Edward Richard SMALE

Lifton is a village in Devon, South West England situated near the confluence of the rivers Wolf and Lyd, 2 km south of the A30 trunk road and very near the border between Devon and Cornwall.

he village was one of the first in the area to be founded by the Saxons, and was of strategic importance because of its location on a major route close to the border with the Kingdom of Cornwall. It was first recorded as Liwtune in the will of King Alfred, in the late 9th century. It became the centre of an administrative hundred, and was a royal manor, passing into private hands when sold by Queen Elizabeth to local landowner William Harris of Hayne in the late 16th century. In 1755 the manor was inherited by the Arundell family.[3]

There has been a church in Lifton since Norman times, although little of the existing St Mary's Church is earlier than the 15th century.[4] The Arundell Arms is a well known fishing hotel, which was formerly a coaching inn known as "The White Horse". The village was bypassed by the A30 in 1993.[3]

Agriculture and mining have supported the economy in the past. The dairy company, Ambrosia, has been based here since 1917. It was started as a milk factory, using supplies from dairy farms in the area. The factory produced dried milk during the second World War and the site has been enlarged considerably, the firm now being an important local employer.[3]