South Hams

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South Hams District
Shown within Devon
Geography
Status:	District
Region:	South West England
Admin. County:	Devon
Area: - Total	Ranked 39th 886.51 km²
Admin. HQ:	Totnes
ONS code:	18UG
Demographics
Population: - Total (2006 est.) - Density	Ranked 283rd 83,200 94 / km²
Ethnicity:	99.1% White
Politics
South Hams District Council http://www.south-hams-dc.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative
MPs:	Anthony Steen, Gary Streeter

South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. It contains the towns of Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge, Salcombe, and Totnes, where the district council has its offices.

To the north it includes part of Dartmoor National Park, to the east borders Torbay, and to the west Plymouth. It contains some of the most unspoilt coastline on the south coast, including the promontories of Start Point, and Bolt Head. The entire coastline, along with the lower Avon and Dart valleys, form most of the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The South Hams, along with nearby Broadsands in Paignton, is the last British refuge of the Cirl Bunting.

[edit] History

In the Anglo-Saxon era the South Hams was a feudal estate consisting of all of the land between the River Plym and River Dart and south of Dartmoor with the English Channel forming the southern boundary.

In 1917 the village of Hallsands was abandoned after much of it was lost to the sea. This happened because the shingle bank protecting the shore was removed to help build Devonport dockyard^[1].

In 1944 several villages were evacuated so that training for D-day could be carried out in secret. The area was chosen because of the resemblance of its beaches to those of Normandy. Preparations were disrupted, and secrecy nearly compromised, by a devastating E-boat attack during Exercise Tiger.

In 1967 the suburban towns of Plympton and Plymstock were amalgamated with the City of Plymouth.

The current district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of Dartmouth and Totnes municipal boroughs, Kingsbridge and Salcombe urban districts, and Kingsbridge Rural District, Plympton St Mary Rural District and Totnes Rural District.

[edit] Villages

In addition to the towns above, South Hams district contains the following villages:

• Ashprington
• Aveton Gifford
• Berry Pomeroy
• Bickleigh
• Bigbury
• Bittaford
• Blackawton
• Brixton
• Broadhempston
• Buckland-Tout-Saints
• Charleton
• Chillington
• Chivelstone
• Churchstow
• Cornwood
• Cornworthy
• Dartington
• Dean Prior
• Diptford
• Dittisham
• Dodbrooke
• East Allington
• East Portlemouth
• Ermington
• Frogmore
• Halwell
• Harberton
• Harford
• Holbeton
• Holne
• Kingston
• Kingswear
• Littlehempston
• Loddiswell
• Malborough
• Marldon
• Modbury
• Moreleigh
• Newton Ferrers
• North Huish
• Rattery
• Revelstoke
• Ringmore
• Shaugh Prior
• Sherford
• Slapton
• South Brent
• South Huish
• South Milton
• South Pool
• Staverton
• Stoke Fleming
• Stoke Gabriel
• Stokenham
• Thurlestone
• Torcross
• Ugborough
• Wembury
• West Alvington
• Woodleigh
• Yealmpton

[edit] See also

• South Hams Radio

[edit] References

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