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The Bike Shed Exeter
The original Bike Shed venue in Exeter's historic city centre, blending motorcycle culture with independent food and drink.
21 km · about 25 min drive
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EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Willand
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Willand
Willand works well as a base: 5 minutes from Cullompton, 32km from Jurassic Coast.
Willand is in England, United Kingdom, with about 3,400 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Cullompton, about 4 km away.
Willand is a village and civil parish in Mid Devon, England. It is about 19 km (12 mi) north of Exeter and 2.4 km (1.5 mi) north of Cullompton. In 1991 the population was 3750 although recently this has grown considerably. The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is ST037110. Willand is a major part ofRead more
Lower Culm electoral ward. The ward population at the 2011 Census was 5,808. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Halberton, Uffculme and Cullompton.
Willand has probably had a settlement since the Iron Age but is first recorded in 1042 as having "belonged to Ethmar". It historically formed part of the hundred of Halberton.
The church of St Mary the Virgin is medieval; it has a small tower and a chancel, nave and north aisle. The south porch has some decoration and there is a late medieval rood screen (probably c. 1400 in date and fairly simple in design).
There is one pub, The Halfway House, and a country manor, situated next to Diggerland, called the Verbeer Manor. It has one primary school, Willand School, that has around 300 pupils. From Willand, pupils go to Cullompton Community College, Uffculme School, or to other secondary schools in the area.
Willand has a football club, Willand Rovers F.C., who play at the Stan Robinson Stadium on Silver Street.
Willand also has a village hall, where a number of social activities take place, such as short mat bowls and coffee mornings. Alongside the village hall is Willand Tennis Club.
The Bristol to Exeter railway line was completed in 1844, and a station, Tiverton Road, was opened in Willand to serve the nearby town of Tiverton; this was renamed Tiverton Junction railway station when a branch line reached the town, and also became the junction for the Culm Valley Light Railway in 1876. Both branch lines had closed by 1975, and the station closed in 1986 when Tiverton Parkway was opened.
The M5 motorway bypasses the village; junctions are at Cullompton and Tiverton Parkway.
Adjacent to the railway line there is a large poultry processing factory, part of the 2 Sisters Food Group, who purchased it from Lloyd Maunder in 2008.
Where to Stay in Willand
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Willand?
Within an hour or so of Willand: The Bike Shed Exeter (21 km), Exeter Cathedral (21 km), Tarr Steps (28 km), Powderham Castle (28 km).
Are there any good drives near Willand?
The nearest famous roads are Porlock Hill, Countisbury Hill and B3212 across Dartmoor.
Where is Willand?
Willand is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Cullompton.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,360
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 50.8833, -3.3667
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Willand
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Magnificent Gothic cathedral boasting the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England, dating back to the 12th century.
21 km · about 25 min drive
bridge
Tarr Steps
A 17-span prehistoric-style clapper bridge across the River Barle on Exmoor, repeatedly rebuilt after floods.
28 km · about 30 min drive
castle
Powderham Castle
The fortified manor of the Courtenay family since 1391, in a deer park beside the Exe estuary.
28 km · about 30 min drive
natural wonder
Jurassic Coast
UNESCO World Heritage coastline stretching 95 miles from Devon to Dorset, exposing 185 million years of geological history in its dramatic cliffs.
32 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Dunkery Beacon
The highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset at 519 m, with views to the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor on clear days.
35 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
The Cobb, Lyme Regis
The curving stone harbour wall at Lyme Regis, made famous by Jane Austen's Persuasion and The French Lieutenant's Woman.
35 km · about 40 min drive
famous road
Porlock Hill (A39)
One of England's steepest A-roads at 1-in-4 with hairpins out of Porlock onto Exmoor; a toll road offers a gentler alternative.
39 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Willand
- 28 kmTarr StepsA 17-span prehistoric-style clapper bridge across the River Barle on Exmoor, repeatedly rebuilt after floods.
- 35 kmDunkery BeaconThe highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset at 519 m, with views to the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor on clear days.
- 39 kmPorlock Hill (A39)One of England's steepest A-roads at 1-in-4 with hairpins out of Porlock onto Exmoor; a toll road offers a gentler alternative.
- 40 kmPorlock HillBritain's steepest A-road, where the A39 climbs out of Porlock onto Exmoor at gradients up to 1-in-4 with two severe hairpins. A scenic Victorian toll road offers a gentler coastal alternative.
- 40 kmGolden CapThe highest point on England's south coast at 191 m, its sandstone summit glowing gold above Charmouth and Lyme Bay.
- 49 kmCountisbury HillA long 1-in-4 climb on the A39 out of Lynmouth onto Exmoor, with sweeping views over the Bristol Channel.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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