The village of Yealmpton in Devon.

This page will include pictures and information on the village of Yealmpton in Devon. 

Yealmpton internet speed upgrade, arrived August 2015: 

The Yealmpton exchange now supports Super Fast Broadband (Fibre To The Cabinet or VDSL).  You will need a new router and modem (or router with built-in VDSL modem) for this service, you can request the upgrade from your internet access provider (ISP), for example PlusNet.  Typically the ISP will supply a (pretty basic) router and BT will supply the modem, and that will get you started.  But if you are a power user with remote control heating, security cameras and the likes, or want better Wifi operation, you will want to replace them with something better like the TP-Link TD-W9980 which replaces two ugly boxes with one smart one.  Your old router from the ADSL broadband probably won't work with the new service, though a few might work alongside the BT supplied modem.  Almost (?) everyone in Yealmpton gets their 'phone line from Cabinet 4 which is located on Yealmbury Hill, not ideal really since it's well away from a lot of the village.  The distance from there dictates the maximum speed available to your connection.  If you are further than about 1km from there, then the new broadband will probably provide little if any improvement over the old ADSL connection, and may not even be offered to you.  But less than about 700m and you will really see the benefit if you do a lot of downloading and uploading.  The improvement in upload speeds can be even more dramatic than download.

20th May 2012 Olympic Torch:

The Olympic Torch passed through the village, see the video here.

About Yealmpton

Before the First World War, Yealmpton was a real Devon village although only about seven miles East of Plymouth in the South Hams.  The village itself, stretching along Fore Street which is now the A379, comprised two pubs, a small school which catered for all age groups, a 12th Century church, and of course, Mother Hubbard's Cottage.

Built on the river Yealm, it has two bridges, one on the main road leading to a small community and the little hamlet of Dunstone (which is adjacent to the now defunct National Shire Horse Centre), and one of the Newton Ferrers / Noss Mayo road leading to the area to the South called Torre.

Car sticker from the now closed National Shire Horse Center.  (This unused sticker is for sale if any collector is interested).

The Shire Horse Centre is preparing to re-open in 2023, which is great news.

Most employment before the First World War was on local estates with their surrounding farms or in light industry such as saw mills.  The railway line, the main link from the city of Plymouth, stopped at Yealmpton.

Yealmpton's main claims to fame were then the picturesque cob and stone cottage built, it is said, some 400 years ago for the housekeeper at the Kitley manor house and around whom the famous rhyme Old Mother Hubbard was written, and the Kitley limestone caves where green marble was quarried, an unique colour for limestone; there is an arch of it in the British Museum.

Kitley House in 2004.

After the First World War the village started to expand with the  building of the first council house estate on land above the river on the outskirsts of the village.  No more building took place until the early 1950s when a second council estate was developed at the other end of the village.  Thus were Yeo and Yealm Parks brought into being.

Then in the late 1950s and early 1960s Yealmpton was designated as a development area and the first of several housing estates, Stray Park, was built at the East end of the village.  Since then at least seven more have sprung up, mostly South of the river in the Torre area.

During the Second World War folk from the village and as far afield as Plymouth took refuge in the Kitley caves.  The caves were developed and were open to the public for many years, but recently have been closed.

Much of the above taken from "The Devon Village Book", compiled by the Women's Institute, and updated.

Satellite image of the Yealmpton area.

The nursery rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard" was written and illustrated by Miss Sarah Catherine Martin in 1804.  Miss Martin was a regular visitor and housekeeper, to the Kitley estate of Sir Henry Bastard, Resident Commissioner of the Navy at Portsmouth and in 1785 Prince William Henry (later King William IV) was also a regular visitor there.  Sarah was 17 when she first met the future King, and was known to be a very attractive girl.  The Prince fell in love with her and proposed marriage, but there being from such different backgrounds this was not permitted.  Upon Sarah's retirement she moved to the cottage which is now a restaurant, and wrote the rhyme to express her frustration at never being able to marry the man she loved.

Please correct me if any of the Nursery Rhyme is wrong:

Old mother Hubbard
went to the cupboard,
to fetch her poor dog a bone,
but when she got there
the cupboard was bare
and so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker's
to buy him some bread,
but when she came back
the poor dog was dead.

She went to the undertaker's
to buy him a coffin,
but when she came back
the poor dog was laughing.

She took a clean dish
to get him some tripe,
but when she came back
he was smoking a pipe.

She went to the alehouse
to get him some beer,
but when she came back
the dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern
for white wine and red,
but when she came back
the dog stood on his head.

She went to the fruiterer's
to buy him some fruit,
but when she came back
he was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's
to buy him a coat,
but when she came back
he was riding a goat.

She went to the hatter's
to buy him a hat,
but when she came back
he was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber's
to buy him a wig,
but when she came back
he was dancing a jig.

She went to the cobbler's
to buy him some shoes,
but when she came back
he was reading the news.

She went to the seamstress
to buy him some linen,
but when she came back
the dog was a-spinning.

She went to the hosier's
to buy him some hose,
but when she came back
he was dressed in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsy,
the dog made a bow,
the dame said "your servant",
the dog said "bow wow".

Old Mother Hubbards restaurant is at 35 Market Street, Yealmpton, Devon PL8 2EA, Tel: 01752 880085.  On the top of the roof you will see a thatched dog.

We reckon this photograph was taken around 1940-1950, but if you can confirm or tell us otherwise, please do:

Right opposite are The Rose and Crown pub and the Volunteer pubs, both good for a friendly atmosphere.

The Volunteer pub has a delightful "secret" beer garden at the back, and they now offer food here.

Rose & Crown is the larger pub in the village, has a convenient car park and large restaurant.  This has  been renovated, new pictures will be placed here when I get a moment, it's much larger now.  

 

Yealmpton used to have a railway station, and there is a plaque commemorating this.  There is a DVD available about the Plymouth to Yealmpton line, which I've enjoyed watching recently.

There are two churches in the village.

Methodist Church

St. Bartholomew's CoE Church, a beautiful Victorian church built on the site of a 12th Century building.  We have done a video about the clock and tower.  Also I have pictures of plaques in this church commemorating Sir John Crocker.  Also see the church web site.

At the back of the Torr area is the Fox estate.  Now split into cottages and a farmhouse, there's a stone fox at the entrance to the cottages which at one time was going to be removed, but has become part of the place now.

At Christmas time, this fox dons a red and white Santa hat.  In the background is the lovely old Fox Estate farmhouse.

A reader from the Netherlands very kindly sent me this postcard of the Yealmpton Town Tree in March 2006.  The card is printed "Kingcombe, Photographer, Yealmpton" on the back, and the postage rates are given as inland 1/2d, Foreign 1d.  This might help to date it, I'm guessing around 1920.  

Yealmpton has its own flag.

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Links

We're lucky to have a doctor's surgery, pubs, restaurant, small shops, optician, garage, primary & infant school, dentist and hairdresser.  If you are interesting in moving into the area, the local estate agent is Luscombe Maye.  A YouTube video featured building of Church Park Road (PL8 2EY) in Yealmpton in 1979.

There is a Yealmpton Community Association, a registered charity which provides adult education facilities and hosts a number of clubs around the area.  There's also the Yealmpton Parish Council website which has useful information including walks in the area.  For more pictures of the South Hams, see www.visitthesouthhamsdevon.co.uk.  There is a style of Continuous Arm Windsor chair originating in Yealmpton, known as the Yealmpton Chair.  

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