Weare Giffard

This appealing village claims to be the longest riverside village in England, straggling for almost two miles along the banks of the Torridge. Weare Giffard (pronounced Jiffard) has a charm all its own, suspended in time it seems to belong to the more peaceful days of half a century ago. The villagers have even refused to have full street lighting installed, so avoiding the ‘street furniture’ that blemishes so many attractive places.

Another attraction in the village is a fine old 15th-century manor house, Weare Giffard Hall. Although its outer walls were partially demolished during the Civil War, the splendid gatehouse with its mighty doors and guardian lions has survived. Inside, the main hall has a magnificent hammer-beam roof, and several of the other rooms are lined with Tudor and Jacobean oak panelling. For centuries, the house was the home of the Fortescue family and in the nearby church there is an interesting ‘family tree’ with portraits of past Fortescues carved in stone.