Sandford is a village and civil parish in the Mid Devon district, within Devon, England. Sandford is part of the electoral ward named Sandford and Creedy. The ward population at the 2011 Census was 3,429.
History
The Grade II listed school main building dates from 1825, and is notable for its classical Greek architecture and cob walls, thought to be the highest of their kind in the country.
Present
The village has its own community-owned shop and post office, two pubs, The Lamb Inn and The Rose and Crown, a Primary school, a church, St Swithuns with a font of Caen stone, and minor football and cricket teams.
It is linked by cycle/foot path to nearby Crediton through the Millennium Green - a wild flower meadow with herb garden, example of cob walling, and a large pond. An annual pumpkin growing competition is held there in late September.
Sandford Parish Council is the lowest form of local government that covers this rural parish.
The actors Luke and Harry Treadaway were raised in the village.
Near the village is Fordy Wood Copse a woodland owned and managed by the Woodland Trust.
Historic estates
The area surrounding the town of Crediton is particularly well populated with important historic estates. Those within the parish of Sandford include:
Dowrich
Dowrich (anciently Dowrish) is an historic estate in the parish of Sandford. Between the 12th century and 1717 it was the seat of the ancient gentry family of Dowrish (originally de Dowrish) which took its name from the estate where it had become established before the reign of King John (1199-1216), when it built a castle keep on the site. A 15th century gatehouse survives there today, next to the ancient mansion house. The arms of the Dowrish family were: Argent a bend cotised sable a bordure engrailed of the last. An elaborate monumental brass survives in Sandford Church to the wife of Walter Dowrish, namely Mary Carew (1550-1604), daughter of Dr. George Carew, Dean of Windsor, 3rd son of Sir Edmund Carew, Baron Carew, of Mohuns Ottery in the parish of Luppitt, Devon, and sister of George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes (1555-1629).
Creedy
Creedy Park was long the seat of the Davie Baronets and their heirs the Ferguson-Davie Baronets, influential in the life of the parish of Sandford, to many members of which family survive monuments in the parish church. Sandford School was built in 1825, in the form of a classical Greek temple, by Sir Humphrey Phineas Davie, 10th Baronet (1775–1846).
Ruxford
Effigies of Sir John de Sully (1282-1388), KG, and his wife Isobel exist in Crediton Parish Church. Sully was lord of the manor of Iddesleigh, but was said by Westcote (d.circa 1637) to have had his seat at "Rookesford, lately the land of Chichester and alienated to Davye", i.e. Ruxford, in the parish of Sandford about 1/2 mile north-west of Crediton. He held Rokysforde from the overlord John de Raleigh of Raleigh in the parish of Pilton, as is evidenced in the latter's deed of 1362 now held in the North Devon Record Office. The heir of John de Raleigh by marriage to his daughter Thomasine was the Chichester family of Raleigh. According to Hoskins the estate of Ruxford is recorded in a charter dated 930 in which a large estate was granted to the canons of Crediton Church. The existing farmhouse known as Ruxford Barton was rebuilt in 1608 by the Chichester family, as is evidenced by a strapwork cartouche in plaster-work displaying the arms of that family with initials and date 1608, in the principal bedroom on the first floor of the parlour wing. In 1618 Ruxford Barton was purchased from Sir Robert Chichester, Bart, KB, by Emmanuel Davie, a "clothier of Crediton", a cousin of the Davie family of Creedy, Sandford. The deed of conveyance is summarised as follows: The Right Worshipful Sir Robert Chichester of the noble Order of the Bath, Bart, to Emmanuel Davie of Sandford in Crediton, gentleman, whereas ... the Barton Farm, messuage etc called Rokisfoorde or Ruxford, a close of land called Mylum and a parcel of lande a meadow called Nether Apple Meadow in Crediton ... a meadow called Heddge Mead... now sells the premises with all the messuages, buildings, goods, lands etc, etc, to Emmanuel...".
In about 1620 a plaster escutcheon was affixed inside the house showing the de Via arms of the Davie family impaled with the arms of Northcote, the arms of the family of his first wife Katherine Northcote (d.1620).