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.