The name Salcombe first appears in writing in 1244, centuries after most of the other neighbouring settlements were identified. It fell within the boundaries of the parish of Malborough on the edges of two ‘manors’, Batson and West Portlemouth. The manor was the smallest of the administrative units into which England was divided by William I after he conquered the country in 1066. We know about these because their names and assets figure in the Domesday book, William’s comprehensive survey of his new kingdom published in 1083. While Salcombe itself may be a latecomer, man has lived around the area from time immemorial. Archaeologists have identified stone age settlements on the cliff tops on both sides of the mouth of the estuary and a recently discovered shipwreck has demonstrated the existence of cross channel trade some 3500 years ago.