DEVON
Bordered by Somerset, Dorset and the Duchy County of Cornwall, Devon is England's third largest county with nearly 7,000 sq. kilometres of land. Devon contains the two natural parks of Exmoor and Dartmoor, the coastal towns and seaside resorts of two coast lines, picturesque villages with their thatched cottages and charming inns, the industrial centres and a variety of ancient history. There is a lot to see and learn within the beautiful county of Devon.
Devon was one of the first areas of England settled following the end of the last ice age. Dartmoor is thought to have been settled by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer peoples from about 6000 BC. The name "Devon" derives from the name given by the Romans to the Celtic people who inhabited the south western peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion c. 50AD , known as the Dumnonii, thought to mean 'Deep Valley Dwellers'. The Romans held the area under Military Occupation for approx 25 years.
Devon has produced tin, copper and other metals from ancient times. Devon's tin miners enjoyed a substantial degree of independence through Devon's stannary parliament, which dates back to the twelfth century. The last recorded sitting was in 1748, and it is believed they then adjourned to a pub in Tavistock.
Like its neighbouring county to the west, Cornwall, Devon is relatively disadvantaged economically compared to other parts of southern England, due to the decline of many traditional industries such as fishing, mining and farming.
The Dartmoor National Park lies wholly in Devon, and the Exmoor National Park lies in both Devon and Somerset. In addition Devon is the only county in
England to have two completely separate coastlines. Both the North and South coasts offer dramatic views: much of both coastlines is named as Heritage Coast,
and the South West Coast Path runs along the entire length of the both. The inland of the county has attractive rolling rural scenery and villages with
thatched Cob cottages. All these features make Devon a popular holiday destination for many Britons. The variety of scenery and habitats means that there is
an exceptional range of wildlife (see Dartmoor wildlife). A popular challenge among birders is to find over 100 species in the county in a day.
The landscape of the south coast consists of rolling hills dotted with small towns, such as Dartmouth, Salcombe, Totnes etc. The towns of Torquay and
Paignton are the principal seaside resorts on the south coast. The north of the county is very rural with few major towns except Barnstaple, Great
Torrington, Bideford and Ilfracombe.
The administrative centre of Devon is the city of Exeter. The city of Plymouth, the largest city in Devon, and the conurbation of Torbay (including the towns
of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham) are now unitary authorities separate from Devon for the purposes of local government.
The major towns in Devon are Axminster ,
Barnstaple ,
Beer ,
Bideford ,
Brixham ,
Dartmouth ,
Dawlish ,
Exeter ,
Exmouth ,
Honiton ,
Ilfracombe ,
Lynmouth ,
Newton Abbot ,
Okehampton ,
Paignton ,
Plymouth ,
Plympton ,
Princetown ,
Salcombe ,
Sidmouth ,
Tavistock ,
Teignmouth ,
Tiverton ,
Torquay ,
Totnes
DEVON ATTRACTIONS
Buckfast Abbey
Castles in Devon
Dartmoor
Exmoor
Heritage railways
Bideford & Instow Railway
Dartmoor Railway
Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway
Plym Valley Railway
South Devon Railway
Jurassic Coast (a World Heritage Site)
Lundy Island
TRANSPORT LINKS
First Great Western - Mainline service Paddington to Devon and Cornwall
South West Trains - Run a mainline service Waterloo, Salisbury to Exeter
Virgin Trains - Cross Country services - Scotland, North East, North West England via Birmingham to Devon and Cornwall.
Wales and Borders Trains - Birmingham and London Waterloo to Devon and Cornwall in the West Country.
Wessex Trains - Branch lines - Exmouth, Paignton, Barnstaple (tarka line) and Gunnislake (Tamar Valley). Regional services to Cardiff, Bristol and Portsmouth.
