Colyton is a community in Devon, England. It is located within the East Devon local authority location. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Seaton and 6 miles (9.7 kilometres) from Axminster. Its population in 1991 was 2,783, decreasing to 2,105 at the 2011 Census. Colyton is a major part of the Coly Valley selecting ward. The ward population at the above census was 4,493. Colyton initially appeared as an old village around 700 AD and features in the Domesday Book as 'Culitone'. The 3rd code of regulation of King Edmund I was released at Colyton in about 945. This aided to maintain feudal culture, by mentioning plainly its four columns: royalty, lordship, family, and area. It became a vital farming centre and market town with a corn mill, saw mill, iron factory and an oak bark tannery that is still functioning. Positioned 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to the north of the town was Colcombe Castle, currently destroyed, a former seat of the Courtenay household, Earls of Devon. Complying with the attainder of the Marquis of Exeter the Courtenay lands escheated to the Crown, and those within Colyton were offered back for £1,000 to different locals of Colyton church, as detailed in an act transcribed in the Letters and Documents of Henry VIII dated 6 January 1547, summarised as "John Clarke as well as others. Grant in free socage, based on leas and so on (defined), for l,000 l, of the following lands (degrees offered) in the parish of Colyton, which are parcels of Colyton chateau, Devon, and also belonged to Henry Marquis of Exeter, attainted". This was the beginning of the Feoffees of Colyton, who continued to keep in usual different residential properties in the parish. The community has actually been referred to as "the most defiant community in Devon" due to the number of its inhabitants who signed up with the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685.