Powderham, Devon

Description
Powderham, a parish in Devonshire, on the estuary of the river Exe, 2 miles N by W of Starcross station on the G.W.R., and 6 1/2 SSE of Exeter. Post town, Kenton, under Exeter; money order and telegraph office, Starcross. Acreage, 1485; population, 203. The manor was held at the Norman Conquest by William de Ou; passed to John of Powderham, the Bohuns, and the Courtenays, and belongs now to the Earl of Devon. Powderham Castle stands on an acclivity rising from the Exe, is said to have been founded before the Norman Conquest; formed in the time of Leland a strong fort, with a barbican, for the protection of the Exe haven; was garrisoned and taken and retaken by both contending parties in the Civil Wars of Charles I.; is now a seat of the Earl of Devon, and has been restored and improved. The park around it is beautifully wooded and well stocked with deer. A triangular tower, called the Belvidere, crowns the highest ground, and commands magnificent and extensive views. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Exeter; gross value, £470 with residence. Patron, the Earl of Devon. The church is Later English; consists of nave, aisles, and chancel, in triple form or equal projection, with a W tower, and contains a fine carved oak screen and two monuments of the Earl of Devon's family.