Devon: Difference between revisions

| official_name           = Devon

| other_name             =  

| image_main             = {{multiple images

                            |border      = infobox

                            |perrow      = 1 2

                            |total_width = 250px

                            |image1      = Combe Martin Panorama (7338286364).jpg

                            |image2      = Relax-e-vous - geograph.org.uk - 1656557.jpg

                            |image3      = Dartmoor ponies by the B3212 - geograph.org.uk - 4546147.jpg

                            }}

| image_caption           = '''Clockwise from top''': the Devon coast at [[Combe Martin]]; [[Dartmoor ponies|ponies]] on [[Dartmoor]]; and [[Smeaton's Tower]], [[Plymouth Hoe]]

| motto                   = {{lang|la|Auxilio Divino}}

| locator_map             = Devon UK locator map 2010.svg

| map_caption             = Devon within England

| coordinates             = {{Wikidatacoord|Q23156|region:GB-DEV_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}

| region                 = [[South West England]]

| established_date       = [[Historic counties of England|Ancient]]

| established_by         =  

| preceded_by             =  

| origin                 =  

| MPs                     = [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in Devon|List of MPs]]

| police                 = [[Devon and Cornwall Police]]

| fire                   = [[Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service]]

| largest_city           = [[Plymouth]]

| county_town             = [[Exeter]]

| lord_lieutenant_office = Lord Lieutenant of Devon

| lord_lieutenant_name   = [[David Fursdon]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-lieutenant-for-devon-david-fursdon |title=Lord-Lieutenant for Devon: David Fursdon – Press releases |website=GOV.UK |date=26 March 2015 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308200245/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-lieutenant-for-devon-david-fursdon |archive-date=8 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

| high_sheriff_office     = High Sheriff of Devon

| ethnicity               = {{unbulleted list

| 94.9% [[White British]]

| 0.4% Irish{{refn|group=note|Data is collected by local authority areas (Devon, Plymouth, Torbay respectively). Total population of Devon is 1,133,742 (746,399 + 256,384 + 130,959). Percentage of ethnically Irish persons is 0.4%.<ref name="ons_gov_uk" />}}

| county_council         = [[Devon County Council]]

| unitary_council1       = [[Plymouth City Council]]

| unitary_council2       = [[Torbay Council]]

| admin_hq               = [[Exeter]]

| iso_code               = GB-DEV

| gss_code               = E10000008

| nuts_code               = UKK43

| website                 = {{url|devon.gov.uk}}

| districts_map           = [[File:Devon numbered districts.svg|200px]]

| districts_key           = {{Colorsample|#FEFE77}} [[Unitary authorities of England|Unitary district]] {{Colorsample|#FEC1E9}} [[Non-metropolitan district]]

| districts_list         = {{collapsible list

                            | title    =  

                            | liststyle = list-style-type:decimal;

                            | [[North Devon]]

                            | [[Torridge District|Torridge]]

                            | [[Mid Devon]]

                            | [[East Devon]]

                            | [[Exeter]]

                            | [[West Devon]]

                            | [[Teignbridge]]

                            | [[Plymouth]]

                            | [[South Hams]]

                            | [[Torbay]]

                            }}

'''Devon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɛ|v|ə|n}} {{respell|DEV|-ən}}; historically also known as '''Devonshire''' {{IPAc-en|-|ʃ|ɪər|,_|-|ʃ|ər}} {{respell|-sheer}}, {{respell|-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]].

The county has an area of {{cvt|2590|mi2}} and a population of 1,194,166. The largest settlements after Plymouth (264,695) are the city of Exeter (130,709) and the [[Seaside resort|seaside resorts]] of [[Torquay]] and [[Paignton]], which have a combined population of 115,410.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Custom report - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=E34004813 |access-date=30 June 2023 |website=www.nomisweb.co.uk |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630171144/https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=E34004813 |url-status=live }}</ref> They all are located along the south coast, which is the most populous part of the county; [[Barnstaple]] (31,275) and [[Tiverton, Devon|Tiverton]] (22,291) are the largest towns in the north and centre respectively. For local government purposes Devon comprises a [[non-metropolitan county]], with eight districts, and the [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] areas of [[Plymouth City Council|Plymouth]] and [[Torbay Council|Torbay]]. [[Devon County Council]] and [[Torbay Council]] collaborate through a [[combined county authority]].

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 [[River Taw|Taw]], [[River Dart|Dart]], and [[River Exe|Exe]]. The longest river in the county is the [[River Tamar|Tamar]], which forms most of the border with Cornwall and rises in 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 of the United Kingdom|national parks]], and the county also contains, in whole or in part, five [[National Landscape|national landscapes]].

The name ''Devon'' derives from the name of the [[Brythons]] 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 language|Proto-Celtic]] {{lang|cel-x-proto|*dubnos}} 'deep'. In the [[Brittonic languages]], Devon is known as {{langx|cy|Dyfnaint}}, {{langx|br|Devnent}} and {{langx|kw|Dewnens}}, 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 {{lang|cel|cwm}} meaning 'valley' usually prefixed by the name of the possessor.{{fact|date=March 2023}}

[[Kents Cavern]] in [[Torquay]] had produced human remains from 30 to 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 [[Britons (Celtic people)|Brittonic]] and [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] Wessex, and it was largely absorbed into Wessex by the mid ninth century.

