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= Devon =
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Introduction
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{{infobox English county
| official_name = Devon
| flag_image = St Petroc's flag of Devon
| flag_link = Flag of Devon
| arms_image = Coat of arms of Devon
| arms_link = Coat of arms of Devon
| motto = "Auxilio Divino" ("With God's help")
| locator_map = Devon within England
| coordinates =
| region = South West
| established_date = Ancient
| lord_lieutenant_office = Lord Lieutenant of Devon
| lord_lieutenant_name = David Fursdon
| Patron Saint = Saint Boniface
| high_sheriff_office = High Sheriff of Devon
| high_sheriff_name = Gerald Hine-Haycock (2020-21)
| area_total_km2 = 6707
| area_total_rank = 4th
| ethnicity = 94.9% White British (2011)
| county_council = Devon County Council
| unitary_council1 = Plymouth City Council
| unitary_council2 = Torbay Council
| admin_hq = Exeter
| area_council_km2 = 6564
| area_council_rank = 3rd
| iso_code = GB-DEV
| ons_code = 18
| gss_code = E10000008
| nuts_code = UKK43
| districts_map = 200px
| districts_key = Unitary County council area
| districts_list =
#North Devon
#Torridge
#Mid Devon
#East Devon
#City of Exeter
#West Devon
#Teignbridge
#City of Plymouth
#South Hams
#Torbay
| MPs = List of MPs
| police =
| website =
}}
Devon (, ), also known as Devonshire, is a county of England, reaching
from the Bristol Channel in the north to the English Channel in the
south. It is part of South West England, bounded by Cornwall to the
west, Somerset to the north-east and Dorset to the east. The city of
Exeter is the county town. The county includes the districts of East
Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and
West Devon. Plymouth and Torbay are each geographically part of Devon,
but are administered as unitary authorities. Combined as a ceremonial
county, Devon's area is 6707 km2 and its population is about 1.1
million.
Devon derives its name from Dumnonia. During the British Iron Age,
Roman Britain and the early Middle Ages, this was the homeland of the
Dumnonii Brittonic Celts (the shift from 'M' to 'V' is a typical
Celtic consonant shift). The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain
resulted in the partial assimilation of Dumnonia into the Kingdom of
Wessex during the eighth and ninth centuries. The western boundary
with Cornwall was set at the River Tamar by King Æthelstan in 936.
Devon was later constituted as a shire of the Kingdom of England.
The north and south coasts of Devon each have both cliffs and sandy
shores, and the county's bays contain seaside resorts, fishing towns
and ports. The inland terrain is rural, generally hilly and has a
lower population density than many other parts of England. Dartmoor is
the largest open space in southern England, at 954 km2; its moorland
extends across a large expanse of granite bedrock. To the north of
Dartmoor are the Culm Measures and Exmoor. In the valleys and lowlands
of south and east Devon the soil is more fertile, drained by rivers
including the Exe, the Culm, the Teign, the Dart and the Otter.
As well as agriculture, much of the economy of Devon is based on
tourism. The comparatively mild climate, coastline and landscape make
Devon a destination for recreation and leisure in England. Visitors
are particularly attracted to the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks;
its coasts, including the resort towns along the south coast known
collectively as the English Riviera; the Jurassic Coast and North
Devon's UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; and the countryside including the
Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.
Toponymy
==========
The name 'Devon' derives from the name of the Britons who inhabited
the southwestern peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman
conquest of Britain known as the Dumnonii, thought to mean "deep
valley dwellers" from proto Celtic '*dubnos' 'deep'. In the Brittonic,
Devon is known as , and , each meaning "deep valleys." (For an
account of Celtic 'Dumnonia', see the separate article.) Among the
most common Devon placenames is '-combe' which derives from Brittonic
'cwm' meaning 'valley' usually prefixed by the name of the possessor.
William Camden, in his 1607 edition of 'Britannia', described Devon as
being one part of an older, wider country that once included Cornwall:
The term "Devon" is normally used for everyday purposes, e.g. "Devon
County Council" but "Devonshire" continues to be used in the names of
the "Devonshire and Dorset Regiment" (until 2007) and "The Devonshire
Association". One erroneous theory is that the "shire" suffix is due
to a mistake in the making of the original letters patent for the Duke
of Devonshire, resident in Derbyshire. However, there are references
to "Defenascire" in Anglo-Saxon texts from before 1000 AD (this would
mean "Shire of the Devonians"), which translates to modern English as
"Devonshire". The term Devonshire may have originated around the 8th
century, when it changed from 'Dumnonia' (Latin) to 'Defenascir'.
