Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DEVON
by Christi Daugherty
With its spectacular coast, pastoral scenery, and
dramatic red cliffs, Devon is endlessly rewarding
to explore. You can get lost on foreboding Dart-
moor, spend whole days exploring historic hillside villages
like Clovelly, or lounge on the (sometimes) sunny beaches around Tor-
quay. Whether you're into surfing, hiking, or sipping tea, Devon will have
something that appeals to you.
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CITIES
Devon is largely rural, but
Exeter
is a bustling, workaday city
that still retains bits and pieces of its historic past in the form of a gor-
geous cathedral and ancient guildhall. There's even a Norman gatehouse
that once opened the way to William the Conqueror's castle.
Plymouth
was the last bit of England the Pilgrims visited before setting off for the
New World, and tiny fragments of its largely lost history can be found in
its medieval
Barbican.
COUNTRYSIDE
From green
pastures
to dark, gloomy
moors
to
breathtaking
cliffs
plunging down to the blue sea, Devon changes con-
stantly as you move through it. Dartmoor's brooding hills, topped with
rugged, bare stones worn down by centuries of wind and rain, are sur-
rounded by fields of soft pink heather—the scent of it is everywhere in the
summer. Thatch-roofed cottages and ancient pubs complete the picture
of rural idyll.
EATING & DRINKING
Devon is famed for its
scones
and
clotted
cream,
and for the afternoon tea at which those are traditionally con-
sumed. But there's much more to the local cuisine than tea and cake. In
fishing villages along the coast, restaurants serve
seafood
fresh off the
boats, and use only the lightest of sauces so that the briny taste comes to
the fore. In Dartmoor and Exmoor,
venison
and local
lamb
predominate,
along with
pheasant
in season.
COAST
With towering red cliffs overlooking ivory crescent beaches
and the midnight-blue sea, Devon's coastline is dramatic. Historic vil-
lages like
Clovelly
in the south and
Lynmouth
and
Lynton
in the
north, cling to the edges of land, the sea held just at bay. By contrast,
Torquay
is a modern resort town, packed with beach lovers, surfers,
and snorkelers.