Bulverton

Bulverton is a small hamlet on the outskirts of Sidmouth, Devon, England.

Bulverton
Cottage in Bulverton (Dark lane)
Bulverton Location within Devon
OS grid reference	SY119888
Civil parish	Sidmouth
District	East Devon
Shire county	Devon
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SIDMOUTH
Postcode district	EX10
Dialling code	01395
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	East Devon

Area Information

Bulverton comprises low-density residential housing, areas of farmland and a wooded plantation and is connected by road to Sidmouth by the B3176.

During the Sidmouth Folk Week the area is the location of the Bulverton Late Night Extra.[1]

Since 1963 much of the Bulverton area has fallen under the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty:[2]

The East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) landscape is characterised by intimate wooded combes, vast areas of heathland, fertile river valleys and breathtaking cliffs or hilltops. It includes the East Devon section of the Jurassic Coast[3] - England's first natural World Heritage Site - and is a living, working landscape shaped by many centuries of farming activity.

History

Historically the area was a submanor of Balfour Manor, farmed from two locations Bulverton Farm (now Bulverton House) and Bulverton Well Farm (now Bulverton Well Cottages).

The view from Bulverton Hill[4] is thought to have inspired 19th century poet and hymn writer John Keble who was a frequent visitor to Sidmouth. Keble's Seat at Bulverton Hill is named after him and commands a panoramic view of the Lower Otter Valley and Dartmoor in the distance.

Railway

The former Sidmouth Railway station[5] is nearby, with the embankment still visible in certain areas. A proposed cycle route involving Sustrans[6] may use part of the embankment in the future to link outlying towns and villages to Sidmouth.

Climate

The Met Office have a climate station at Sidmouth in the generality of Bulverton that records the comparatively mild United Kingdom climate.

Climate data for Sidmouth Station 1981–2010
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	8.9 (48.0)	8.8 (47.8)	10.8 (51.4)	12.8 (55.0)	15.9 (60.6)	18.5 (65.3)	20.5 (68.9)	20.5 (68.9)	18.5 (65.3)	15.2 (59.4)	11.9 (53.4)	9.4 (48.9)	14.3 (57.7)
Average low °C (°F)	3.3 (37.9)	2.9 (37.2)	4.3 (39.7)	5.3 (41.5)	8.5 (47.3)	11.1 (52.0)	13.2 (55.8)	13.1 (55.6)	11.1 (52.0)	8.8 (47.8)	5.8 (42.4)	3.7 (38.7)	7.6 (45.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	81.8 (3.22)	62.8 (2.47)	66.9 (2.63)	59.6 (2.35)	55.2 (2.17)	50.4 (1.98)	51.1 (2.01)	58.2 (2.29)	62.5 (2.46)	89.0 (3.50)	84.8 (3.34)	91.7 (3.61)	813.9 (32.04)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	67.7	84.6	119.1	168.6	191.0	197.4	213.7	198.1	145.2	110.2	81.9	60.1	1,637.7
Source: Met Office[7]

In fiction

The Extremes is a BSFA award-winning 1998 science fiction novel by Christopher Priest, partly set in a fictional seaside resort town called Bulverton.

Gallery

• Images of Bulverton
• 
  Bulverton Plantation as seen from Fire Beacon Hill.
• 
  The land of Bulverton can be seen in the top right portion of the picture, taken from Fire Beacon Hill.
• 
  Keble's Seat[8] at Bulverton Hill

References

1. "Sidmouth Folk Week – August 4th – 11th 2017".
2. "East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - Welcome - East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".
3. "The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site". Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
4. "Bulverton Hill". www.hill-bagging.co.uk.
5. "Disused Stations: Sidmouth Station". www.disused-stations.org.uk.
6. http://www.sustrans.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/files/publications/Feniton_Sidmouth_Feasibility_Study_Draft.pdf
7. Office, Met. "Sidmouth climate". www.metoffice.gov.uk.
8. "Poet's favourite coastal vantage point is celebrated by East Devon estate owners". 11 March 2014.

External links

• Sidmouth Folk Week