Human occupation
==================
Kents Cavern in Torquay had produced human remains from 30-40,000
years ago. Dartmoor is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic
hunter-gatherer peoples from about 6000 BC. The Romans held the area
under military occupation for around 350 years. Later, the area began
to experience Saxon incursions from the east around 600 AD, firstly as
small bands of settlers along the coasts of Lyme Bay and southern
estuaries and later as more organised bands pushing in from the east.
Devon became a frontier between Brittonic and Anglo-Saxon Wessex, and
it was largely absorbed into Wessex by the mid 9th century. A genetic
study carried out by the University of Oxford & University College
London discovered separate genetic groups in Cornwall and Devon, not
only were there differences on either side of the Tamar, with a
division almost exactly along the modern county boundary dating back
to the 6th Century but also between Devon and the rest of Southern
England, and similarities with the modern northern France, including
Brittany. This suggests the Anglo-Saxon migration into Devon was
limited rather than a mass movement of people.
The border with Cornwall was set by King Æthelstan on the east bank of
the River Tamar in 936 AD. Danish raids also occurred sporadically
along many coastal parts of Devon between around 800AD and just before
the time of the Norman conquest, including the silver mint at
'Hlidaforda' Lydford in 997 and Taintona (a settlement on the Teign
estuary) in 1001.
Devon was the home of a number of anticlerical movements in the Later
Middle Ages. For example, the Order of Brothelyngham—a fake monastic
order of 1348—regularly rode through Exeter, kidnapping both religious
and laymen, and extorting money from them as ransom.
Devon has also featured in most of the civil conflicts in England
since the Norman conquest, including the Wars of the Roses, Perkin
Warbeck's rising in 1497, the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549, and the
English Civil War. The arrival of William of Orange to launch the
Glorious Revolution of 1688 took place at Brixham.
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 Convocation, which dates back to the 12th
century. The last recorded sitting was in 1748.
Economy and industry
======================================================================
Like neighbouring Cornwall to the west, historically Devon has been
disadvantaged economically compared to other parts of Southern
England, owing to the decline of a number of core industries, notably
fishing, mining and farming. Agriculture has been an important
industry in Devon since the 19th century. The 2001 UK foot and mouth
crisis harmed the farming community severely. Since then some parts of
the agricultural industry have begun to diversify and recover, with a
strong local food sector and many artisan producers. Nonetheless in
2015 the dairy industry was still suffering from the low prices
offered for wholesale milk by major dairies and especially large
supermarket chains.
The attractive lifestyle of the area is drawing in new industries
which are not heavily dependent upon geographical location; Dartmoor,
for instance, has recently seen a significant rise in the percentage
of its inhabitants involved in the financial services sector. The Met
Office, the UK's national and international weather service, moved to
Exeter in 2003. Plymouth hosts the head office and first ever store of
The Range, the only major national retail chain headquartered in
Devon.
Since the rise of seaside resorts with the arrival of the railways in
the 19th century, Devon's economy has been heavily reliant on tourism.
The county's economy followed the declining trend of British seaside
resorts since the mid-20th century, but with some recent revival and
regeneration of its resorts, particularly focused around camping;
sports such as surfing, cycling, sailing and heritage. This revival
has been aided by the designation of much of Devon's countryside and
coastline as the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks, and the Jurassic
Coast and Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage
Sites. In 2004 the county's tourist revenue was £1.2 billion. More
successful visitor attractions are particularly concentrated on food
and drink, including sea-view restaurants in North-West Devon (such as
one example belonging to Damien Hurst), walking the South West Coast
Path, cycling on the Devon Coast to Coast cycle route and other cycle
routes such as the Tarka Trail and the Stover Trail; watersports;
surfing; indoor and outdoor folk music festivals across the county and
sailing in the 5 mi hill-surrounded inlet (ria) at Salcombe.
Incomes vary significantly and the average is bolstered by a high
proportion of affluent retired people from across Europe's major
cities, particularly from the rest of England. Incomes in much of the
South Hams and in villages surrounding Exeter and Plymouth are above
the national average. The claimant count of the unemployed and people
receiving very low incomes is close to the national average of 4.5% in
Torbay, Plymouth and Exeter. Their exurbs and rural villages
contribute to low unemployment in the administrative county as shown
below.
