Chideock W. I.
At our November Meeting we had a most interesting talk from David Knapman of Axminster Heritage Centre regarding ‘Axminster Connections to Chideock’. David spoke about our inheritance of Roman roads, for example from Exeter to Dorchester, and their development over the years until the advent of railways. Highlights included George III’s visit to Chideock enroute to Exeter after his holiday in Weymouth. The King walked up Chideock and Charmouth Hills to lighten the carriage load, chatting to local residents as he passed by. The sale of milk and butter to the London populace was dependent on reliable transport links and Sidmouth to Chard to Bridport became known as ‘The Dairy Triangle’ as it hosted an abundance of ‘Milking Devons’. As local rail routes were established in the mid nineteenth century local farmers then turned more to rearing beef. What better name for an exceptionally prized cow than ‘Temptress’.
David’s two books on our local history, ‘Unsteady Progress’ and ‘Axminster Legacies’ are available from the Axminster Heritage Centre.