Dolton, Devon

{{Short description|Village in Devon, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox UK place

| official_name= Dolton

| civil_parish = Dolton

| country= England

| region= South West England

|coordinates = {{coord|50|53|N|4|02|W|region:GB_type:city_source:enwiki-GNS|display=title}}

| os_grid_reference=

| post_town= WINKLEIGH

| postcode_area= EX

| postcode_district= EX19

| dial_code= 01805

| constituency_westminster =

| shire_district= Torridge

| shire_county= Devon

| hide_services= Yes

| population =683

| population_ref = (2021 census)

| area_total_km2=

|static_image=Dolton - Lane to Cleave Farm - geograph.org.uk - 1411517.jpg

|static_image_caption=Dolton Lane leading to Cleave Farm

|website=

}}

Dolton is a small village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, south-west England, surrounded, clockwise from the north, by Beaford, Ashreigney, Winkleigh, Dowland, Meeth, Huish and Merton.{{cite web|url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_districts_2002_.pdf|title=Map of Devon Parishes|publisher=Devon County Council|access-date=7 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102183100/http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_districts_2002_.pdf|archive-date=2 November 2013|url-status=dead}} It has a population of around 900.{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/three-moors-e05003632#sthash.HORCvoXJ.dpbs|title=Three Bridges Ward 2011|access-date= 16 February 2015}}

Dolton appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Duueltone. The name may mean "farmstead in the open country frequented by doves" (Old English dūfe + feld + tūn).{{cite book|author1=Hanks, Patrick|author2=Hodges, Flavia|author3=Mills, A. D.|author4=Room, Adrian|title=The Oxford Names Companion|date=2002|location=Oxford|publisher=the University Press|isbn=978-0-19-860561-4|page=1011}}

File:St Edmund's Church, Dolton - geograph.org.uk - 71385.jpg

The Tarka Trail passes by Dolton. The parish church is dedicated to St Edmund. The historic stately home Stafford Barton is close by. Dolton is twinned with Amfreville in France, and Hillerse in Germany.

Anthony Horneck FRS, the Protestant theologian, lived in Dolton between 1670 and 1671.{{Cite web | url = http://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?sur=&suro=c&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&tex=HNK681A&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50 | title = Horneck, Anthony | publisher = Cambridge University | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130419104153/http://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?sur=&suro=c&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&tex=HNK681A&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50 | archive-date = 2013-04-19 }} Henry Bentinck, 11th Earl of Portland, lived at a house called Little Cudworthy and died there in 1997. Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts lived at Halsdon House near the village for some years until his death in 2021.{{Cite web | url = http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Villagers-rare-chance-meet-rock-star-neighbour/story-13199788-detail/story.html#axzz2NDyzZUVO | title = Villagers get a rare chance to meet rock star neighbour | publisher = North Devon Journal | author = Paul Donovan | date = 25 August 2011 | access-date = 11 March 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001710/http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Villagers-rare-chance-meet-rock-star-neighbour/story-13199788-detail/story.html#axzz2NDyzZUVO | archive-date = 3 December 2013 | url-status = dead }}