Dunkeswell
Village in Devon, England
title: "Dunkeswell" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cistercian-monasteries-in-england", "monasteries-in-devon", "1539-disestablishments-in-england", "christian-monasteries-established-in-the-1200s", "villages-in-devon", "1201-establishments-in-england"] description: "Village in Devon, England" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkeswell" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Village in Devon, England ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox UK place"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| static_image_name | Dunkeswell Abbey Gate - geograph.org.uk - 3003574.jpg |
| static_image_caption | The gatehouse at Dunkeswell Abbey |
| official_name | Dunkeswell |
| country | England |
| region | South West England |
| os_grid_reference | ST1407 |
| coordinates | |
| label_position | bottom |
| population | 1,361 |
| population_ref | (2011) |
| civil_parish | Dunkeswell |
| shire_district | East Devon |
| shire_county | Devon |
| constituency_westminster | Honiton and Sidmouth |
| post_town | HONITON |
| postcode_district | EX14 |
| postcode_area | EX |
| dial_code | 01404 |
| :: |
|static_image_name= Dunkeswell Abbey Gate - geograph.org.uk - 3003574.jpg |static_image_caption= The gatehouse at Dunkeswell Abbey |official_name= Dunkeswell |country= England |region= South West England |os_grid_reference= ST1407 |coordinates = |label_position= bottom |population= 1,361 |population_ref= (2011) |civil_parish= Dunkeswell |shire_district= East Devon |shire_county= Devon |constituency_westminster= Honiton and Sidmouth |post_town= HONITON |postcode_district= EX14 |postcode_area= EX |dial_code= 01404
Dunkeswell is a village and civil parish in East Devon, England, located about 5 mi north of the town of Honiton. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,553, reducing to 1,361 at the 2011 Census. There is an electoral ward with the same name whose population at the above census was 2,000. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Hemyock, Luppitt, Combe Raleigh, Awliscombe, Broadhembury and Sheldon.{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_districts_2002_.pdf |title=Map of Devon Parishes |publisher=Devon County Council |access-date=7 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102183100/http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_districts_2002_.pdf |archive-date=2 November 2013 |url-status=dead
History
Dunkeswell is notable for having a busy small airfield, now Dunkeswell Aerodrome which was initially established as an American Navy air base during World War II, and continues to offer civil flight services to this day. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Dunkeswell_aerodrome_memorial.jpg" caption="WWII"] ::
The church, restored in 1868 from an older foundation, is of interest for its Norman font.
Dunkeswell Eco Business Park, located near the aerodrome, was constructed to provide environmentally-friendly business space for start-up businesses, businesses who are considered to be at a disadvantage such as those run by younger owners or women, and businesses that have outgrown existing premises.
Dunkeswell was the birthplace of the Canadian clergyman Henry Scadding.
Climate
The highest recorded temperature since 1979 was 31.6 °C on 12 August 2022 and the lowest was -11.8 °C on 13 January 1987.
