wer y , ▁several ▁local ▁business es , ▁and ▁the ▁numerous ▁old ▁mil est ones ▁locally . ▁The ▁former ▁Bran nam ▁Pot tery ▁works ▁which ▁was ▁s ited ▁in ▁L itch don ▁Street ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁tra dem ark ▁" Bar um " ▁et ched ▁on ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁its ▁products . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁earliest ▁settlement ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁probably ▁at ▁Pil ton ▁on ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Ye o , ▁now ▁a ▁northern ▁sub urb ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁town . ▁Pil ton ▁is ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁Burg hal ▁H id age ▁( c . ▁ 9 1 7 ) ▁as ▁a ▁bur h ▁founded ▁by ▁Alfred ▁the ▁Great , ▁and ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁Vik ing ▁attack ▁in ▁ 8 9 3 , ▁but ▁by ▁the ▁later ▁ 1 0 th ▁century ▁Bar n st ap le ▁had ▁taken ▁over ▁its ▁role ▁of ▁local ▁defence . ▁Bar n st ap le ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁mint ▁before ▁the ▁Norman ▁Con quest . ▁ ▁The ▁large ▁fe ud al ▁bar ony ▁of ▁Bar n st ap le ▁had ▁its ▁cap ut ▁at ▁Bar n st ap le ▁Castle . ▁It ▁was ▁granted ▁by ▁William ▁the ▁Con quer or ▁to ▁Geoff rey ▁de ▁Mont b ray , ▁who ▁is ▁recorded ▁as ▁its ▁holder ▁in ▁Dom es day ▁Book . ▁The ▁bar ony ▁es che ated ▁to ▁the ▁crown ▁in ▁ 1 0 9 5 ▁after ▁Mont b ray ▁had ▁re bel led ▁against ▁King ▁William ▁II .