On 24 April 2019 Peter Wade gave a talk for Bishopsteignton Heritage entitled ‘Rails Through Bishopsteignton’, this article is a summary of that talk. 19th Century The railway had reached Exeter from Bristol by 1844 and the next section to Plymouth was soon being...
Environment
Flora, fauna, geology, geography and archeology of Bishopsteignton.
Butterflies
Gardeners are encouraged to plant flowers and shrubs that are rich in nectar to attract butterflies to the garden and to provide a food resource. However, when the only plants that are planted to attract butterflies are non-native species, you're not going to have...
Orchards
Old maps of the area, dating from the mid-1800s, show extensive areas of orchard throughout the Parish of Bishopsteignton1. The grounds of several of the old estate houses and farms within Bishopsteignton village appeared to be almost entirely occupied by orchard,...
Little Haldon
Next time you are on at the top Little Haldon you might like to look away from the spectacular views and gaze at the expanse of mature lowland heathland to either side of Teignmouth Golf Club, which is of a type restricted to south west Britain. This is of great...
Cirl Bunting
The cirl bunting Emberiza cirlus (pronounced sirl) is a small sparrow sized farmland bird, which almost became extinct in the UK in the late 1980s and is now confined to south-west England. This was probably due to changes in farming practices, particularly the switch...
Holm Oaks
Next time you are out and about, look for evergreen holm oaks Quercus ilex; a common site in Bishopsteignton and in local coastal areas. Saplings often pop–up in local gardens. It was first brought to the UK over 400 years ago, it was widely planted during the 18th...
Flow Point
If you have followed Flow Lane, all of the way to where it terminates at the Teign Estuary, you may have noticed a triangular plot of land on the left as you pass underneath the railway bridge, between the railway line and the estuary, signposted as a private nature...
Hedgehogs
I remember when hedgehogs were a very common sight in the village and it was possible to see three or four in the garden at any one time, but I haven’t seen one in Bishopsteignton (dead or alive) for years. The Hedgehog Preservation Society states that there is...