Sticklepath

This postcard was probably taken around the turn of the 19th century of the main street in the village of Sticklpath on the north east edge of Dartmoor. Today it is a winding village with many still thatched cottages, several pubs and a village shop. It is the location of Finches Foundry (National Trust), a restored early 19C forge powered by three waterwheels. Its history is unusual in that, unlike most villages, it did not evolve around a manor. It never had a rectory or a squire. It owes its being and development to two factors - geography and religion. Sticklepath lies along the old ridgeway path between Exeter and Launceston. The name Sticklepath derives from the Saxon 'staecle', meaning 'steep', as it lies at the foot of a high mount, over which the path had to cross, on its way to Cornwall. It also lies at the point where the river Taw crosses the ridgeway and also where it was crossed by the old 'Mariner's Way', the route sailors took from Dartmouth to catch their next boat at Bideford.