Ilfracombe

51.206666666667 - 4.1294444444444Koordinaten: 51 ° 12 ' N, 4 ° 8' W

Ilfracombe is a small town with 12,510 inhabitants (2006 ) on the north coast of the southwestern English county of Devon. It has a small natural harbor, which is dominated by the natural landmarks of the city, the Hillsborough Hill with the remains of a Celtic fortifications from the Iron Age.

The manor of Chambercombe in the eastern part of the city dates back to the Norman knight Champernon ( from Cham Bernon in France), who was the Conqueror to England along with William. The building is first mentioned in 1086.

Ilfracombe was composed of two different communities: the parish church around the farmers had settled, and the fishermen. The land to the church belonged to the Champernowne family, which at the port the Bouchiers, Earl of Bath. The port assumed its early importance in the Bristol Channel. So placed the township in 1208 King John I a ship for his conquest to Ireland available, and in 1247 it was a vessel for the conquest of the Western Isles of Scotland. Furthermore sent from Ilfracombe from ships for the siege to Calais, and for the suppression of the Irish two strong military forces were stationed here. The lighthouse, which stands at the harbor on the Lantern Hill, for over 650 years in operation, making it the longest in the UK.

Until the mid-19th century fishing and maritime trade were the main sources of income in Ilfracombe. In Victorian times, the city developed due to the increasing ferry operations along the Bristol Channel gradually into a holiday resort. The realignment proceeded even faster than an efficient railway network was born. However, further changes on a large scale was the unfavorable location of the city in the hills, wedged between cliffs and sea, in the way. As a result, the cityscape is still very Victorian character even today. For many of the large, elegant houses were comfortable hotels.

The city has grown around the old harbor around. Today share there fishing boats the anchorage with pleasure boats, as well as with the Oldenburg who regularly translates to 19 km distant Lundy Island. There are also ferry services to the Welsh Porthcawl near Swansea. The port of Ilfracombe in 2012 came spectacularly into the headlines of the world press after the British artist Damien Hirst 's 25 -meter-high bronze statue Verity was there set up.

Twin Cities

• Herxheim

Sons and daughters of the town

• Ruth Downie ( born 1955 ), English writer
• Vic Gentils (1919-1997), Belgian sculptor