Nestled in the heart of rural North Devon is a small village called Shirwell, where I have now put down my roots. I currently let half the ground floor of my cottage on Airbnb. If you would like to come for a stay in a peaceful historic village please visit my Airbnb listing, but contact me directly to book as this will make your stay cheaper, by avoiding Airbnb admin fees. The Village Hall here runs various community events and is available for hire. It is located across the lane from 13th century St Peter's Church.

​

Shirwell dates back at least to the Iron Age, but one of the first written references to Shirwell is in the Domesday Book where it is under the name “Aiserewilla”. Its name means “clear water” or “clear spring”. Probably because of its plentiful water, it is one of the earliest known settlements in North Devon. During his reign, King Alfred (871-901 A.D.) honoured Shirwell by categorising it as a “Hundred”, thereby delineating it and separating it from Braunton. Shirwell was then ecclesiastically appointed as one of the old Rural Deaneries of the Diocese and still remains so today.

From the fourteenth century, the Chichester family, (who were local and numerous!) lived in Shirwell. They owned a great deal of the land in and around the area as well as elsewhere in Devon. They built a Georgian mansion a few miles north of Shirwell – now known as Arlington Court . Much of their land and property has subsequently been sold. Arlington Court is now owned by the National Trust. It houses the National Trust Carriage Museum, as well as much historic memorabilia. The 19th century neo-classical country house is surrounded by a substantial estate with 20 miles of footpaths and both formal and informal gardens. The most famous Chichester family member is Sir Francis. Amongst other achievements he was an accomplished sailor, having sailed solo around the world in Gypsy Moth 1V in 1967. St Peter’s Church in Shirwell is the final resting place of Sir Francis and several other members of the Chichester family.

​