{"id":3848,"date":"2016-10-18T15:05:33","date_gmt":"2016-10-18T14:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/launcestonthen.co.uk\/?page_id=3848"},"modified":"2019-04-26T13:18:47","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T12:18:47","slug":"lifton","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/launcestonthen.co.uk\/index.php\/the-parishes\/lifton\/","title":{"rendered":"Lifton"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"lifton-photo-courtesy-of-ray-boyd\"<\/p>\n

Lifton was undoubtedly one of the earliest villages to be founded in West Devon by the Saxons, and was of considerable military importance, being within a mile of the Tamar and the Cornish frontier. It is the Liwtune referred to in King Alfred’s will 880-5, and it also appears to be the Leowtun where Athelstan held his court in November 931. (P.N.D., 188n. Also D.A. 63 (1931) 354-6.<\/em>) Ashleigh was a Domesday manor, later a medieval mansion, and now a farmhouse. Wortham was also a medieval mansion and remains substantially unchanged to this day. Part of it may date from the 14th century, but it is mostly late 1st to early 16th century, reconstructed internally in the early 17th century, as so often happened, when the medieval hall-house was converted into something warmer and more convenient. The house has recently been rescued from its decay as a farmhouse and well restored. Other ancient farms are Tinhay and Gatherley, both recorded before 1200. Lifton Park is comparatively modern, the house dating only from 1815 and later. It commands beautiful views of the Tamar valley and the Cornish hills. Smallacombe, now a farmhouse, has doorways of 1st century granite. The house was modernised in the early 18th century (in brick) and “turned around” to face the other way. The church (St. Mary<\/em>) is a 15th century building, badly restored in 1871. There are some traces of 14th century work and there is a magnificent late 12th century font. The monuments are interesting: (I) to John Dynham of Wortham (1641<\/em>) and his wife Margaret (1649<\/em>); (2) a splendid monument to the Harrises of Hayne, I590, 1618, 1631, repaired and beautified by their descendants in the 18th century; (3) an incised brass to John Harris of Hayne, 1657.
\nExtract from Devon by W.G.Hoskins (1954<\/em>), included by kind permission of the copyright holder.<\/p>\n