The table also shows the population change in the ten years to the
2011 census by subdivision. It also shows the proportion of residents
in each district reliant upon lowest income and/or joblessness
benefits, the national average proportion of which was 4.5% as at
August 2012, the year for which latest datasets have been published.
It can be seen that the most populous district of Devon is East Devon
but only if excluding Torbay which has marginally more residents and
Plymouth which has approximately double the number of residents of
either of these. West Devon has the fewest residents, having 63,839
at the time of the census.
'Population from census to census. Claimants of Jobseeker's
Allowance (JSA) or Income Support (DWP)'
!Unit JSA or Inc. Supp. claimants (August 2012) % of 2011 population
JSA and Income Support claimants (August 2001) % of 2001 population
Population (April 2011) Population (April 2001)
| **Devon** || 2.7% || 6.6% || 746,399 || 704,493
|colspan="4"|'Ranked by district'
| Exeter 3.5% 7.5% 117,773 111,076
| Torridge 3.3% 7.7% 63,839 58,965
| North Devon 2.8% 7.8% 93,667 87,508
| Teignbridge 2.6% 6.7% 124,220 120,958
| Mid Devon 2.6% 6.0% 77,750 69,774
| West Devon 2.5% 5.9% 53,553 48,843
| South Hams 2.1% 6.0% 83,140 81,849
| East Devon 1.9% 5.4% 132,457 125,520
|colspan="4"|'In historic Devon'
| Torbay 5.3% 11.0% 130,959 129,706
| Plymouth 5.1% 9.5% 256,384 240,720
Bus
=====
There is a network of bus services across Devon.
Bus operators include:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20091002094320/https://www.stagecoachbus.com/
Stagecoach] (much of Devon), [https://avmtbustimes.wixsite.com/mysite
AVMT Buses] (East Devon/Jurassic Coast), [http://countrybusdevon.co.uk
County Bus] (Teignbridge) and [https://www.plymouthbus.co.uk Plymouth
Citybus].
Rail
======
The key train operator for Devon is Great Western Railway, which
operates numerous regional, local and suburban services, as well as
inter-city services north to London Paddington and south to Plymouth
and Penzance. Other inter-city services are operated by CrossCountry
north to Manchester Piccadilly, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central,
Dundee, Aberdeen and south to Plymouth and Penzance; and by South
Western Railway, operating services between London Waterloo and Exeter
St Davids, via the West of England Main Line. All Devon services are
diesel-hauled, since there are no electrified lines in the county.
There are proposals to reopen the line from Tavistock to Bere Alston
for a through service to Plymouth. The possibility of reopening the
line between Tavistock and Okehampton, to provide an alternative route
between Exeter and Plymouth, has also been suggested following damage
to the railway's sea wall at Dawlish in 2014, which caused widespread
disruption to trains between Exeter and Penzance. However, a study by
Network Rail determined that maintaining the existing railway line
would offer the best value for money and work to strengthen the line
at Dawlish began in 2019.
Devon Metro
=============
Devon County Council has proposed a 'Devon Metro' scheme to improve
rail services in the county and offer a realistic alternative to car
travel. This includes the delivery of Cranbrook station, plus four new
stations (including Edginswell) as a priority.
Air
=====
Exeter Airport is the only airport in Devon that hosts passenger
services. Until 2020, Flybe had its headquarters at the airport.
Destinations include various locations within the UK (London City,
Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh, etc.), as well as locations in Cyprus,
Italy, Netherlands, Lapland, Portugal, Spain, France, Malta,
Switzerland and Turkey.
Geography and geology
======================================================================
Devon straddles a peninsula and so, uniquely among English counties,
has two separate coastlines: on the Bristol Channel and Celtic Sea in
the north, and on the English Channel in the south. The South West
Coast Path runs along the entire length of both, around 65% of which
is named as Heritage Coast. Before the changes to English counties in
1974, Devon was the third largest county by area and the largest of
the counties not divided into county-like divisions (only Yorkshire
and Lincolnshire were larger and both were sub-divided into ridings or
parts, respectively). Since 1974 the county is ranked fourth by area
(due to the creation of Cumbria) amongst ceremonial counties and is
the third largest non-metropolitan county. The island of Lundy and the
reef of Eddystone are also in Devon. The county has more mileage of
road than any other county in England.
Inland, the Dartmoor National Park lies wholly in Devon, and the
Exmoor National Park lies in both Devon and Somerset. Apart from these
areas of high moorland the county has attractive rolling rural scenery
and villages with thatched cob cottages. All these features make Devon
a popular holiday destination.
