Aveton Gifford is a pretty village with a strong sense of community located in the South Hams district of Devon just three miles from the beautiful sandy beaches of Bigbury-on-Sea and Bantham. The delightful market towns of Kingsbridge and Modbury are just a four mile drive away, and the popular sailing waters and sandy beaches of Salcombe only seven miles away.  The village is ideally located to explore this beautiful part of Devon.

The correct pronunciation of the name is a source of continuing and fruitless debate in the area: the alternatives are 'Awton Jifford', 'Averton Gifford' or varying combinations of the two. Today, it is frequently known locally as 'AG', a simple solution to the problem.

The parish comprises an area of hills and valleys and in addition to the River Avon there are numerous smaller watercourses which have shaped the land.  In common with the surrounding parishes Aveton Gifford contains a wide variety of plant and animal life and there is much to see for the visitor with an interest in wildlife. Within the area there are a number of footpaths and bridleways and for nature lovers a walk or ride along them is usually well rewarded at any time of year.

 

The parish church of St Andrew was described by W. G. Hoskins, a renowned English historian, as 'one of the oldest and most interesting churches in Devon'.  It is largely a cruciform building with a central tower and was completed in around 1250. 

In 1942 it was said to be 'well cared for' in the church log: the following year it was almost destroyed in a raid by a group of German fighter bombers.  

The church was rebuilt by 1957 but subsequent structural problems led to the tower being reduced to two thirds of its original height.  However the two-story porch survived, along with its richly moulded thirteenth-century doorways.

The area has a long history.  There are indications that it was occupied in Neolithic times and three manors within the parish were recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086.

  Aveton Gifford Parish Map.

 

This was commissioned by the Parish Council with the support of Common Ground and South Hams District Council.

The original, 80 x 100cms, is in the village hall, Aveton Gifford.

Posters are available in the Village Shop.

Produced by local artist and printmaker Mike Glanville
 

By the end of the 1300’s the road between Plymouth and Kingsbridge had become increasingly important and, so to avoid a wait for the tide to drop before crossing, a new bridge was built over the River Avon sometime in the early 1400’s.

The terrain that needed spanning made the building of this bridge quite a remarkable engineering accomplishment. The bridge also had to include two raised sections to carry the road above the marshes on either side of the main river.  It originally consisted of 5 arches, each of a 12 ft span, at the western end crossing the marsh, then the central span of six arches each 16 ft wide over the main river, and towards the eastern end a further three 16 ft arches, in all forming a causeway of 1,200 ft in length.   

In 1794 it caught the eye of the Reverend John Swete on his travels through Devon enough to note in his diary “At Aveton Gifford…the river Avon or Aune was seen winding through a wide vale the pasture of which had a marshy look and across the whole width of which had been thrown a bridge not much less than a quarter mile in length.”  

The bridge we see today is not so impressive; at either end several of the arches have now been buried in earth by the reclaiming of the marsh, the span over the river now has only five of its original six arches.  It is however a Grade 11 listed structure and an important symbol of AG's heritage.  More.....
 

The village sits at the start of the tidal road to Bigbury where the Avon estuary both at high and low tide is filled with a wonderful array of birds, including oystercatchers, little egrets, curlews, redshanks and swans to name but a few. 

A very pleasant walk can be enjoyed alongside this scenic estuary, where many a photograph has been snapped, but it is impassable at high tide.

Beside the Avon river, a new wildlife reserve which is open to the public at no charge, has been set up at South Efford Marsh. The area, recently bought by the Environment Agency as part of its Habitat Creation Programme, is leased by the Devon Wildlife Trust which now manages the site. 

More information on this and other aspects of village life is available on the Aveton Gifford Community Website.

 

There are plenty of beautiful local walks that can be undertaken directly from the front door of Glebe House.

The Avon Estuary Walk actually passes within a few metres of Glebe House and is a fine waymarked trail around the estuary.  A leaflet is available for sale from the local shop or tourist information centre in Kingsbridge.  It is also available as a free download from the South Devon AONB website. (Completing the trail involves a crossing on the seasonal ferry service).

 

The local village shop and post office is owned by the community and stocks a wide range of items from essential daily groceries to items from local artists.  The shop is in the Memorial Car Park at the northern end of the village a short 350 metre walk from Glebe House. More..... 

A community owned tennis court which was completely refurbished in 2015 is located behind the community hall and village shop.  If you fancy a game guests can book the court at the village shop where they will provide you with the key to the court.  An hours play cost only £6.00.

A pleasant 2 minutes stroll from Glebe House via a lovely footpath overlooking the village brings you to a wonderful children's play and recreation area for children of all ages.

 

The more adventurous part of the facility has only been built this year (2013) and provides for family fun in an idyllic setting - and so close to Glebe House.  Our grandchildren love it!  

   

The local village pub, the Fisherman's Rest, caters for family meals and can be reached via a pleasant 5 minutes walk through the village recreation area.