Roosdown, Devon

Historical Description

Roosdown, an ancient parish in Devonshire, on the coast, 4 miles S of Axminster station on the L. & S.W.R. It has a post and money order office under Lyme Regis; telegraph office, Lyme Regis. Acreage, 255; population, 58. The Roosdown Observatory was erected in 1884, contains very good instruments, and carries on regular astronomical and meteorological observations. About 1875 the school penny-dinner system was instituted here by Sir Henry Peek, and has been continued ever since. Roosdown, the seat of the Peek family, is a noble mansion of grey flints in the Queen-Anne style, and contains a valuable collection of curiosities from all parts of the world. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Exeter. The church of St Pancras, for many years a ruin, was rebuilt in 1872 at the sole cost of Sir Henry William Peek, and is a building of flint in the Early Decorated style. There is a small reading-room and library in the village.

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.

Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Roosdown from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Roosdown)

Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following newspapers covering Devon online:

• Western Times
• Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
• Western Morning News
• North Devon Journal
• Exeter Flying Post

Visitations Heraldic

The Visitation of the County of Devon in the year 1564, with additions from the earlier visitation of 1531, is online.

The Visitations of the County of Devon, comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620, with additions by Lieutant-Colonel J.L. Vivian, published for the author by Henry S. Eland, Exeter 1895 is online.