Slapton in History
Slapton was 1st recorded in the Domesday Book as Sladone it had a recorded population of 53 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 20% of settlements recorded in Domesday.
Ploughland: 26 ploughlands. 2 lord's plough teams. 21 men's plough teams.
Other resources: 3.0 lord's lands. Meadow 10 acres. Pasture 50 acres. Woodland 31 acres
Livestock in 1086: 9 cattle. 12 pigs. 100 sheep.
The Tower you can see from the house and garden is a Scheduled Monument. The West Tower is all that remains of Slapton Chantry College which is only one of four such colleges to have ever been established in South West England. The Collegiate Chantry of St. Mary was built by wealthy local landowner Sir Guy de Briene, a standard bearer to King Edward III, in 1372 he was incredibly influential in the court of Edward III and held much sway over local residents. It stood on the site till 1547 and Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries 1536 and 1541.
The Tower Inn pub was originally built to house the stonemasons who helped to build the chantry college.
Geoffrey Chaucer visited Dartmouth in 1373, and later wrote of a “Shipman of Dartmouth,” one of the pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales. The Shipman was a skilled sailor but also a pirate, and it is said that Chaucer based the character on the colourful John Hawley (d.1408) – the leading merchant and fourteen times Mayor of Dartmouth, who was also a privateer in the Hundred Years War.
It is thought that Sir Guy de Bryan was a likely base for the knight in 'Canterbury Tales'
There is a thought that says Chaucer stayed at the The Collegiate Chantry of St. Mary when he was writing some of the Canterbury Tales.
The Church of St James dates from the late 13th or early 14th century, and is also grade I listed.
After the foundation of the Collegiate Chantry the parish church lapsed into poverty, its tithes being appropriated to the Chantry, one of whose priests was appointed to the church.
To counter the effects of the Chantry, the nave, aisles, and north porch were rebuilt or significantly altered in the 15th or early 16th century. Further restoration took place in 1905.
In November, 1943, Devon County Council was informed by the War Cabinet that the Slapton Sands area was to be totally evacuated, to permit part of the South Hams to be used for practice assault landings. This was one of the most traumatic episodes in the area’s history, involving the clearance of 30,000 acres and three thousand men, women and children who were evacuated at the end of 1943, taking their belongings, livestock, pets and in many cases, farm equipment with them. These local people, some of whom had never left their homes and villages, had just six weeks to pack up and move away. Many had friends and relatives nearby who accommodated them. Farmers doubled up their land and some moved away from the area, never to return. They made way for 15,000 U.S. troops, who over the following months engaged in battle exercise, often involving live ammunition. More detail can be found here
“Exercise Tiger” was one of several assault rehearsals conducted at Slapton Sands.
It turned out to be one of the great tragedies of World War II. Hundreds of American soldiers and sailors died needlessly due to confusion and incompetence. It was one of the military’s best kept secrets until it was revealed to the world almost 40 years later.
This memorial can be found in the car park almost opposite the turning up into the village from the beach road by Slapton Sands
More detail can be found here and here