In South Devon the landscape consists of rolling hills dotted with
small towns, such as Dartmouth, Ivybridge, Kingsbridge, Salcombe, and
Totnes. The towns of Torquay and Paignton are the principal seaside
resorts on the south coast. East Devon has the first seaside resort to
be developed in the county, Exmouth and the more upmarket Georgian
town of Sidmouth, headquarters of the East Devon District Council.
Exmouth marks the western end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage
Site. Another notable feature is the coastal railway line between
Newton Abbot and the Exe Estuary: the red sandstone cliffs and sea
views are very dramatic and in the resorts railway line and beaches
are very near.
North Devon is very rural with few major towns except Barnstaple,
Great Torrington, Bideford and Ilfracombe. Devon's Exmoor coast has
the highest cliffs in southern Britain, culminating in the Great
Hangman, a 318 m "hog's-back" hill with an 250 m cliff-face, located
near Combe Martin Bay. Its sister cliff is the 218 m Little Hangman,
which marks the western edge of coastal Exmoor. One of the features of
the North Devon coast is that Bideford Bay and the Hartland Point
peninsula are both west-facing, Atlantic facing coastlines; so that a
combination of an off-shore (east) wind and an Atlantic swell produce
excellent surfing conditions. The beaches of Bideford Bay (Woolacombe,
Saunton, Westward Ho! and Croyde), along with parts of North Cornwall
and South Wales, are the main centres of surfing in Britain.
Geology
=========
A geological dividing line cuts across Devon roughly along the line of
the Bristol to Exeter line and the M5 motorway east of Tiverton and
Exeter. It is a part of the Tees-Exe line broadly dividing Britain
into a southeastern lowland zone typified by gently dipping
sedimentary rocks and a northwestern upland zone typified by igneous
rocks and folded sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
The principal geological components of Devon are the Devonian (in
north Devon, south west Devon and extending into Cornwall); the Culm
Measures (north western Devon also extending into north Cornwall); and
the granite intrusion of Dartmoor in central Devon, part of the
Cornubian batholith forming the 'spine' of the southwestern peninsula.
There are small remains of pre-Devonian rocks on the south Devon
coast.
The oldest rocks which can be dated are those of the Devonian period
which are approximately 395-345 million years old. Sandstones and
shales were deposited in North and South Devon beneath tropical seas.
In shallower waters, limestone beds were laid down in the area now
near Torquay and Plymouth.
This geological period was named after Devon by Roderick Murchison and
Adam Sedgwick in the 1840s and is the only British county whose name
is used worldwide as a geological time period.
Devon's second major rock system is the Culm Measures, a geological
formation of the Carboniferous period that occurs principally in Devon
and Cornwall. The measures are so called either from the occasional
presence of a soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as 'culm', or
from the contortions commonly found in the beds. This formation
stretches from Bideford to Bude in Cornwall, and contributes to a
gentler, greener, more rounded landscape. It is also found on the
western, north and eastern borders of Dartmoor.
The sedimentary rocks in more eastern parts of the county include
Permian and Triassic sandstones (giving rise to east Devon's well
known fertile red soils); Bunter pebble beds around Budleigh Salterton
and Woodbury Common and Jurassic rocks in the easternmost parts of
Devon. Smaller outcrops of younger rocks also exist, such as
Cretaceous chalk cliffs at Beer Head and gravels on Haldon, plus
Eocene and Oligocene ball clay and lignite deposits in the Bovey
Basin, formed around 50 million years ago under tropical forest
conditions.
Climate
=========
Devon generally has a cool oceanic climate, heavily influenced by the
North Atlantic Drift. In winter snow is relatively uncommon away from
high land, although there are exceptions. The county has mild summers
with occasional warm spells and cool rainy periods. Winters are
generally cool and the county often experiences some of the mildest
winters in the world for its high latitude, with average daily maximum
temperatures in January at 8 C. Rainfall varies significantly across
the county, ranging from over 2000 mm on parts of Dartmoor, to around
750 mm in the rain shadow along the coast in southeastern Devon and
around Exeter. Sunshine amounts also vary widely: the moors are
generally cloudy, but the SE coast from Salcombe to Exmouth is one of
the sunniest parts of the UK (a generally cloudy region). With
westerly or southwesterly winds and high pressure the area around
Torbay and Teignmouth will often be warm, with long sunny spells due
to shelter by high ground (Foehn wind).
