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The Parish of Okehampton Hamlets is a rural parish situated in beautiful countryside in West Devon. It is made up of the hamlets of Brightley, Southcott, Meldon and Stockley. The parish occupies 15.48 square miles and has a population of over 500. The hamlet of Southcott is predominantly agricultural with a number of small agricultural enterprises having merged into one larger agricultural unit to secure a sound base for an industry which has experienced significant problems in recent years. The hamlet of Brightley lies to the north of Okehampton. The River Okement runs through the hamlet dividing Abbeyford Woods from flat farmland. Farming and forestry are the main commercial activity along with Brookite. The leat which once powered Brightley Mill (now a kite factory) can still be seen and just inside the hamlet at Brightley Farm stands a wall, dating back to the 12th Century, on the site of an ancient Abbey, hence the name Abbeyford Woods. The hamlet of Meldon is rich in industrial archaeological remains. There are stunning views from Meldon Dam across the ravine towards Meldon Viaduct which is now part of the National Cycle Route and a network of paths around Meldon Quarries, now a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, and through the ancient woodlands at Meldon Woods which, in May, are carpeted with bluebells. Meldon Woods belongs to Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council and the Council is working with the Dartmoor National Park Authority to reintroduce traditional coppicing techniques to increase biodiversity and as a result the woodland now supports a variety of wildlife including roe deer, foxes, wrens and tree creepers. Click here to download the Parish Map as a pdf.
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Next Council Meeting - a virtual meeting will be held Tuesday 1st September 7.30 pm. Members of the public and press are welcome to attend, details of how to log into the meeting are included on the agenda. The agenda can be viewed in the Minutes and Agenda section of this website. Documents relating to the agenda can be viewed on the Documents (Other) section of this website.Beating the Bounds - Unfortunately the decision has had to be made to cancel this event due to the Coronavirus situation. It is very much hoped to hold the event in August 2021 instead. CORONAVIRUS - All face to face meetings have currently been postponed. The Council is however still operating, please contact The Clerk, The Chairman or Councillors in the usual way. Useful points of contact during this Emergency - For local residents requiring practical help and support eg shopping, collecting medication etc contact the local Okehampton Support Group - https://www.facebook.com/okecommunitysupport/ Other local support can be found on a document 'Coronavirus Support' which can be viewed from the Documents page on this website. Other sources of help are - Medical Advice
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| (c) Last updated 8th August 2020 | (w) Website developed by WesternWeb |
