Monkleigh

Monkleigh is a village, parish and former manor in north Devon, England. It is situated 2.5 miles (4.0 km) miles north-west of Great Torrington and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-east of Bideford. It forms part of the Monkleigh and Littleham electoral ward. The population at the 2011 census was 1,488.

The name of the village, Monkleigh, originates from the Old English "Munckenelegh", used in 1244 to describe a "wood or clearing of the monks", referring to a 12th-century property owned by the Montacute Priory. The area was previously named "Lega" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

In 1887, John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles, described Monkleigh as a village and a parish. It had a population of 540 people, covered 2177 acres, and had property that belonged to the Montacute monastery. It includes the hamlets of Saltern Cottages (also known as Annery Cottages) and Annery kilns, both of which are historic listed sites. Located west of the River Torridge valley, the village sits on high ground with scenic views of the parish. It was originally part of the Shebbear Hundred and is within the Church of England's Deanery of Hartland.

William, Count of Mortain, the founder of the Montacute Priory, gave the Monkleigh manor to the priory during the reign of Henry I (1100–1135). It was owned by the Montacute Priory in Somerset until the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1541.

When the monasteries were dissolved, the manor was granted by the crown gratis on 26 August 1540 to James and Anne Coffyn (also Coffin) of Alwington for the term of her life. Anne was the widow of Sir George St Ledger of Annery. In June 1544, the crown granted the manor of Monkleigh to Sir John Fulford of Dunsford and Humphrey Colles of Barton, Somerset, who paid the purchase price for the manor and obtained royal licence to alienate to James Coffyn. in other words, the manor was purchased for the Coffyns.

In 1810, the manor of Monkleigh was owned by Rev. John Pine-Coffin of Portledge, Alwington, from the same family as James Coffyn. About 1823 Richard Pine-Coffin sold Monkleigh manor land to John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle for the development of the Rolle Canal.

The former historic estate of Annery was a neo-Classical mansion house that stood in a "fine timbered park" dating back to the 13th century or before. An early owner was Osbert of Annery. By 1260, the house was owned by the Stapeldons; Walter de Stapeldon was born in the Annery that year and later became the Bishop of Exeter from 1307 to 1326 and Edward II's Lord High Treasurer. After the Stapeldons, it was owned by Sir William Hankford. The Annery fell into decay and in 1800 a new building was built on the grounds of the medieval building. It was demolished in 1957.

The ruins of the lime Annery kiln, built about 1823–1824 for Lord Rolle, are located along the River Torridge. Limestone was brought from Caldy Island and Gower Peninsula.