Portal:Devon

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Devon (/ˈdɛvən/ DEV-ən; historically also known as Devonshire /-ʃɪər, -ʃər/ -⁠sheer, -⁠shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement, and the city of Exeter is the county town.

Devon has a varied geography. It contains Dartmoor and part of Exmoor, two upland moors which are the source of most of the county's rivers, including the Taw, Dart, and Exe. The longest river in the county is the Tamar, which forms most of the border with Cornwall and rises in the Devon's northwest hills. The southeast coast is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, and characterised by tall cliffs which reveal the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous geology of the region. The county gives its name to the Devonian geologic period, which includes the slates and sandstones of the north coast. Dartmoor and Exmoor have been designated national parks, and the county also contains, in whole or in part, five national landscapes.

In the Iron Age, Roman and the Sub-Roman periods, the county was the home of the Dumnonii Celtic Britons. The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain resulted in the partial assimilation of Dumnonia into the kingdom of Wessex in the eighth and ninth centuries, and the western boundary with Cornwall was set at the Tamar by king Æthelstan in 936. (Full article...)

Cullompton: the town from the south west

Cullompton (/kəˈlʌm(p)tən/) is a town and civil parish in the district of Mid Devon and the county of Devon, England. It is 13 miles (21 km) north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2011, the parish as a whole had a population of 8,499, while the built-up area of the town had a population of 7,439.

The earliest evidence of occupation is from the Roman period: there was a fort on the hill above the town and occupation in the current town centre. Columtune was mentioned in Alfred the Great's will, which left it to his youngest son Æthelweard (c. 880–922).

In the past, the town's economy had a large component of wool and cloth manufacture, then, later, leather working and paper manufacture.

A large proportion of the town's inhabitants are commuters, but there is some local manufacturing, including flour and paper mills. It has a monthly farmers' market held on the second Saturday of every month, which is the oldest event of its kind in the South West. It is home to two grade I listed buildings: the fifteenth-century St Andrew's parish church and the seventeenth-century house known as The Walronds. The centre of the town is a conservation area; there are seven grade II*-listed buildings and ninety grade II-listed buildings in the parish. (Full article...)

General images

The following are images from various Devon-related articles on Wikipedia.

Selected image

Little Trowlesworthy Tor on Lee Moor, near Cadover Bridge.

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See List of places in Devon for more information

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Did you know...

Smeaton's Tower
Smeaton's Tower
  • ... that Plymouth's lighthouse, Smeaton's Tower (pictured), was dismantled and then rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe as a memorial?
  • ... that Devon is the third largest of the English counties and has a population of 1,109,900?
  • ... that the name Devon derives from the name of the Celtic people who inhabited the southwestern peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion?
  • ... that Devon was one of the first areas of England settled following the end of the last ice age?
  • ... that the St Nicholas Priory in Exeter is being restored with the same methods that were used 500 years ago?
  • ... that Devon is the only county in England to have two separate coastlines?
  • ... that there was no established coat of arms for Devon until 1926?
  • ... that the English Riviera Geopark in Torbay is the world's only urban Geopark?

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