Everything about Honiton totally explained
Honiton is a town in
East Devon, situated close to the
River Otter, 17 miles northeast of
Exeter in the county of
Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways (hʌnɪtɘn or hɒnitɘn), each pronunciation having its adherents.
History
The town grew along the line of the
Fosse Way - the ancient
Roman road linking
Exeter (
Isca Dumnoniorum) to
Lincoln (Lindum) on which it was an important stopping point. The location is mentioned in the
Domesday Book as
Honetone, meaning a farmstead of a man called Huna. It became an important market town known for its
lace making that was introduced by
Flemish immigrants in the
Elizabethan era. In the 17th century thousands of people produced lace by hand in their homes and later in the 19th Century
Queen Victoria had her wedding dress made of Honiton lace. The town also became known for its
Honiton pottery.
In the mid 18th century the town was largely destroyed by fire.
Georgian houses were then built to replace some of those that had been destroyed. Honiton more than doubled in size between the 1960s and 2005 with most development taking place south of the
Exeter to
Waterloo railway line.
Features
The size of Honiton in 2005 was approximately 3.2 km². Further development will be limited as Honiton borders the
East Devon AONB (
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) to the south and the
Blackdown Hills AONB to the north and east. AONBs have the same level of protection as
National Parks of England and Wales which restricts new developments.
There are still indications of its history as a centre for lace making, such as "Lace Walk" and the "Honiton Lace Shop." Now a Chinese style restaurant, the shop’s role has been filled by “Allhallows Museum.”
St Michael's Parish Church, which was rebuilt in 1911 after a fire, is situated on a small hill above the town. The mid 19th Century St Paul's Church was designed by
Charles Fowler and is situated in the centre of the town.
Next to St Paul's Church stands “Allhallows Museum of Lace and Local Antiquities.” Once a chapel; built in the [13thcentury] it's reputed to be the oldest building in Honiton and also once housed
Allhallows School.
Education
Honiton has two primary schools (Honiton Primary School and Littletown Primary School) and
Honiton Community College which includes a 6th form.
Shops and leisure facilities
There is a sports centre with swimming pool, and just outside the town centre there are shops such as Homebase, Argos and Tesco. Marks & Spencer Simply Foods opened in the town centre in 2006. Honiton has a good number of independent retailers including a bookshop, jewellers, clothing boutiques, butchers, delis and a fishmonger. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, an outdoor market is held on the High Street. Honiton is also popular with antique hunters, boasting over 20 antique shops.
The local team is
Honiton Town F.C. (nicknamed 'the Hun').
Transport
Road
The town is at the junction of the busy
A35 the
A30 and the A376 roads. The A30 now bypasses the town to the north. Until its construction in 1966, the town was blighted by traffic congestion.
For Community Transport information contact TRIP Community Transport on 01404 46529
Rail
Honiton railway station is on the
West of England Main Line that runs from
London Waterloo to
Exeter.
Famous Residents
Twin towns
Mézidon-Canon,
France
Gronau-Leine,
GermanyFurther Information
Get more info on 'Honiton'.
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