Tiverton Town Council
The Town Hall
St Andrew Street
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 6PG

Tel Enquiries: 01884 253404
Fax Enquiries: 01884 258550

650

Tiverton founded in Saxon times

880

Tiverton referred to as ‘Twyforde’, the place being reached by a ford over each river

1066

The Royal Manor of Tiverton belonged to Gytha, Danish born widow of Earl Godwin. Their daughter, Edith, had married Edward the Confessor, who died that year and was succeeded by Harold.

1193-1217

A Borough was founded at Tiverton by William de Vernon, 5th Earl of Devon.

1348-1350

Black Death visits Tiverton

1549

Cranmore Castle was the scene of a fierce battle arising out of a dispute as to whether a child should be baptised by Protestant or Roman Catholic rites

1591

The plague wiped out one tenth of the population of Tiverton

1598

A fire caused by a frying pan burnt the town from one end to the other

1599

Blundell’s School founded by Tiverton Woollen Merchant, Peter Blundell. The old school built in 1604 still stands near Lowman Bridge

1612

King James grants Tiverton its first Royal Charter following a great fire caused by a furnace. The fire was nicknamed the ‘dog fight fire’ due to the fact that a dog fight had distracted attention away from the furnace.

1645

During the English Civil War Tiverton Castle was besieged by General Fairfax of the Roundhead Army.

1655

Oliver Cromwell declares that Market Day would no longer be on a Monday, but as today, would be held on a Tuesday to avoid the profanation of the Sabbath by traders preparing their wares. Charter is on display at the Museum.-

1731

Another fire destroyed 300 houses making 2000 people homeless

1783

Birth of John Heathcoat. He died in 1861

1814

Grand Western Canal built to transport lime from the quarries to the kilns

1848

Tiverton Junction Railway Station opens. This station was closed in 1986 and a new station opened at Tiverton Parkway.

1858

The first edition of the Tiverton Gazette is published.

1864

Tiverton Town Hall built

1869

Knightshayes House built by William Burges. This is now a National Trust property

1912

Statute of King Edward VII unveiled at Lowman Green

1946

Aerial archaeology reveals a faint soil mark on a hillside at Bolham, near Tiverton, which turned out to be a Roman Fort dating from 50AD

1973

Freedom of the Borough of Tiverton given to HMS Hermes

1988

North Devon link road built giving access from the M5 to Tiverton and North Devonn

2005

Freedom of Tiverton given to HMS Enterprise