homeThe village of feniton
Feniton is probably named from the Vine stream that runs through the village. The name appears as “Vineton” on 17th Century maps. The name could also mean “a farm near the fen”.
Feniton is a mid-sized Devon parish with nearly 2000 residents. It covers an area of some 650 hectares and includes the original “Vineton” village; housing estates built around the nearby train station and previously called “Sidmouth Junction”; the hamlets of Curscombe, Higher Cheriton and Colesworthy; and traditional Devon farmsteads and agricultural landscape.
Access to the village is via single-track roads. The A30 trunk road is a mile to the south and provides easy access to the local towns of Honiton and Ottery St Mary, Exeter and the M5. There are also roads to the west (to Talaton and Talewater), to the north (to Colestocks, Payhembury and the M5 junction at Cullompton), and to the east from the old A30 road to Honiton.
The village station is on the Exeter to London Waterloo railway line. This is a single-track line running a commuter service although there are hopes to provide improved services in the future.
The parish has a comparatively high population density with 2.9 people per hectare, exceeding for example Axminster (2.13), Beer (2.06), and its neighbours Ottery St Mary (1.94) and Talaton (0.55). The age profile of Feniton’s inhabitants is weighted in favour of those of employable age with 83% of adults aged under 64, similar to East Devon towns. There are many families with school age children in the parish.
The parish has a 13th Century Church, a post office, a public house, a general store, two hairdressers and a fast food takeaway. There is a primary school, private dental practice, mobile NHS services (a Chiropody clinic), and a mobile library that visits fortnightly. There are two children’s play areas with playground equipment, a Youth Centre building, allotments, a cricket pitch and an active Sports and Social Club.
A small industrial site located at Talewater on the west of the parish, the site of an old watermill and wood yard, provides jobs for some 50 people in light engineering, print finishing and forestry.
The local Church of England Primary School has some 220 children on the rolls and is in the catchment area for The King’s School, Ottery St Mary for secondary education.
The village has a strong history with the railway with many buildings in the west of the parish being connected with it in some way. The line was downgraded in 1967 with the removal of the Sidmouth Branch Line and the station was closed, although many residents still remember the old “Sidmouth Junction”. The station was reopened in 1971 as “Feniton”.
To the east by the River Otter, is the site of the Battle of Fenny Bridges. In 1549 Cornishmen fought here against the government’s introduction of the first Reformed Prayer Book. A commemorative stone marks the field.
The Copper Beech (pictured above) by the green in old Feniton was planted in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. There was a ceremony attended by the local school children. This has now been designated one of the Great Trees of East Devon.
Last Updated 16th July 2008