Colyton is a community in Devon, England. It lies within the East Devon regional authority location. It is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Seaton and 6 miles (9.7 km) from Axminster. Its population in 1991 was 2,783, minimizing to 2,105 at the 2011 Census. Colyton is a huge part of the Coly Valley selecting ward. The ward population at the above census was 4,493. Colyton first looked like an ancient village around 700 AD and attributes in the Domesday Book as 'Culitone'. The 3rd code of regulation of King Edmund I was released at Colyton in around 945. This aided to stabilize feudal culture, by specifying plainly its 4 columns: royalty, lordship, family, and neighbourhood. It became an important farming centre as well as market town with a corn mill, saw mill, iron shop and an oak bark tannery that is still working. Located 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometres) to the north of the town was Colcombe Castle, currently knocked down, a former seat of the Courtenay family members, Earls of Devon. Complying with the attainder of the Marquis of Exeter the Courtenay lands escheated to the Crown, as well as those within Colyton were marketed back for £1,000 to various homeowners of Colyton church, as listed in a deed recorded in the Letters and also Documents of Henry VIII dated 6 January 1547, summed up as "John Clarke as well as others. Grant in complimentary socage, subject to leas etc. (defined), for l,000 l, of the following lands (extents provided) in the church of Colyton, which are parcels of Colyton manor, Devon, and came from Henry Marquis of Exeter, attainted". This was the beginning of the Feoffees of Colyton, who continued to keep in common different buildings in the parish. The town has been referred to as "one of the most defiant community in Devon" as a result of the variety of its occupants that joined the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685.