Ecology
=========
The variety of habitats means that there is a wide range of wildlife
(see Dartmoor wildlife, for example). A popular challenge among
birders is to find over 100 species in the county in a day. The
county's wildlife is protected by several wildlife charities such as
the Devon Wildlife Trust, which looks after 40 nature reserves. The
Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society (founded in 1928 and
known since 2005 as "Devon Birds") is a county bird society dedicated
to the study and conservation of wild birds. The RSPB has reserves in
the county, and Natural England is responsible for over 200 Devon
Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves,
such as Slapton Ley. The Devon Bat Group was founded in 1984 to help
conserve bats. Wildlife found in this area extend to a plethora of
different kinds of insects, butterflies and moths; an interesting
butterfly to take look at is the Chequered skipper.
The botany of the county is very diverse and includes some rare
species not found elsewhere in the British Isles other than Cornwall.
Devon is divided into two Watsonian vice-counties: north and south,
the boundary being an irregular line approximately across the higher
part of Dartmoor and then along the canal eastwards. Botanical reports
begin in the 17th century and there is a 'Flora Devoniensis' by Jones
and Kingston in 1829. A general account appeared in 'The Victoria
History of the County of Devon' (1906), and a 'Flora of Devon' was
published in 1939 by Keble Martin and Fraser. An 'Atlas of the Devon
Flora' by Ivimey-Cook appeared in 1984, and 'A New Flora of Devon',
based on field work undertaken between 2005 and 2014, was published in
2016.
Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in
modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially.
Politics and administration
======================================================================
The administrative centre and capital of Devon is the city of Exeter.
The largest city in Devon, Plymouth, and the conurbation of Torbay
(which includes the largest town in Devon and capital of Torbay,
Torquay, as well as Paignton and Brixham) have been unitary
authorities since 1998, separate from the remainder of Devon which is
administered by Devon County Council for the purposes of local
government.
Devon County Council is controlled by the Conservatives, and the
political representation of its 62 councillors are: 38 Conservatives,
9 Liberal Democrats, seven Labour, four UKIP, three Independents and
one Green.
At the 2019 general election, Devon returned 10 Conservatives and two
Labour MPs to the House of Commons.
;Hundreds
Historically Devon was divided into 32 hundreds: Axminster, Bampton,
Black Torrington, Braunton, Cliston, Coleridge, Colyton, Crediton,
East Budleigh, Ermington, Exminster, Fremington, Halberton, Hartland,
Hayridge, Haytor, Hemyock, Lifton, North Tawton and Winkleigh, Ottery,
Plympton, Roborough, Shebbear, Shirwell, South Molton, Stanborough,
Tavistock, Teignbridge, Tiverton, West Budleigh, Witheridge, and
Wonford.
Cities, towns and villages
======================================================================
The main settlements in Devon are the cities of Plymouth, a historic
port now administratively independent, Exeter, the county town, and
Torbay, the county's tourist centre. Devon's coast is lined with
tourist resorts, many of which grew rapidly with the arrival of the
railways in the 19th century. Examples include Dawlish, Exmouth and
Sidmouth on the south coast, and Ilfracombe and Lynmouth on the north.
The Torbay conurbation of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham on the south
coast is now administratively independent of the county. Rural market
towns in the county include Barnstaple, Bideford, Honiton, Newton
Abbot, Okehampton, Tavistock, Totnes and Tiverton.
The boundary with Cornwall has not always been on the River Tamar as
at present: until the late 19th century a few parishes in the Torpoint
area were in Devon and five parishes now in north-east Cornwall were
in Devon until 1974. (However, for ecclesiastical purposes these were
nevertheless in the Archdeaconry of Cornwall and in 1876 became part
of the Diocese of Truro.)
Ancient and medieval history
==============================
The region of Devon was the dominion of the Dumnonii Celtic tribe they
were also called "Deep Valley Dwellers". The region was less Romanised
than the rest of Roman Britain since it was considered a remote
province. The Romans left the region around AD 410, this is when one
of the leading Dumnonii families attempted to create a dynasty and
rule over Devon as the Kings of Dumnonii.
