Photo © Ruth Sharville, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ivybridge
Ivybridge is a town on the River Erme at the southern edge of Dartmoor, about 13 miles east of Plymouth. It takes its name from the old bridge, first recorded in the 1200s (the heritage society says 1250, Wikipedia about 1280). The packhorse bridge that survives is dated by the heritage society to about 1400, and it became a county bridge in 1531. The Plymouth to Ashburton road was turnpiked in 1756 and a new bridge was built in 1833 to take stagecoach traffic.
William Dunsterville set up Stowford Paper Mill in 1787. John Allen bought and rebuilt it in 1849, and new paper machines went in from 1862. It closed in 2013 after 226 years. Brunel's broad-gauge railway came in 1848 across an eleven-bay viaduct. The population was 1,507 in 1821 and 3,074 in 1971, and the 2011 census counted 11,851. The A38 bypass was finished in 1973 to 1974, and the parish council became a town council in 1977. In the 1980s and 1990s Wikipedia describes it as among the fastest growing towns in Europe.
The Two Moors Way starts in the town. Part of Ivybridge once lay in Harford parish, and the town grew to be far bigger than the hamlet it came from.
Ivybridge on the map
In Ivybridge
Brackenhill Glamping
Ivybridge
Family glamping holidays with hot tubs in Devon. Two luxury canvas lodges and a romantic cabin | Glamping near the beaches of Bigbury and Bantham | Dog friendly.
Cadleigh Manor B&B
Ivybridge
Award-winning B&B and self-catering accommodation on Dartmoor's southern edge near Ivybridge, with en-suite rooms and a studio apartment.
Dartmoor Larder
Ivybridge
Bespoke catering for groups, retreats and events across Dartmoor and the South Hams, using locally sourced seasonal ingredients with a focus on plant-based and whole-food cooking.
Erme Pits
Ivybridge
Scattered stone ruins of 19th-century tin and china clay workings on open moorland, revealing Dartmoor's industrial past.
Erme-Plym Trail
Ivybridge
The Erme-Plym Trail is a short coast to countryside route linking the Devon coast with Ivybridge through the Erme and Plym valleys.
Ivybridge Community College
Ivybridge
We are a college that strives for Academic Excellence, Develops Character and provides exceptional opportunities for all.
Ivybridge Town Council
Ivybridge
The town council for Ivybridge, the largest town in South Hams and the southern gateway to Dartmoor.
Lukesland Gardens
Ivybridge
A hidden valley garden where exotic plants thrive in the shelter of Dartmoor's moorland edge.
Manor Primary School
Ivybridge
Welcome to Manor Primary School! Our website will give you an overview of our school and a taste of what is on offer here.
Morrisons Daily
Ivybridge
Convenience store on Costly Street in Ivybridge, open 6am-10pm weekdays, with groceries, Costa Coffee and services like PayPoint and parcel collection.
Stirling crash site and memorial, Gibhill Wood
Ivybridge
Where Short Stirling R9329 of 149 Squadron came down in Gibhill Wood near Cornwood in the early hours of 21 August 1942, lost on the way home from laying mines off Bordeaux. All seven crew died. A granite memorial stands in the wood.
Stowford School
Ivybridge
I have great pleasure in sharing with you the many qualities that contribute to Stowford School.
Two Moors Way
Ivybridge
The Two Moors Way is Devon's coast to coast walk, running from Ivybridge on the southern edge of Dartmoor across the high moor and on to Lynmouth on the north Devon coast.
Ugborough Parish Council
Ivybridge
The parish council for Ugborough, Filham, Ludbrook, Bittaford, Moorhaven, Cheston and Wrangaton.
US Army War Memorial
Ivybridge
A solemn monument honouring American servicemen who trained on Dartmoor's high moorland during World War II.
Wellington crash site, Three Barrows
Ivybridge
Where Vickers Wellington LN775 flew into the hillside north-east of the central barrow on Three Barrows Hill on 1 March 1944, off course on a delivery flight to Morocco. All four crew died.
Westward Cafe
Ivybridge
Transport café at Ivybridge service station with 24/7 parking for HGVs, caravans and coaches on the A38 Devon Expressway.
