| Aveton Gifford is a small village (population 772 in the
2001 census) situated at the head of the estuary of the River Avon in the
South Hams district of Devon. The main road between Modbury and Kingsbridge
crosses the river at this point but avoids the village by a bypass. The
name Aveton Gifford is thought to have originated from a combination of
the name of the River Avon and the family of Giffard who held the manor
in the 12th century. The original bridge built at Aveton Gifford across
the River Avon is believed to have been completed in around 1440. The parish
church of St Andrew was completed in around 1250, survived for nearly 700
years until it was almost destroyed in a raid by a group of German fighter
bombers in 1943. The church was rebuilt in 1957 and still possesses some
of its original features such as its two-story porch and thirteenth-century
doorways. |