|location = Dunkeswell Aerodrome 252m amsl (1991–2020) (extremes 1979–present) |width = auto |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C= 13.5 |Feb record high C= 16.2 |Mar record high C= 19.9 |Apr record high C= 23.7 |May record high C= 26.5 |Jun record high C= 29.1 |Jul record high C= 31.0 |Aug record high C= 31.6 |Sep record high C= 27.8 |Oct record high C= 24.1 |Nov record high C= 16.6 |Dec record high C= 13.5 |year record high C= |Jan high C = 7.0 |Feb high C = 7.3 |Mar high C = 9.5 |Apr high C = 12.2 |May high C = 15.3 |Jun high C = 18.1 |Jul high C = 19.9 |Aug high C = 19.6 |Sep high C = 17.3 |Oct high C = 13.4 |Nov high C = 9.9 |Dec high C = 7.6 |year high C = 13.1 |Jan mean C = 4.5 |Feb mean C = 4.6 |Mar mean C = 6.2 |Apr mean C = 8.3 |May mean C = 11.2 |Jun mean C = 14.0 |Jul mean C = 15.8 |Aug mean C = 15.7 |Sep mean C = 13.6 |Oct mean C = 10.5 |Nov mean C = 7.3 |Dec mean C = 5.1 |year mean C = 9.8 |Jan low C = 2.0 |Feb low C = 1.9 |Mar low C = 2.9 |Apr low C = 4.4 |May low C = 7.0 |Jun low C = 9.8 |Jul low C = 11.8 |Aug low C = 11.9 |Sep low C = 9.9 |Oct low C = 7.6 |Nov low C = 4.7 |Dec low C = 2.6 |year low C = 6.4 |Jan record low C= -11.8 |Feb record low C= -10.5 |Mar record low C= -7.5 |Apr record low C= -3.8 |May record low C= -0.9 |Jun record low C= 1.9 |Jul record low C= 4.2 |Aug record low C= 4.9 |Sep record low C= 1.8 |Oct record low C= -2.2 |Nov record low C= -5.7 |Dec record low C= -9.2 |year record low C= |unit rain days= 1.0 mm |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 112.2 |Feb precipitation mm = 86.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 77.7 |Apr precipitation mm = 75.5 |May precipitation mm = 64.4 |Jun precipitation mm = 72.8 |Jul precipitation mm = 67.4 |Aug precipitation mm = 86.4 |Sep precipitation mm = 78.4 |Oct precipitation mm = 119.3 |Nov precipitation mm = 127.8 |Dec precipitation mm = 119.5 |year precipitation mm = 1087.5 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 15.8 |Feb precipitation days = 13.0 |Mar precipitation days = 12.3 |Apr precipitation days = 11.0 |May precipitation days = 10.5 |Jun precipitation days = 9.8 |Jul precipitation days = 10.5 |Aug precipitation days = 11.7 |Sep precipitation days = 10.9 |Oct precipitation days = 14.7 |Nov precipitation days = 15.6 |Dec precipitation days = 16.0 |year precipitation days= 151.9 |Jan sun = 57.2 |Jan percentsun = |Feb sun = 76.7 |Feb percentsun = |Mar sun = 115.0 |Mar percentsun = |Apr sun = 169.8 |Apr percentsun = |May sun = 196.2 |May percentsun = |Jun sun = 209.1 |Jun percentsun = |Jul sun = 198.9 |Jul percentsun = |Aug sun = 181.6 |Aug percentsun = |Sep sun = 149.6 |Sep percentsun = |Oct sun = 106.0 |Oct percentsun = |Nov sun = 69.4 |Nov percentsun = |Dec sun = 57.9 |Dec percentsun = |year sun = 1587.4 |source 1 = Met Office{{cite web | url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/location-specific-long-term-averages/gcj9q6c2v | title = Dunkeswell Aerodrome Climate Period: 1991–2020 | publisher = Met Office | access-date = 14 April 2025}} |source 2 = Starlings Roost Weather |date=July 2025}}
Dunkeswell Abbey
The abbey is 2 mi north of the village. The abbey was founded in 1201 by William Briwere as a Cistercian monastery and offshoot of Forde Abbey. The founder granted much property within Devon to the abbey. Around two years before his death in 1226, he entered the community and was eventually buried in front of the high altar of the abbey church.
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the abbey was closed in 1539 and granted to John Russell, 1st Baron Russell (1485–1555), later 1st Earl of Bedford, and was mostly demolished quickly, though a section remained in domestic use until the 19th century. In 1842, a parish church was built over part of the site. Some surviving fragments of monastery include the partial end wall of the cellarer's range and parts of a gatehouse. Some carved fragments survive within Holy Trinity Church which was built here in 1842 in Early English style.
References
- New, Anthony A Guide to the Abbeys of England and Wales, p. 156-157. Constable.
References
- "Census 2001: Parish Headcounts: East Devon". Office for National Statistics.
- "Parish population 2011".
- "Ward population 2011".
- "Dunkeswell Eco-Business Park - About Us".
- "Starlings Roost Weather".
- "Monthly Temperature Extremes".
- Pevsner, N. (1952) ''South Devon''. Penguin Books; pp. 123-24
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