A genetic study carried out by the [[University of Oxford]] and [[University College London]] discovered separate genetic groups in Cornwall and Devon. Not only were there differences on either side of the River Tamar—-with a division almost exactly following the modern county boundary,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2015-03-19-who-do-you-think-you-really-are-genetic-map-british-isles |title=Who do you think you really are? A genetic map of the British Isles – University of Oxford |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217145104/http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2015-03-19-who-do-you-think-you-really-are-genetic-map-british-isles |archive-date=17 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but also between Devon and the rest of Southern England. Devon's population also exhibited similarities with modern northern France, including [[Brittany]]. This suggests the Anglo-Saxon migration into Devon was limited, rather than a mass movement of people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2015/WTP058941.htm |title=Who do you think you really are? The first fine-scale genetic map of the British Isles |publisher=wellcome.ac.uk |access-date=19 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321213121/http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2015/WTP058941.htm |archive-date=21 March 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=jobs |url=http://www.nature.com/news/uk-mapped-out-by-genetic-ancestry-1.17136 |title=UK mapped out by genetic ancestry : Nature News & Comment |journal=Nature |date=18 March 2015 |doi=10.1038/nature.2015.17136 |s2cid=88369661 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110165750/http://www.nature.com/news/uk-mapped-out-by-genetic-ancestry-1.17136 |archive-date=10 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Devon was the home of a number of [[anticlericalism|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 men and laymen, and extorting money from them as ransom.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Abbots and Priors of Late Medieval and Reformation England |last=Heale |first=M. |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-19870-253-5 |location=Oxford |page=260}}</ref>

Devon has also featured in most of the civil conflicts in England since the [[Norman conquest of England|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 III of England|William of Orange]] to launch the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 took place at [[Brixham]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ackroyd |first1=Peter |title=Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution |date=2014 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-1-4668-5599-1 |page=465 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kbVzAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA465 |language=en}}</ref>

Devon has produced [[tin]], copper and other metals from ancient times. Devon's tin miners enjoyed a substantial degree of independence through [[Stannary Convocation of Devon|Devon's Stannary Convocation]], which dates back to the 12th century. The last recorded sitting was in 1748.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://users.senet.com.au/~dewnans/Devon_Stannary_History.html |title=Devon's Mining History and Stannary parliament |publisher=users.senet.com.au |access-date=29 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511181455/http://users.senet.com.au/~dewnans/Devon_Stannary_History.html |archive-date=11 May 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Geography and geology==

Devon straddles [[South West Peninsula|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.<ref>Dewey, Henry (1948) ''British Regional Geology: South West England'', 2nd ed. London: H.M.S.O.</ref> 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 [[Historic counties of England#List of counties|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).<ref>''Whitaker's Almanack'', 1972; p. 631</ref> Since 1974 the county is ranked fourth by area (due to the creation of Cumbria) [[List of ceremonial counties of England|amongst ceremonial counties]] and is the [[List of two-tier counties of England|third largest non-metropolitan county]]. The island of [[Lundy]] and the reef of [[Eddystone Rocks|Eddystone]] are also in Devon. The county has more mileage of road than any other county in England.

In [[South Devon]] the landscape consists of rolling hills dotted with small towns, such as [[Dartmouth, England|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, Devon|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 [[Exeter to Plymouth Line|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 [[Hangman cliffs|Great Hangman]], a {{convert|318|m|ft|abbr=on}} "hog's-back" hill with a {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}} cliff-face, located near Combe Martin Bay.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/learning_about/moor_facts.htm |title=NATIONAL PARK FACTS |access-date=1 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724224326/http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/learning_about/moor_facts.htm |archive-date=24 July 2008}}</ref> Its sister cliff is the {{convert|218|m|ft|abbr=on}} 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.

The principal geological components of Devon are i) the [[Devonian]] [[stratum|strata]] of north Devon and south west Devon (and extending into Cornwall); ii) the [[Culm Measures]] (north western Devon also extending into north Cornwall); and iii) the granite [[intrusion]] of Dartmoor in central Devon, part of the [[Cornubian batholith]] forming the 'spine' of the southwestern peninsula. There are [[clastic rock|blocks]] of Silurian and Ordovician rocks within Devonian strata on the south Devon coast but otherwise no pre-Devonian rocks on the Devon mainland. The metamorphic rocks of Eddystone are of presumed Precambrian age.<ref>Edmonds, E. A., et al. (1975) ''South-West England''; based on previous editions by H. Dewey ([[British Geological Survey]] UK Regional Geology Guide series no. 17, 4th ed.) London: HMSO {{ISBN|0-11-880713-7}}</ref>

The oldest rocks which can be dated are those of the Devonian period which are approximately 395–359&nbsp;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.<ref>{{cite book |title=Devon's Geology: An Introduction |last=Hesketh |first=Robert |publisher=Bossiney Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-899-383-89-4}}</ref>

Devon generally has a cool oceanic climate, heavily influenced by the [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]]. In winter, snow is relatively uncommon away from high land, although there are few 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 {{convert|8|C}}. Rainfall varies significantly across the county, ranging from over {{convert|2000|mm|in|abbr=on}} on parts of Dartmoor, to around {{convert|750|mm|in|abbr=on}} 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 south-westerly 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]]).