Celtic paganism and Roman practices were the first known religions in
Devon, although in the mid-fourth century AD, Christianity was
introduced to Devon. In the Sub-Roman period the church in the British
Isles was characterised by some differences in practice from the Latin
Christianity of the continent of Europe and is known as Celtic
Christianity; however it was always in communion with the wider Roman
Catholic Church. Many Cornish saints are commemorated also in Devon in
legends, churches and place-names. Western Christianity came to Devon
when it was over a long period incorporated into the kingdom of Wessex
and the jurisdiction of the bishop of Wessex. Saint Petroc is said to
have passed through Devon, where ancient dedications to him are even
more numerous than in Cornwall: a probable seventeen (plus
Timberscombe just over the border in Somerset), compared to Cornwall's
five. The position of churches bearing his name, including one within
the old Roman walls of Exeter, are nearly always near the coast, as in
those days travelling was done mainly by sea. The Devonian villages of
Petrockstowe and Newton St Petroc are also named after Saint Petroc
and the flag of Devon is dedicated to him.
The history of Christianity in the South West of England remains to
some degree obscure. Parts of the historic county of Devon formed part
of the diocese of Wessex, while nothing is known of the church
organisation of the Celtic areas. About 703 Devon and Cornwall were
included in the separate diocese of Sherborne and in 900 this was
again divided into two, the Devon bishop having from 905 his seat at
Tawton (now Bishop's Tawton) and from 912 at Crediton, birthplace of
St Boniface. Lyfing became Bishop of Crediton in 1027 and shortly
afterwards became Bishop of Cornwall.
The two dioceses of Crediton and Cornwall, covering Devon and
Cornwall, were permanently united under Edward the Confessor by
Lyfing's successor Bishop Leofric, hitherto Bishop of Crediton, who
became first Bishop of Exeter under Edward the Confessor, which was
established as his cathedral city in 1050. At first, the abbey church
of St Mary and St Peter, founded by Athelstan in 932 and rebuilt in
1019, served as the cathedral.
Later history
===============
In 1549, the Prayer Book Rebellion caused the deaths of thousands of
people from Devon and Cornwall. During the English Reformation,
churches in Devon officially became affiliated with the Church of
England. From the late sixteenth century onwards, zealous
Protestantism - or 'puritanism' - became increasingly well-entrenched
in some parts of Devon, while other districts of the county remained
much more conservative. These divisions would become starkly apparent
during the English Civil War of 1642-46, when the county split apart
along religious and cultural lines. The Methodism of John Wesley
proved to be very popular with the working classes in Devon in the
19th century. Methodist chapels became important social centres, with
male voice choirs and other church-affiliated groups playing a central
role in the social lives of working class Devonians. Methodism still
plays a large part in the religious life of Devon today, although the
county has shared in the post-World War II decline in British
religious feeling.
The Diocese of Exeter remains the Anglican diocese including the whole
of Devon. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth was established in
the mid 19th century.
Judaism
=========
Despite its small Jewish population, Devon is also noted for
containing two of Britain's oldest synagogues, located in Plymouth and
Exeter, built in 1762 and 1763 respectively.
Coat of arms
==============
There was no established coat of arms for the county until 1926: the
arms of the City of Exeter were often used to represent Devon, for
instance in the badge of the Devonshire Regiment. During the forming
of a county council by the Local Government Act 1888 adoption of a
common seal was required. The seal contained three shields depicting
the arms of Exeter along with those of the first chairman and
vice-chairman of the council (Lord Clinton and the Earl of Morley).
On 11 October 1926, the county council received a grant of arms from
the College of Arms. The main part of the shield displays a red
crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of Richard Plantagenet, Earl
of Cornwall. The 'chief' or upper portion of the shield depicts an
ancient ship on wavers, for Devon's seafaring traditions. The Latin
motto adopted was 'Auxilio Divino' (by Divine aid), that of Sir
Francis Drake. The 1926 grant was of arms alone. On 6 March 1962 a
further grant of crest and supporters was obtained. The crest is the
head of a Dartmoor Pony rising from a "Naval Crown". This distinctive
form of crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is
associated with the Royal Navy. The supporters are a Devon bull and a
sea lion.
Devon County Council adopted a "ship silhouette" logo after the 1974
reorganisation, adapted from the ship emblem on the coat of arms, but
following the loss in 1998 of Plymouth and Torbay re-adopted the coat
of arms. In April 2006 the council unveiled a new logo which was to be
used in most everyday applications, though the coat of arms will
continue to be used for "various civic purposes".
