Devon

Abstract

The third largest county in England, Devon can be broadly divided into three geographical regions. Though very different all three have much in common in the underlying character of the Devon scene. In North Devon are the gorse-covered uplands of Exmoor extending west from Somerset, the rugged coastline and sandy beaches facing the British Channel, the valleys of the Rivers Torridge and Taw which flow north to the ancient ports and market towns of Bideford and Barnstaple. Here the farming country is less fertile than in the south and south-east of the county. South Devon has a varied landscape of deep wooded combes, fertile valleys and rolling farmlands of an area famous for fruit- and dairy-farming. Along the coast are the sheltered harbours—formed by old river valleys invaded by the sea, the red sandstone cliffs, fishing villages and popular beaches.