They say it’s all in a name and Yealmpton in the South Hams tells you exactly what it is – the River Yealm runs through it and “ton” is an old English name meaning village or settlement. The village is perfectly positioned. You have Dartmoor National Park to the northeast, or head south and follow the River Yealm and you will reach the coast and a number of beautiful beaches. You are only seven miles from Plymouth but the village offers many amenities including a health centre with dispensary, Post Office, shops, a petrol station, opticians and Ben’s Farm Shop selling local, good-quality fresh produce, much of it organic.
They love their food in Yealmpton – there’s a monthly farmers’ market too, the independent Nelli’s Café with a pretty outdoor space and the Rose and Crown pub on the main road through the village – easily spotted thanks to the rose-coloured walls.
This is a real slice of country life and has a thriving Community Association which runs a hall and an outdoor multi-use games area. The mobile library visits regularly and there are a number of initiatives designed to make Yealmpton as sustainable as possible. Initiatives include Men’s Shed which welcomes everyone and supports some of the older residents who use their repair skills. A community group, Bee-Wild Yealmpton, is increasing attractive spots for bees to visit and encouraging wildlife.
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Yealmpton has excellent facilities considering its size, including a hairdressers, medical centre and opticians. Easy access to beaches and moorland and Plymouth is nearby.
Yealmpton Primary School (a feeder for Ivybridge Community College) makes the most of its outdoor space with its own orchard, vegetable garden and sports pitch, often heading out on trips to study nature and wildlife in the wooded valley of the River Yealm and at the beach.
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Remember the nursery rhyme about Old Mother Hubbard? She went to the cupboard to give her poor dog a bone only to find it bare. On the main road through Yealmpton is the thatched, Grade II listed Old Mother Hubbard’s Cottage, which had been the home of the housekeeper at nearby Kitley House, once a grand estate dating back to the 16th century. The nursery rhyme inspired by her was published in 1805 and written by the sister of the chatelaine of Kitley.