Flag
======
Devon also has its own flag which has been dedicated to Saint Petroc,
a local saint with dedications throughout Devon and neighbouring
counties. The flag was adopted in 2003 after a competition run by BBC
Radio Devon. The winning design was created by website contributor
Ryan Sealey, and won 49% of the votes cast. The colours of the flag
are those popularly identified with Devon, for example, the colours of
Exeter University, the rugby union team, and the Green and White flag
flown by the first Viscount Exmouth at the Bombardment of Algiers (now
on view at the Teign Valley Museum), as well as one of the county's
football teams, Plymouth Argyle. On 17 October 2006, the flag was
hoisted for the first time outside County Hall in Exeter to mark Local
Democracy Week, receiving official recognition from the county
council. In 2019 Devon County Council with the support of both the
Anglican and Catholic churches in Exeter and Plymouth, officially
recognised Saint Boniface as the Patron Saint of Devon.
Place names and customs
======================================================================
Devon's toponyms include many with the endings "coombe/combe" and
"tor". Both 'coombe' (valley or hollow, cf. Welsh 'cwm', Cornish
'komm') and 'tor' (Old Welsh and Scots Gaelic 'tòrr' from Latin
'turris'; 'tower' used for granite formations) are rare Celtic
loanwords in English and their frequency is greatest in Devon which
shares a boundary with Brittonic speaking Cornwall. Ruined medieval
settlements of Dartmoor longhouses indicate that dispersed rural
settlement (OE 'tun', now often -ton) was very similar to that found
in Cornish 'tre-' settlements, however these are generally described
with the local placename , from the Old English for homestead, cf.
cottage. Saxon endings in -worthy (from Anglo-Saxon ) indicate larger
settlements. Several 'Bere's indicate Anglo-Saxon wood groves, as
'leighs' indicate clearings.
Devon has a variety of festivals and traditional practices, including
the traditional orchard-visiting Wassail in Whimple every 17 January,
and the carrying of flaming tar barrels in Ottery St. Mary, where
people who have lived in Ottery for long enough are called upon to
celebrate Bonfire Night by running through the village (and the
gathered crowds) with flaming barrels on their backs. Berry Pomeroy
still celebrates "Queen's Day" for Elizabeth I.
Education
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Devon has a mostly comprehensive education system. There are 37 state
and 23 independent secondary schools. There are three tertiary (FE)
colleges and an agricultural college (Bicton College, near Budleigh
Salterton). Torbay has 8 state (with 3 grammar schools) and 3
independent secondary schools, and Plymouth has 17 state (with 3
grammar schools - two female and one male) and one independent school,
Plymouth College. East Devon and Teignbridge have the largest school
populations, with West Devon the smallest (with only two schools).
Only one school in Exeter, Mid Devon, Torridge and North Devon have a
sixth form - the schools in other districts mostly have sixth forms,
with all schools in West Devon and East Devon having a sixth form.
Two universities are located in Devon, the University of Exeter (split
between the Streatham Campus and St Luke's Campus, both in Exeter, and
a campus in Cornwall); in Plymouth the University of Plymouth in
Britain is present, along with the University of St Mark & St John
to the city's north. The universities of Exeter and Plymouth have
together formed the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry which
has bases in Exeter and Plymouth. There is also Schumacher College.
Cuisine
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The county has given its name to a number of culinary specialities.
The Devonshire cream tea, involving scones, jam and clotted cream, is
thought to have originated in Devon (though claims have also been made
for neighbouring counties); in other countries, such as Australia and
New Zealand, it is known as a "Devonshire tea". In Australia, Devon is
a name for luncheon meat (processed ham). It has also been claimed
that the pasty originated in Devon rather than Cornwall.
In October 2008, Devon was awarded Fairtrade County status by the
Fairtrade Foundation.
Sport
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Devon has been home to a number of customs, such as its own form of
Devon wrestling, similar in some ways to Cornish wrestling. As
recently as the 19th century, a crowd of 17,000 at Devonport, near
Plymouth, attended a match between the champions of Devon and
Cornwall. Another Devon sport was outhurling which was played in some
regions until the 20th century (e.g. 1922, at Great Torrington). Other
ancient customs which survive include Dartmoor step dancing, and
"Crying The Neck".
Devon has three professional football teams, based in each of its most
populous towns and cities. As of the 2018-2019 football season, both
Plymouth Argyle F.C. and Exeter City F.C. compete in English Football
League Two (the fourth tier), whilst Torquay United F.C. compete in
the National League (the fifth tier). Plymouth's highest Football
League finish was fourth in the Second Division, which was achieved
twice, in 1932 and 1953. Torquay and Exeter have never progressed
beyond the third tier of the league; Torquay finished second on goal
average in the Third Division (S) behind Sir Alf Ramsey's Ipswich Town
in 1957. Exeter's highest position has been eighth in the Third
Division (S). The county's biggest non-league clubs are Bideford F.C.
which competes in the Southern Football League Premier Division, and
Tiverton Town F.C. which is in the Southern Football League Division
One South and West.
