Devon

I

Introduction

Devon or Devonshire, county, south-western England, bounded on the north by the Bristol Channel, on the east by Somerset and Dorset, on the south by the English Channel, and on the west by Cornwall. Much of the county is bleak moorland, but it has some striking scenery, and many interesting towns and picturesque villages. The north and south coasts not only provide a number of popular seaside resorts, but have made Devon a county with a strong seafaring tradition. Devon has an area of 6,560 sq km (2,533 sq mi). Exeter is the administrative centre.

II

Land and Resources

The main geological feature is the granite plateau of Dartmoor, the highest point of which is High Willhays at 621 m (2,038 ft). The rest of the county has a mixture of grits, slates, limestones, and sandstones. The rocks of the southern coast near Teignmouth are of a striking red colour. The soils to the north of this region, around Tiverton and Exeter, are of the same hue and have given rise to the sobriquet, “Red Devon”. The main urban areas are in the south.

The principal rivers are the Tamar, which forms most of the boundary with Cornwall, and the Tavy, the Plym, the Dart, and the Teign. All rise on Dartmoor and flow into the English Channel, and are noted for the beauty of their valleys. The Exe rises in Somerset, but its course runs mostly through Devon. The Torridge and the Taw are the main rivers flowing northwards. Other rivers include the Okement, the Otter, the Yealm, the Erme, the Avon, and the Axe, which forms part of the boundary with Dorset.

It is possible to walk virtually the entire distance of the north and the south Devon coasts along the South West Coast Path. There is also a path, the Two Moors Way, crossing Dartmoor and Exmoor and the Tarka Trail, which runs for 180 miles (290 km) in north Devon. Both Exmoor and Dartmoor have been designated by the Countryside Agency as National Parks (see Exmoor National Park). Several parts of Devon have been designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the Blackdown Hills, which run eastwards from Cullompton, north of Honiton; the southern coastline between Exmouth and Lyme Regis, excluding Sidmouth, Beer, and Seaton; the southern coastline between Bolt Head and Bolt Tail; Salcombe; Slapton Sands; Dartmouth; the estuaries and valleys of the Yealm, Erme, Avon, and Dart rivers; and most of the north Devon coastline. The east Devon coast was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

The climate of Devon is mild, and the south coast enjoys long hours of sunshine in summer. However, the county as a whole is damp, with an annual average rainfall in the region of 1,000 to 1,520 mm (40 to 60 in), rising to between 1,520 and 2,540 mm (60 and 100 in) in parts of Dartmoor.

III

Wildlife

Red deer and ponies are to be found on Exmoor, and fallow deer and ponies on Dartmoor. Otters live in the north Devon rivers. Lydford Gorge, owned by the National Trust, in the north of the county, offers not only spectacular scenery, but the opportunity to see water ouzels, herons, and other birds. Near Slapton Sands on the south coast is a lake known as Slapton Ley, which is a sanctuary for waders and other wildfowl; north of Dawlish is a 200-hectare (500-acre) nature reserve. On the north-west coast at Braunton Burrows, the sand dunes form another nature reserve. The entire Devon coastline is well populated by birds, including guillemots, and all kinds of gulls; from Bideford, a boat sails to the national marine nature reserve of Lundy Island, where there are puffins and razorbills, as well as grey seals, and, on the island, wild goats and sika deer.

IV

Population and Administration

The population of Devon was estimated in 2001 to be 704,499. The county's two main cities are the port of Plymouth (2001 estimate, 241,000) (now a separate administrative entity) and the cathedral and university city of Exeter (2001, 111,078). Towns of note include Axminster (1991, 3,472), Bideford (1991, 14,326), Barnstaple (1991, 27,691), Braunton (1991, 9,227), Brixham (1991, 15,865), Dartmouth (1991, 5,676), Dawlish (1991, 9,648), Exmouth (1991, 28,414), Holsworthy (1991, 1,892), Honiton (1991, 7,859), Newton Abbot (1991, 23,801), Okehampton (1991, 4,841), Salcombe (1991, 1,921), South Molton (1991, 4,066), Tavistock (1991, 10,222), Teignmouth (1991, 13,528), Tiverton (1991, 14,805), and Totnes (1991, 6,929). The many seaside resorts on the south coast include Paignton (1991, 42,989), Torquay (1991, 59,587), Budleigh Salterton (1991, 3,759), Sidmouth (1991, 10,767), Beer, and Seaton (1991, 7,579), and on the north coast, Ilfracombe (1991, 10,429), Westward Ho!, and Woolacombe. Dartmeet, where the east and west branches of the River Dart meet, is one of the most beautiful spots in the entire country, while Clovelly, on the north coast, can claim to be outstandingly picturesque. Dartmouth has a busy harbour, but is best known as the home of the Royal Naval College.

Devon is administered from County Hall in Exeter. The county at present has a county council and eight district councils: East Devon, Exeter, Mid-Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, and West Devon. On April 1, 1998, following the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, the Plymouth district and Torbay borough councils that had previously administered their areas in conjunction with Devon County Council were each created a unitary authority, administered separately from the county. They remain, however, geographically part of Devon.