Hawkchurch

thumb Hawkchurch is a village and civil parish in Devon, England, 3 miles north east of Axminster on the border of Devon and Dorset, and about 6 miles south of Somerset. It is 4 miles north of the tourist and fishing village of Lyme Regis.The parish, in the Archdeaconry of Dorset and Diocese of Bristol is located on the border of Devon and Dorset. Because of its location, it has been classified as part of each county at different times, but was formally transferred from Dorset to Devon in 1896.The parish church of St. John the Baptist dates from Saxon times, however, the building was heavily restored in 1862.In 1878 the Rev. John Going became rector to the parish and planted rose trees on the walls of every cottage, which gave Hawkchurch its title "The Village of Roses".The village pub, "The Old Inn", is a traditional coaching house, and a hostelry has been on the site since 1543.The Manor House, Wyld Court, dates from 1593. It was built for Robert Moore, whose coat of arms is inscribed above the door. An earlier mediaeval house on the site belonged to Cerne Abbey, prior to the dissolution of the Monasteries. It is a Grade II* listed building.In 1870-1872,Hawkchurch was described as:a village and a parish in the district of Axminster and county of Dorset. The village stands near the boundary with Devon, the river Axe, and the Yeovil and Exeter railway, 3¼ miles NE by E of Axminster; and has a post office under Axminster.Population Trends: The parish has witnessed fluctuating a fluctuating population over the past few centuries, and witnessed a major surge around 1820-1840, which was followed by a steady decline until the early 1900's. From the early 1900's to the present day, the parish has only experienced mild fluctuations in the population and has stayed relatively steady overall. The parish is currently on a steady population surge.