Rugby Union is popular in Devon with over forty clubs under the banner
of the Devon Rugby Football Union, many with various teams at senior,
youth and junior levels. One club - Exeter Chiefs play in the Aviva
Premiership, winning the title in 2017 for the first time in their
history after beating Wasps RFC in the final 23-20. Plymouth Albion
who are, , in the National League 1 (The 3rd tier of English
Professional Rugby Union.
There are five rugby league teams in Devon. Plymouth Titans, Exeter
Centurions, Devon Sharks from Torquay, North Devon Raiders from
Barnstaple and East Devon Eagles from Exmouth. They all play in the
Rugby League Conference.
In basketball, Plymouth Raiders play in the British Basketball League.
Tamar Valley Cannons, also based in Plymouth, are Devon's only other
representatives in the National Leagues. Motorcycle speedway is also
supported in the county, with both the Exeter Falcons and Plymouth
Devils succeeding in the National Leagues in recent years.
The University of Exeter Hockey Club enter teams in both the Men's and
Women's England Hockey Leagues.
Horse Racing is also popular in the county, with two National Hunt
racecourses (Exeter and Newton Abbot), and numerous point to point
courses. There are also many successful professional racehorse
trainers based in Devon.
The county is represented in cricket by Devon County Cricket Club, who
play at a Minor counties level.
Notable people
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Devon is known for its mariners, such as Sir Francis Drake, Sir
Humphrey Gilbert, Sir Richard Grenville, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Sir
Francis Chichester. Henry Every, described as the most notorious
pirate of the late 17th century, was probably born in the village of
Newton Ferrers. John Oxenham (1536-1580) was a lieutenant of Drake but
considered a pirate by the Spanish. Thomas Morton (1576-1647) was an
avid Elizabethan outdoorsman probably born in Devon who became an
attorney for The Council For New England, and built the New England
fur-trading-plantation called Ma-Re Mount or Merrymount around a West
Country-style Maypole, much to the displeasure of Pilgrim and Puritan
colonists. Morton wrote a 1637 book 'New English Canaan' about his
experiences, partly in verse, and may have thereby become America's
first poet to write in English. Another famous mariner and Devonian
was Robert Falcon Scott, the leader of the unfortunate Terra Nova
Expedition to reach the geographical South Pole. The poet Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, the crime writer Agatha Christie, the Irish writer
William Trevor, and the poet Ted Hughes lived in Devon. The painter
and founder of the Royal Academy, Sir Joshua Reynolds, was born in
Devon. Chris Dawson, the billionaire owner of retailer The Range was
born in Devon, where his business retains its head office in Plymouth.
The actor Matthew Goode was raised in Devon, and Bradley James, also
an actor, was born there. The singer Joss Stone was brought up in
Devon and frontman Chris Martin from the British rock group Coldplay
was born there. Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme
from the English group Muse all grew up in Devon and formed the band
there. Dave Hill of rock band Slade was born in Flete House which is
in the South Hams district of Devon. Singer-songwriter Ben Howard grew
up in Totnes, a small town in Devon. Another famous Devonian is the
model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who was born in Plymouth
and raised in Tavistock. The singer and songwriter Rebecca Newman was
born and raised in Exmouth. Roger Deakins, called "the pre-eminent
cinematographer of our time", was born and lives in Devon.
Trevor Francis, former Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City
professional footballer, and the first English footballer to cost £1
million, was born and brought up in Plymouth.
Swimmer Sharron Davies and diver Tom Daley were born in Plymouth. The
Olympic runner Jo Pavey was born in Honiton. Peter Cook the satirist,
writer and comedian was born in Torquay, Devon. Leicester Tigers and
British and Irish Lions Rugby player Julian White was born and raised
in Devon and now farms a herd of pedigree South Devon beef cattle. The
dog breeder John "Jack" Russell was also from Devon. Jane McGrath, who
married Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath was born in Paignton, her
long battle with and subsequent death from breast cancer inspired the
formation of the McGrath Foundation, which is one of Australia's
leading charities.
Devon has also been represented in the House of Commons by notable MPs
such as Nancy Astor, Gwyneth Dunwoody, Michael Foot and David Owen.
See also
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Tamar Valley AONB