the late 13th century. The town, however, was created by grant of a licence from Henry III to Theobald de English-ville to lay out burgages and hold a market in 1246. Newton Abbot to the south of the Lemon, on the fringe of the parish of Wolborough, was founded by Torre Abbey in 1269 when Henry III granted a market and fair rights.
Although their separate identities have long-sinced dissolved, it is of interest to note that their common boundary, the Lemon, which now runs underground through the town centre, was also the boundary between the parishes of Highweek and Woolborough, and between the hundreds of Teignbridge and Haytor.
Until its removal in 1826 the market for Newton Abbot lay along the centre of Wolborough Street; its width suggests it originated as a market street. A market was certainly held in this location in 1411 when it was the subject of a law-suit between the burgesses and their manor lords.
Newton Abbot was a centre of the woollen cloth trade in the 14th century, which continued to flourish in the post-medieval period. The town's industrial activity subsequently diversified into leather working and the Newfoundland fisheries. In addition to their location on a main land route, the two boroughs were also well-placed to take advantage of trade along the River Teign. River trade became particuarly active after the opening up of the clay beds in the Bovey Basin. This led to the construction of the Stover Canal in 1794 and the arrival of the railway in 1846 further enhanced its commercial life and brought about the rapid development of the low ground to the east of the historic town centre. Although construction of an eastern by-pass has taken much of the through traffic, Newton Abbot has nevertheless established itself as an important inland market for south Devon.
The lines of medival burgage plots can still be traced in the pattern of side streets and property boundaries along Wolborough Street and East Street and it is considered remarkable that the majority of Victorian streets and terraces respected the medieval property boundaries. It was not until the construction of Newfoundland Way in the mid 20th century that these boundaries were completely ignored.
The medieval growth of the two boroughs and their inter-relationship is considered to be a major archaeological theme for investigation. The low lying, sometimes water-logged position of the medieval settlements suggests that the prospects for artefact retrieval are exceptional.

Timms, S. C., 1978, A362 Highweek Street, Newton Abbot, Improvement Scheme: A Report on the Archaeological Implications (Report - non-specific). SDV354674.

Newton Abbot occupies a strategic location at the head of the Teign estuary. At the time of the Domesday survey settlement was focused on Wolborough and Highweek, both occupying prominent hilltop sites. However, in the 13th century two rival boroughs were founded in the Lemon Valley; Newton Bushel on the north side of the river in 1246 and Newton Abbot on the south side in 1269. The two towns existed side by side for some 400 years, each with its own weekly market, but eventually Newton Abbot gained the upper hand and the two boroughs were merged into a single town in the 19th century. With the coming of the railway, Newton Abbot entered into a period of rapid growth and prosperity
Despite modern changes the historic town plan can still be traced on the ground and gives a clear indication of the deliberate planning of the town more than 700 years ago. Highweek Street was the main street for the medieval borough of Newton Bushel while that of Newton Abbot had two main streets: Woolborough and East Streets. It is considered that the proposed shceme which involves the demolition of nine buildings on the western side of Highweek Street will seriously erode the historic town plan through the widening of one side of the medieval main street of Newton Bushel. It will also result in the loss of a significant group of buildings of historic and archaeological value dating from the late medieval period to the 19th century as well as affecting buried archaeological deposits.

Unknown, 1983, Wolborough Street Excavations, Newton Abbot, 1983 (Leaflet). SDV359071.

Oakey, N. J., 2004, Bradley Lane, Newton Abbot: Desk Based Assessment, 18-19 (Report - Assessment). SDV338211.

Newton Abbot represents the amalgamation of two medieval boroughs founded in the late 12th or early 13th century. Newton Abbot was located to the south of the River Lemon and included Wolborough Manor. Newton Bushel was created on the edge of Highweek parish and separated from Newton Abbot by the River Lemon.

Gent, T. H. + Leverett, M., 2007, Archaeological Assessment of the Proposed Redevelopment at Wolborough Street, Bank Street and East Street, Newton Abbot, 3 (Report - Assessment). SDV338207.

Newton Abbot is thought to be unique in Europe as it developed as a single town from two separate medieval boroughs of Newton Abbot and Newton Bushel which were laid out on new sites in the 13th century. Newton Abbot was founded after William Brewer granted the manor of Wolborough to the Abbot of Torre in the 12th century. It was sited close to the River Lemon which formed the parish boundary. Newton Bushel was established to the north of the river in 1246. The river was known as the Shireborne before it became the River Lemon. The two towns were merged after the dissolution when Richard Yarde of Bradley purchased the market and fairs of Newton Abbot and amalgamated them with those of Newton Bushel. The new larger market was held in Wolborough Street. Newton Abbot thrived and expanded in the post medieval modern periods.

Pink, F., 2014, Devon Extensive Urban Survey Project. Rapid Assessment of Archaeological Interventions, 15-18 (Report - non-specific). SDV357343.

Newton Abbot is located at the head of the Teign estuary and is first recorded as Nova Villa in the late 12th century. The modern town is the result of the joining of two rival boroughs; Newton Abbot and Newton Bushel. The parish church of St. Mary dates to the 15th and 16th centuries.
Recent archaeological work in and around Newton Abbot has established that evidence of prehistoric and Romano-British activity exists immediately to the north of the town. Early medieval, medieval and post-medieval remains have also been uncovered and have provided further evidence of buildings and industrial areas within the town. Overall, the archaeological interventions indicate that significant archaeological deposits and features survive within the historic core of the town. The whole of the historic core of the town therefore has the potential to contain archaeological deposits and features relating to the historic settlement, as well as earlier activity.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4206 - Bradley Lane Assessment
• EDV4214 - Wolborough Street, Bank Street & East Street, Newton Abbot

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