Woolwell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Woolwell | |
|---|---|
 View across houses in north-east Woolwell into the fields beyond | |
  Woolwell Location within Devon | |
| Population | 3,098 [1] |
| OS grid reference | SX5061 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PLYMOUTH |
| Postcode district | PL6 |
| Dialling code | 01752 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Woolwell is a suburb on the north-east fringe of the city of Plymouth, England, located just outside the city's boundaries in the district of the South Hams. It is situated along the A386, close to the boundary of Dartmoor National Park, with good views of the surrounding landscape. Housing development began in Woolwell in 1981 and there is now a population of slightly over 3000. For an area of its size, it has a large number of facilities, including its own primary school, a medical centre and several shops.
Accessed via a roundabout on the A386 Tavistock Road, Woolwell is situated in an area sometimes referred to collectively as Roborough. This is in reference to an historic village to the north of Woolwell, which can be reached directly by foot via Dark Lake Lane. Woolwell itself is surrounded almost entirely by undeveloped farm and woodland. The south and south-east sides of the neighbourhood slope downwards fairly steeply into wooded valleys that form part of the Bickleigh Vale Area of Great Landscape Value.[1][2] Woolwell offers good views across these woods, and the extensive footpath routes are directly accessible from parts of the housing estate.[1] There are also views into the edge of Dartmoor National Park, the boundary of which is nearby to Woolwell.
Housing
There are a total of 1287 dwellings in Woolwell,[1] located around a series of unconnected culs-de-sac, which branch off from Woolwell Road, the main road that runs through the centre of the neighbourhood. Residential areas immediately south of Woolwell Road are accessed via Long Park Drive, The Heathers or Woodend Road, with Cann Wood View providing access to further estates to the south-east. Access to housing at the north and east of Woolwell is via Pick Pie Drive.
The majority of houses in Woolwell were constructed between 1981 and 1995,[2] built with red and brown brick in a style typical of the time.[1] There are three small apartment blocks, but generally residences in Woolwell are detached or semi-detached houses.[1] Of the occupied households in the area, 85% are privately owned.[1] There are no listed buildings within Woolwell.[1]
Government
Woolwell is part of the civil parish of Bickleigh, within the Bickleigh and Shaugh ward of South Hams District Council. Even though it is considered part of Plymouth, it is therefore locally governed by Devon County Council rather than Plymouth City Council. It is within the parliamentary constituency of South West Devon.
There are Child Support Agency offices in the north of Woolwell.
Demography
Woolwell has a total population of 3098, with an average household size of 2.4.[1] Specific census data is not available for Woolwell individually, but only for the collective settlements of Woolwell, Roborough and Bickleigh. This data shows that, compared with Plymouth as a whole, the area has a higher proportion of under-15s (21%) and a lower proportion of over-65s (7%).[1] The vast majority (95%) of the population is white British, with 78% of people identifying themselves as Christian; of the remainder, only 1% are of other faiths.[1] Most people in the area consider themselves as having 'good' or 'fairly good' health, with comparatively few long-term illnesses.[1] The rates of people with qualifications is higher at all levels than Plymouth as a whole, with only 14% of the population lacking formal qualifications. A higher proportion of people hold University degrees than the national average.[1]
