About Honiton
The East Devon market town of Honiton, has a great deal to offer its residents and visitors alike - a fascinating history, a lively atmosphere and miles of country walks for ramblers, being just a few of the many delights of the town. For centuries Honiton has been renowned for lace, pottery and glove making, and although these time honoured crafts are no longer carried out to their former extent, Honiton has numerous specialist shops dedicated to both lace and pottery.
In more recent years, the town has also become the main centre in the West Country for antiques and antiquarian books. Honiton is a magnet for antique dealers and bargain hunters from all over the world, who come to browse in the 30 or so establishments, or to visit one of the regular auctions.
Strategically situated in South-East Devon, Honiton, is one of the traditional gateways into the county of Devonshire, making it an excellent base for people retiring to the West Country, as well as those working in Exeter or across the border in Taunton.
Honiton is within easy reach of both of the West Country's National Parks - Dartmoor and Exmoor, as well as being close to Exeter - the ancient capital of the South West. Vast tracts of the area surrounding Honiton are designated as areas of outstanding natural beauty and the town's location, near to the River Otter, provides an abundance of country walks and footpaths to explore.
During the 18th century, fires destroyed many of Honiton's older buildings. The re-building program created much of what we see today - a unique town, which is still largely 18th century in character. Honiton is both an attractive and prosperous town with an excellent shopping centre, holding twice-weekly street markets. It is twinned with Gronau-Leine in Germany and Mezidon-Canon in France, with regular exchange visits taking place between local schools and organisations.
Historically, Honiton was one of the centres for the West Country's medieval cloth trade, but over time, the town became famous as a centre for lace - due to the locally manufactured lace products being shipped from the town. The town's Allhallow's Museum, holds the World's principal collection of Honiton Lace and there are many shops in the town, specialising in lace and pottery, as well as antiques for which Honiton is now renowned.
The gentle, fertile agricultural land around Honiton has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The massive hillfort of Hembury Castle nearby, originated in the Neolithic period and was re-occupied and re-fortified during the Iron Age. The name of the town is Anglo Saxon and probably derives from the farm or settlement ('ton') of somebody called 'Huna'.
Daniel Defoe visited the town, in the 1720's, saying of the town that it was 'large and beautiful...very populous and well built'. There are a still a few older buildingswhich survived the fire in the 18th century. There is the 17th century Marwood House, built by John Marwood, whose father, Thomas, was physician to Elizabeth the First, and the already mentioned, Allhallows Museum, in the High Street, once a 13th century chapel that later became a schoolroom this is the oldest building in the town.
St Michael's, the Parish Church of Honiton, sits on a small hill above the town. The church was rebuilt in 1911 after a fire. The building is spacious and there are good views from the churchyard. In the centre of the town is St Paul's Church, built in the mid 19th century by the Devon architect Charles Fowler, who was responsible the old Covent Garden Market in London, the gatehouse of nearby Powderham Castle, Totnes Bridge, and old county lunatic asylum at Exminster .
Agriculture is Honiton's main industry today. The town stands in an area of rich farmland, watered by the river Otter with steep sided-hills that rise between the town and the sea. Many narrow winding lanes wind their way from Honiton, through the local countryside; leading to villages that provide both locals and tourists with constant sources of interest and delight. Honiton has an extensive selection of restaurants, cafes and shops with something to suit all tastes. The town has a Tesco supermarket, a Budgens convenience store and a Co-operative supermarket. Nearby Sidmouth has a large Waitrose supermarket.
Honiton enjoys excellent lines of communication and has a railway station with regular services linking Honiton to Exeter and London Waterloo. The A30 links the town with junction 29 of the M5 Motorway at Exeter. The coastal resorts of Lyme Regis, Sidmouth and Seaton are all a short drive away. Exeter airport is able to offer a comprehensive number of international and domestic scheduled and charter flights. The airport is a main base for the low-cost airline FlyBe.
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