CREDITON, a town,stands between two hills, on the river Creedy, at the junction of the North Devon and the Exeter and Crediton railways, 8 miles NW of Exeter. It was anciently called Credianton; and is now sometimes called Kerton or Kirton. It dates from very early times; but was greatly devastated, in 1743 and 1769, by fire; and presents now a modern appearance. It was, for many years, the seat of a diocese, transferred, in 1049, to Exeter; was seized and somewhat fortified by the rebels in 1549; and was occasionally occupied by the contending forces in the wars of Charles I. It consists of a main street, about a mile long, and a few minor ones. The old market house was destroyed in the fire of 1769; and the present one was erected in 1837. The public rooms, in ornamental architecture, with public reading room and other apartments on the ground-floor, and a fine large assembly-room above, were erected in 1852. The parish church was originally founded in 905; is now chiefly perpendicular English, of the 15th century., with recent enlargement and repair; has a central tower, the lower part of which is late Norman; contains an early English piscina, and an altar-tomb of the 14th century; and, before the Reformation, was collegiate, -the first in rank among the collegiate churches of the diocese.