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The list of Listed Buildings is a lengthy list - a thick booklet in fact. It includes about 23 farmhouses and barns in the Bampton area, as well as about 40 homes and dwellings. Many of the farmhouses are early C17, although Giffords' and Lower Rill's origins are a century earlier. There are other listed items which might surprise you. The Church is a Grade I Listed Building of which the tower is the oldest part (C13) and parts of the chancel, nave, and aisle are C14 and C15.
Leburn House and Lower Leburn in Luke Street are Grade II* Listed which is said to have been built in 1766 for Richard Bowden, mercer, although many internal features suggest it may be earlier.
All the remaining buildings on the list are Grade II, and these include Manor Mill and Millhead, eight buildings in Briton Street, six buildings in Brook Street, six in Castle Street, five in Fore Street and Newton Square, and two in the South Molton Road. Included are the Old Vicarage and Barnhay House, as well as some other properties elsewhere.
Not all the listed buildings are old: No.25-35 in Frog Street are Grade II Listed - these three pairs of semi-detached houses with corrugated iron roofs were built in 1924 for Bampton Urban District Council, and their construction was based on the principles that Lt.Col. Nissen of the Royal Engineers had developed in designing Nissen Huts.
The milestone in Brook Street is listed, as are the two telephone kiosks - "Type K6. Designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott." Three of the grave-stones in the churchyard are listed, as are five sets of gates, a wall and some railings, and the recess in Newton Square which was originally a water stand-pipe.
We also have Grade II Listed bridges - the bridge over the Batherm, Chain Bridge (to Stuckeridge House) over the Exe, and Oakford Bridge.
It is believed that the first Christian church in the area was Celtic, founded by St Petroc in the 6th century, being one of seven founded by him on Exmoor. Four miles east of Bampton is the hamlet of Petton whose church, dedicated to St Petroc, dates from ancient times. At Shillingford, between Bampton and Petton, was another chapel which fell into disuse in about 1790, the remains being all but invisible - but both were in use in 1107.
There is evidence that the Bampton parish church was dedicated to St Mary in the early 13th century - about a century later, the chantry chapel of St Mary was built beside the church, and to this day one of the old lanes leading to the church is called Mary Lane.
A late Saxon window arch can still be seen in the south wall of the church.
A 15th century Lord of the Manor was Sir William Bourchier (after whom Bourchier Close was named) did much for the town and the church, where he had the north aisle constructed and the Rood Screen carved in 1450. His heraldic arms included a reef knot and water bougets (leather bottles used to carry water), features to be seen in the church and on the school badge.
The adjacent 'Swan Hotel' is thought to be one of the oldest buildings in Bampton, being built in 1450 to house the stone-masons working on this construction.
The two yew trees near the church porch are thought to have been planted between 1483 and 1485, over 500 years ago! The trunks are encased in stone to stop cattle, which used to graze in the churchyard, from nibbling them, yew being poisonous to livestock.
Inside the church are many interesting features, including the old town stocks which were last used in 1862! We understand that it was to improve the mind of a man who had over-indulged with alcohol.