For most of historic time Blackawton and Strete have been closely entwined, with Strete only becoming independent as an ecclesiastical parish in 1881 and as a civil parish in 1935. Nobody knows when the area was first settled, though we do know that it was long before written records were kept.  

As Robert Waterhouse explains in his extensively researched Appraisal, archaeological evidence, such as flint scatter and burial mounds, suggests habitation well before the time of Christ. It is likely that settlement was influenced by available resources, such as water, and that the area was bounded by tracks along the ridges to its east and west, which were almost certainly used as seasonal drove roads from the higher ground of Dartmoor to the more sheltered ground found nearer the sea. Minor droves came off the ridge roads, sometimes linking across or sometimes ending abruptly, for example at a watering point or at the limit of someone’s land, as this extract from one of the maps shows.

These ancient droveways can still be seen in today’s roads. So, the early inhabitants of this area were farmers, and remained so for nearly 2000 years; farming is still an important activity locally, though since World War II people have increasingly been looking elsewhere for work.

In this book, Robert explains how geology and the landscape originally affected settlement and how settlement has since affected the landscape, be it with buildings and formal gardens or in recent hedgerow removal. His text makes frequent references to the 12 full-colour maps which form - in his words - the backbone of the document. Map 1 shows the geology of the area and the rest cover the history of the area from prehistoric times to 2000 AD.

 It is a book which will appeal to anyone who has ever lived in or had connections with Blackawton, Strete, or the surrounding area. The derivation of local placenames is explained fully, a few properties are covered in detail and nearly every property more than 100 years old gets a mention.

 ‘Blackawton & Strete Heritage Appraisal’ is available at £18.95 if collected or £22.00 posted to any address in the UK.

Contact Anne on 01803 712662 for further details.