History - Chronological
You can now download attractive charts of Timeline Romans-Present Day, and Timeline StoneAge - 1066.
Middle Stone Age |
Flints found south east of Bampton. |
Late Stone Age |
Flints found south east of Bampton. [No proof to date of Bronze or Iron Age Celtic habitation]. |
2nd/3rd Qr. 1st Cent. |
Roman Occupation began. Fort; Roads: Ford Road/Wellington Lane; Frog Street Bampton Down. (?)1st Quarrying. |
Late 7th/ea 8th Cent. |
Saxons. Mound & enclosure. New Town square, farms, market, mill. (New Town = New Tun = Newton [Square]). |
Until 1067 |
Bampton including church and its lands held by Saxon kings then William I; = Royal Manor. |
1067 |
Bampton taken by Norman invasion. |
c1068 |
Norman motte & bailey. Wooden. |
1086 |
First packhorses (2) recorded. |
Latter ½ 11th Cent. |
Substantial stone church on present site. Probably Saxon. |
c1107 |
Bampton church & its lands to Bath Abbey. Chapels at Petton, Denscombe, Diptford, Zeal. (? Saxon in origin). |
1136 |
Siege of Bampton Castle. |
c late 12th Cent. |
Stone mansion on motte. Castellated and walled under licence 1336. |
1180 |
Bampton being referred to as Borough. (?)First of the fairs. |
Late 1300’s |
Bampton second largest clothmaking town in Devon after Barnstaple. |
1430 |
Chantry Chapel in existence at Forde. (?)St. Nicholas. |
1444 |
Bampton church and its lands appropriated by Buckland Abbey. |
1450 |
North aisle and Rood Screen built. Part of Swan Hotel built. |
c1483 |
Two yew trees planted. |
1536 |
Castle last in occupation. |
c1540 |
9 West Street built. |
1553-1875 |
Rectory of Bampton (advowson & tithes) in lay hands. Then to Cathedral Chapter. |
c1580 |
7-11 Briton Street built. Converted into 3 1620. |
17th Century |
Packhorses taking mail to London. |
(?)1607 |
Castle collapsed during earthquake. |
1620’s |
Boys’ School in Bampton. |
1645 |
Civil War skirmish. H Q Devon Clubmen. Bampton burned. |
1669 |
Great Fire in Bampton. £10 distributed between victims. |
1672 |
Baptists meeting in Bampton. Cottage Meetings. Arthurshayne 1675-1725. |
1722-c1830 |
Workhouse in operation. |
1725 |
Baptist chapel built. |
1749-1760 |
Castle Grove built on sites of Tristrams House and The Croft. |
1758 |
First Turnpike Road into Bampton. Private by 3 Tiverton clothworkers. |
1766 |
John Wesley visited Bampton. |
1793 |
Horse-coaches operating to London. |
1807 |
Combehead rebuilt modernising 17th century mansion. |
1808 |
First clock face fitted. East side. Square. |
1810 |
Bampton sorting and franking its own mail. |
1816 |
Methodists in Bampton. |
1820 |
Wool Trade in Bampton virtually dead |
1821 |
National School opened financed by Mrs. Penton. |
1829 |
Batherm Bridge rebuilt. Single arch not five. |
1843 |
11 houses destroyed by fire 2 badly damaged High Street area. |
1851 |
5 houses destroyed by fire Churchyard. |
1858 |
1st Police Station purchased. |
1862 |
Methodist church replaced converted cottages. |
1867 |
Bampton Local Board born. |
1871 |
Water piped to taps in the town - M J C Phillips. |
1883 |
Telegrams/telegraph wire came to Bampton. |
1884-1963 |
Railway in Bampton. |
1894 |
Bampton Urban District Council born. |
1895 |
Methodist Sunday schoolroom added to church. |
1902 |
Barton and adjoining 17th century cottages demolished. New Buildings built on site. |
1905 |
First car owned in Bampton. |
1912 |
Charabanc operating in Bampton. |
1913 |
Last meeting of the Court Leet. |
1919 |
Two clock faces fitted. Round. |
1921 |
First telephone in Bampton. |
1922 |
“Wembley Terrace” built (Nissen Houses) in Frog Lane |
1924 |
Mains water piped into houses. 1st Council Houses built by B.U.D.C. followed by Council Houses in S. Molton Road then Ford Road. |
1927 |
Electricity comes to Bampton. Church electrified. |
1934 |
Bampton Town Council born. |
1938 |
New school opened. |
1940 |
American and British army medical units in Bampton. |
Late 1940’s |
School Close and Meadow View built. |
1959 |
Town Mill ceased production. Leat filled in 1960. |
1963 |
Last railway train in Bampton |
1966 |
Last lime produced in Bampton. |
1960’s-1970’s |
Barnhay and Market Close built. |
1970’s-1980’s |
Bourchier Close built. |
1985 |
Last animals sold at Fair. |
1990's-2007 |
Ashleigh Park built. |
1996 |
Last quarrying operation finished ending nearly 2 000 years of quarrying in Bampton. |
2004 |
Ponies re-introduced to Bampton Charter Fair |
2005 |
Newton Court built - 14 houses |
2006-2007 |
Old Scott's Quarry site re-developed, housing and light industrial units |
2007-2008 |
The school closed – new school built and housing estate proposed |
Tom McManamon |
