| Devon is a large
county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset
and Somerset to the east. It is unique among English counties, in that it
has two separated coastlines, on the English Channel and Bristol Channel
branches of the Atlantic. Devon is the third largest of the English
counties. The county town is the cathedral city of Exeter.
The Dorset and East Devon Coast, otherwise known as the Jurassic Coast for
its geology and geographical features, is the only natural UNESCO World
Heritage Site in England. Geologically, Devon, along with its neighbour
Cornwall, is known as the "Cornubian massif". This geology gives rise to the
unique landscapes of Dartmoor and Exmoor, both National Parks. In addition
to these, Devon has many seaside resorts and several historic towns and
cities, plus a mild climate, accounting for the large tourist sector of its
economy. Ashburton is a small town on the edge of Dartmoor in
Devon, adjacent to the A38 Devon Expressway. It was formerly important as a
stannary town (a centre for the administration of tin-mining), and remains
the largest town within the National Park, with a population of around
3,500. Ashburton has six pubs within the centre of town, and two
restaurants.
Barnstaple's population in the 1801 census was 3,748, in the 1901 census
9,698, and in the 2001 census 30,765. The town has swallowed the villages of
Pilton, Newport, and Roundswell through ribbon development in the
1930s–1950s. In April 2006 the population was 34,000. Barnstaple has been
the major market for North Devon since Saxon times.
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north
Devon, south-west England. The River Torridge is spanned at Bideford by the
13th century Long Bridge, which has 24 arches all of different sizes.
Bideford is served by the Atlantic Highway and A386 roads. The nearest
railway station is at Barnstaple 7.5 miles (12 km) away.
Brixham is a small town in the county of Devon, in the south-west of
England. Brixham is at the southern end of Torbay, across the bay from
Torquay, and is a fishing port. Fishing and tourism are its major
industries. The town is hilly, and built around the harbour which remains in
use as a dock for fishing trawlers; in addition, it has a focal tourist
attraction in the replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hind that
is permanently moored there.
Chagford is a small town and civil parish on the northeast edge of Dartmoor,
in Devon, close to the River Teign. Today Chagford is a thriving community
with an unusually wide range of shops for a town of this size. St Michael's
contains a memorial to Mary Whiddon, dated 11 October 1641, whose death is
thought to have been one of the inspirations behind R D Blackmore’s novel,
Lorna Doone. Crediton is a town in the Mid Devon district of Devon,
England at the junction of the A377 and A3072 about 12 km north west of
Exeter, with a population of about 6,500.The town is situated in the narrow
vale of the River Creedy near its junction with the River Exe, between two
steep hills, and is divided into two parts, the east or old town and the
west or new town. The Church of Holy Cross, formerly collegiate, is a noble
Perpendicular building with Early English and other early portions, and a
fine central tower.
Cullompton is a town in Devon, England in the district of Mid Devon, lying
on the River Culm and close to the M5 motorway. It has a population of
around 8,000 people.
Combe Martin is a village in Devon, The village is a small seaside resort
with a sheltered cove on the edge of the Exmoor national park. Due to the
narrowness of the valley, it is composed principally of one single long
street which runs two miles from the valley head to the sea. The population
is over 2500, with many Domesday Book families still in the area.
Dartmoor has a resident population of about 33,400, although this swells
considerably during holiday periods. Dartmoor is known for its tors — large
hills, topped with outcrops of bedrock, which in granite country such as
this are usually rounded boulder-like formations. There are over 160 tors on
Dartmoor. The levels of rainfall on Dartmoor are considerably higher than in
the surrounding lowlands. With much of the national park covered in thick
layers of peat, the rain is usually absorbed quickly and distributed slowly,
so that the moor is rarely dry. Angling is a popular pastime on the moor,
especially for migratory fish such as salmon. Dartmouth is a town in Devon in the south-west of England. It is a tourist
destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a
long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes. It lies within the
South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The town contains historic
buildings, the most obvious of which is the Butterwalk, built 1635 - 1640.
Its intricately carved wooden fascia is supported on granite columns.
Charles II held court in the Butterwalk whilst sheltering from storms in
1671 in a room which now forms part of Dartmouth Museum.
