Devon
From World travel guide
Devon (also known, far less commonly, as "Devonshire") is a large county in England's West Country, bordered to the west by Cornwall and to the east by Dorset and Somerset. Uniquely amongst English counties, Devon has two separate coastlines: to the south, on the English Channel and to the north, on the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel. These are studded with resort towns, harbours and (more recently) surfing beaches. Devon is also home to two National Parks - Dartmoor and Exmoor - and includes the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel / Irish Sea.
Contents |
Towns
- Axminster
- Barnstaple
- Bideford - ferry to Lundy
- Dartmouth
- Ilfracombe - ferry to Lundy
- Newton Abbot
- Paignton
- Tavistock
- Tiverton
- Torquay
- Westward Ho!
Other destinations
- Buckfast Abbey
- the island of Lundy
Understand
The name "Devon" derives from the Celtic people who inhabited the southwest of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion, the Dumnonii.
Devon has produced tin, copper and other metals throughout its history. Tin was found in the granite of Dartmoor, and copper in the areas around the moor. In the eighteenth century, Devon Great Consols mine (near Tavistock) was believed to be the largest copper mine in the world.
Get in
By train
If visiting from Cornwall, the railway will take you across the Royal Albert Bridge from Saltash (in Cornwall) into Devon. When crossing this bridge, you will enjoy marvelous views of the River Tamar, which it crosses.
If visiting from the south, the railway line between London (Waterloo) and Exeter via Salisbury will transport you into east Devon, with connections with other parts of Devon at Exeter (St Davids station).
If visiting from Somerset and places north of London and Bristol, the Great Western Main Line will take you to Tiverton Parkway station (a few miles away from Tiverton itself) and then to Exeter. It will then carry on to Newton Abbot (where the line to Torquay and Paignton diverges from the main line) to Plymouth and then to Cornwall.
By road
By boat
By plane
Get around
By bus
See
- Dartmoor National Park [1]
- Exmoor National Park [2]
- the Dorset and East Devon Coast, or Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage site
- Lundy Island [3], an island in the Bristol Channel, an important conservation site with England's only statutory Marine Nature Reserve
- Buckfast Abbey [4]
Eat
The cream tea, involving scones, jam and clotted cream, is a local speciality and may well have originated in Devon (although neighbouring counties also claim it); in many countries, however, this combination is known as Devonshire Tea.
Drink
Stay safe
Get out
The county of Cornwall lies to the west of Devon, Dorset and Somerset to the east and north.
External links
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