Woodleigh is a village, parish and former manor located in the South Hams region of the county of Devon, England.
Etymology
The name is derived from the Old English "leah" meaning a clearing in a forest.
History
The manor is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Odelie and was the 13th of the 17 holdings of Robert of Aumale. It then formed part of his demesne lands. Wood Barton on the northern edge of Woodleigh was built as a Cistercian monastery before being converted to apartments. Woodbarton and 1200+ acres of surrounding land was once owned by racehorse trainer and farmer David barons.. https://www.racingpost.com/news/grand-national-winning-trainer-david-barons-dies-at-age-of-81/320277
Demographics
The population of Woodleigh is approximately 150.
Amenities
Whilst there was once a small school in the village now this has been converted into a house so that the children of the village must travel to the much larger village of Loddiswell to receive their education. Woodleigh has no shops, pubs or sports facilities but it does have a postbox.
Historic estates
The parish includes the following historic estates:
Wood
Wood was held by a junior branch of the Fortescue family whose earliest known seat in Devon was Wympstone in the parish of Modbury. Sir Henry Fortescue, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland, married as his first wife Jane Bozun, daughter of Edmond Bozun of Wood, and Wood became the residence of his son and heir John Fortescue, and passed to his male descendants for three generations. The only daughter and heiress of John's great-grandson Anthony Fortescue of Wood was Joan Fortescue, who married her cousin John Fortescue of Preston, Devon. The Fortescue Baronetcy, "of Woodleigh in the County of Devon", was created in the Baronetage of England on 29 January 1667 for Peter Fortescue of Wood in the parish of Woodleigh, 3rd son of Francis Fortescue of Preston, Devon, descended from John Fortescue of Wympstone in the parish of Modbury, Devon, MP for Totnes, Tavistock and Plympton. The title became extinct on his death in 1685.
