Woodbury Salterton

WOODBURY SALTERTON is a small attractive hamlet near the larger town of Woodbury, a church in the Gothic style erected in 1844 by Miss Marianne Ridley, who also had the school built. Both the church and the old school contain stained glass windows designed by Miss Pidsley and in vicars wife of the rev. Mrs Thornycroft. The village lies between Exeter and Exmouth, near the estuary of the River Exe, and between the A3052 and the B3179.

Woodbury Hill has long been famous for its extensive views, particularly of the remains of the Saxon Woodbury Castle on the Common. Henry I seems to have given this Manor to Roger de Mandeville, the castellan of Exeter Castle. His son Stephen Mandeville, the licencee for Henry II, granted it to William Carbonell whose son was confirmed in it by Roger de Mandeville later. Carbonell's daughter, Mabille, married twice, first to Galfrid de Albermarle, and secondly to William, the son of Richard, Lord Levenston. The Lordship remained in the de Albermarle family, descending through Reginald and a second Galfridde Albermarle to Sir William de Albermarle. It was in Sir William Damarel's possession when he died in 1363. His son William died without issue before Williaming his majority. The Lordship then passed to Sir William Bonville, who had married Damarel's sister Margaret, and through whom it descended to Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk.

It later became escheated to the Crown, and was purchased by John Prideaux, serjeant at law, and then passed to his grandson Sir Thomas Prideaux. Sir Thomas and his family had extensive landholdings in in this part of the county grouped around his manor house at Nutwell. The house seems originally to have been a castle until Lord Dinham "in the time of Edward IV [1461-1483] altered it, and made it a fair and stately dwelling house. It is open only to the west, being otherwise sheltered by a little semi-circle of hills. It stands low and so near the river, that upon spring tides the floods rise almost to the outer gate of the house. The house has a very handsome chapel, adjoining a spacious dining room at the east-end" At one point the Manor of Nutwell belonged to Sir Francis Drake, who converted the chapel into a library. There are several monuments in the church to the Prideaux family. Woodbury Salterton passed into the ownership the Marker family of Honiton in the last century. The Lordship lies six miles south-east of Exeter.

Rights, customs and incidents

The house seems originally to have been a castle until Lord Dinham "in the time of Edward IV [1461-1483] altered it, and made it a fair and stately dwelling house.

Historical holder / succession information

1. Sir William Bonville
   passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: The Lordship then passed to Sir William Bonville, who had married Damarel's sister Margaret, and through whom it descended to Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk.