Lympstone, East Devon - CASE STUDY

Natural Characteristics

• Small valley cut by Wotton Brook through the red breccia cliffs - mark the edge of the Exe estuary

• Extensive tidal mudflats extend out into the estuary which is about 1.5km wide at Lympstone

• Small pebble + gravel beach - runs along food of cliff

Past Characteristics

• Established by the Saxons - forced out original Celtic inhabitants

• Norman Conquest - ownership of area transferred to succession of French families

• 13th Century - one of small number of ports operating under administration of Exeter - coastal + cross channel trading links

• Shipbuilding thrived into 19th Century - industry ceased as scale of ships increased

• Estuary used for fishing + shellfish industry - boats went out to catch cod + hunt for whales

• Tourism began in 1840s - attracted considerable amounts of wealthy families from Exeter + East Devon - enjoyed novelty of being ‘by the sea’

• Began to change from mid-nineteenth century - expansion of built environment to accommodate visitors

• Remained a small village

• Arrival of railway in 1861 - improved connectivity regionally + nationally

• Time-space compression - allowed shellfish industry access to a wider market + local residents could travel more easily to Exeter (main regional centre)

• 20th Century - became a dormitory settlement for Exeter

• Retained strong sense of community - continues to present day

Demographic

• Top-heavy age structure

• The West Country - relatively homogeneous ethnically - does not have much ethnic diversity

• Devon + West Country - dominated by agriculture + tourism - did not provide many jobs opportunities for immigrants in 1960s + 1970s

  • Beginning to change - especially in larger urban areas (Plymouth + Exeter) - second + third generation migrants assimilate socially + economically

Cultural Face

• Rhythm of cultural year - long-established

• Based on Christian year - Christmas + Easter key times in calendar

Political Characteristics

• Parish council - 11 elected people serving on local government body

• Focusses on local matters - lighting local roads, + providing + equipping community facilities like a village hall, playground, or local sports field

• They express views on any planning applications in the place - like house building + extensions

• Powers relatively limited - a district (East Devon) and county council (Devon) exist above parish council

• Lympstone part of an area that elects two district councillors + one county councillor

• Parliamentary constituency that includes Lympstone (East Devon) has an electorate of just over 72,000 + returns one MP

Built Environment

• Former low-order shops have closed - converted to residences

• Some new housing had been constructed - large houses on the cliff-top on the village’s periphery

• Heart of the village is subject to strict planning rules

• Local residents protect the architecture

Shifting Flows of Resources + Ideas

• Shift in national economy towards services + growing significance of knowledge economy - great positive effect on Lympstone

• 1/3 of its employed residents are classified as being managers, directors, senior officials, or in professional occupations

• Part of the flow into the Exeter region of employment in services + knowledge-based firms - has been considerable

• Office moved from Reading to Exeter in 2003 - at the time was single largest move of IT equipment in Europe

• Provided strong economic stimulus to the region - brought in many knowledge based jobs

• Exeter’s tertiary employment has seen a growing higher education sector

  • University of about 3000 staff (academic + administrative)

  • A major hospital

  • Regional headquarters of many firms + organisations in both services + high-tech