The city of
Exeter is the county town of Devon, in the southwest of England, also known
as the West Country. The City of Exeter was established on the east side of
the River Exe on a ridge of land backed by a steep hill. It is at this point
that the Exe, having just been joined by the River Creedy opens onto a wide
flood plain and estuary. flooding is quite common. The Northcott Theatre is
located on the campus of the university and is one of relatively few
provincial English theatres to maintain its own repertory company. Its
annual open air Shakespeare performance in the grounds of Rougemont Castle
is well regarded nationally.
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort on the north
coast of Devon, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs. The town
stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward
the east and 6 km along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west. The resort is
hilly and the highest point within the town boundary is at 'Hore Down
Cross', 3 km inland and 270 m (860 ft) above sea level. A seasonal foot
passenger ferry service runs from the harbour to Lundy Island and The
Balmoral, The Waverley and pleasure boats ply to Porthcawl near Swansea.
Moretonhampstead is a fairly small market town and civil parish in Devon,
England. It lies on the edge of Dartmoor and is notable for having the
longest one-word name of any place in England. The parish church is
dedicated to St Andrew. It is twinned with Betton in France.
Newton Abbot
is a market town in Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of
23,580 (2001 census). Newton Abbot has a racecourse and boasts three country
parks; Decoy, Stover and Bradley. Part of Newton Abbot's heritage is the
historic Cheese and Onion Fayre, originally held on 5,6,7 November in honour
of Saint Leonard. It is still held to this day, but earlier in the year at
the beginning of September.
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in Devon, England, at the northern
edge of Dartmoor, on the River Okement. The border of the Dartmoor National
Park is just south of the town. Like many towns in the West Country,
Okehampton grew on the Medieval wool trade. Notable buildings in the town
include the 15th century Chapel of St James, and Okehampton Castle. There is
the site of a Roman Fort close to the Town. The town is also home to the
Museum of Dartmoor Life.
Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and
Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998.
The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera.
Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 47,398.
Plymouth is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the county of
Devon in South West England. It is situated at the mouths of the rivers Plym
and Tamar and overlooks one of Europe's largest natural harbours, Plymouth
Sound. The city is large in geographical area because of the building of
many postwar satellite housing estates and the absorbtion of Plympton and
Plymstock in the 1960s.
Sidmouth is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West
England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon
district, approximately 15 miles (24 km) south east of Exeter. It has a
population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65.[1]. The town is a
tourist resort and a gateway town on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
Tavistock is a market town
within West Devon, England on the River Tavy, from which its name derives,
and has a population of 11,018. It traces its history back at least to AD
961, when Tavistock Abbey, whose ruins lie in the centre of the town, was
founded. Its most famous son is Sir Francis Drake.
Torquay is a town in the unitary
authority of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon. It lies 26 kilometres
(16 miles) south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, and
adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. In the
19th century, it became a fashionable seaside resort. Renowned for its
healthful climate, it earned the nickname of the English Riviera. Torquay's
name originates in it being the quay of the ancient village of Torre. In
turn, Torre takes its name from the tor, the extensively quarried remains of
which can be seen by the town's Tor Hill Road.
Great Torrington (generally abbreviated to Torrington, though it should be
noted that the villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington are
situated in the same region) is a small market town in the north of Devon,
England. Parts of it are sited on a cliff top with steep drops down to the
River Torridge below. The centre of the town therefore commands spectacular
views, though lower-lying parts are prone to occasional flooding. Torrington
is in the very heart of Tarka Country, a landscape captured by Henry
Williamson in his novel Tarka the Otter in 1927.
Totnes is a market town in South Devon. Indications of Totnes' former wealth
and importance are given by the number of merchants' houses built in the
16th and 17th centuries, one open to the public as the town museum. The
remains of the Norman Totnes Castle (now owned by English Heritage) may also
be visited. It was built during the reign of William I. Equally notable is
the late medieval church of St Mary built of rich red Devonian stone.
Yelverton is a large village on the south western edge of Dartmoor, Devon.
The construction of the railway line, and Yelverton railway station, during
the 19th century meant that it became a popular residence for Plymouth
commuters - the line was run by the Great Western Railway (GWR). The line is
now closed, but the Plym Valley Railway has reopened a section of it.
Yelverton is well known for "the rock" - a large visible mass of stone close
to the Plymouth road on the fringe of nearby Roborough Down. |