Covering Clyst St Mary & Sowton Parishes in East Devon
With a combined electorate of over 1,200, both parishes are rural parishes lying east of Exeter and the M5 motorway, and south of the A30 trunk road. Several farms and small hamlets are scattered throughout the rest of the area in open countryside.
The Parishes
Sowton Village
Sowton Village is approximately a mile to the north of Clyst St Mary as the crow flies. Sowton Village is a Conservation Area and being in a cul-de-sac, is a much quieter village than that of Clyst St Mary. Sowton Village has no shop, post office, school or pub but has a church and village hall, which was once the school. It is surrounded by farmland and several of the farm buildings are listed.
Clyst St Mary
Clyst St Mary is a lively village with a shop and post office, school, village hall and pub. Other features of the area are the Cat & Fiddle Residential Park and the Westpoint Showground. Clyst St Mary is noted for its involvement in the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549 and for its historic bridge, which was erected in the 13th Century and is the oldest surviving bridge in Devon, outside the city boundary.