[[File:Pnies5.jpg|thumb|Ponies grazing on Exmoor near [[Brendon]], [[North Devon]]]]

The variety of habitats means that there is a wide range of wildlife (see [[Dartmoor wildlife]], for example). A popular challenge among [[bird-watching|birders]] is to find over 100 species in the county in a day.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devonbirds.org/about/the_society/introduction |title=The Society – Introduction |work=Devon Birds |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221213314/http://www.devonbirds.org/about/the_society/introduction |archive-date=21 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 in England|National Nature Reserves]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteList.aspx?countyCode=11 |title=Designated sites view (Devon) |publisher=Natural England |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220135603/https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteList.aspx?countyCode=11 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 [[Carterocephalus palaemon|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.<ref>Jones, John Pike & Kingston, J. F. (1829) ''Flora Devoniensis''. 2 pts, in 1 vol. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green</ref> A general account appeared in ''[[Victoria County History#Dormant counties|The Victoria History of the County of Devon]]'' (1906), and a ''Flora of Devon'' was published in 1939 by [[William Keble Martin|Keble Martin]] and Fraser.<ref>[[Martin, W. Keble]] & Fraser, G. T. (eds.) (1939) Flora of Devon. Arbroath</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=R. |last2=Hodgson |first2=B. |last3=Ison |first3=J. |title=A New Flora of Devon |year=2016 |publisher=The Devonshire Association |location=Exeter |page=1 |isbn=978-1-5272-0525-3}}</ref> Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article1785059.ece |title=Britain warms to the taste for home-grown olives |author=Paul Simons |work=The Times |location=UK |access-date=20 September 2007 |date=14 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706181106/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article1785059.ece |archive-date=6 July 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In January 2024, plans were announced to plant over 100,000 trees in northern Devon to support [[Celtic rainforest|Celtic rainforests]], which are cherished yet at risk ecosystems in the UK. The project aims to create 50 hectares of new rainforest across three sites, planting trees near existing rainforest areas along the coast and inland. Among the tree species to be planted is the rare [[Karpatiosorbus devoniensis|Devon whitebeam]], known for its unique reproduction method and once-popular fruit. Led by the [[National Trust]] and with the assistance of volunteers and community groups, the initiative will focus on locations in [[Exmoor]], [[Woolacombe]], [[Hartland, Devon|Hartland]], and [[Arlington Court]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=29 January 2024 |title=More than 100,000 trees to be planted in Devon to boost Celtic rainforest |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/29/more-than-100000-trees-to-be-planted-in-devon-to-boost-celtic-rainforest |access-date=29 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=29 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129061306/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/29/more-than-100000-trees-to-be-planted-in-devon-to-boost-celtic-rainforest |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Politics and administration==

{{See also|2021 Devon County Council election|Local Government Act 2010}}

Devon County Council is controlled by the Conservatives, and the political representation of its 60 councillors are: 38 [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], 10 [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], six [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]], three [[Independent politician|Independent]]s, two [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green]] and one South Devon Alliance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Lewis |date=2023-03-09 |title=Councillor quits over 'shocking state' of Devon roads |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/councillor-quits-tories-over-shocking-8225690 |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Devon Live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Merritt |first=Anita |date=2024-01-12 |title=Ex lord mayor blames 'gaslighting and bullying' for shock exit |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/former-exeter-mayor-blames-gaslighting-9028754 |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Devon Live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Councils Map {{!}} LocalCouncils.co.uk |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=devon |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=www.localcouncils.co.uk}}</ref>

The authority consists of 12 members: six constituent members with full voting rights, four non-constituent members who do not have voting powers unless extended to them by the constituent members, and two associate members who cannot vote. Devon County Council and Torbay Council each choose half of the constituent members. Two of the non-constituent members are selected collectively by the district councils of Devon to represent their interests, and one is reserved for the [[Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner]]. The remaining non-constituent member and the two associate members are elected by the constituent members of the authority.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=3 May 2024 |title=Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority – Final Proposal |url=https://www.torbay.gov.uk/DemocraticServices/documents/s149535/Appendix%20B%20-%20Final%20proposal%20for%20DT%20CCA.pdf |access-date=4 May 2024 |website=Torbay Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Signed legislation brings Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority into being |url=https://www.devonairradio.com/news/devon-news/signed-legislation-brings-devon-and-torbay-combined-county-authority-into-being/ |website=DevonAir Radio |access-date=11 February 2025 |language=en |date=12 February 2025}}</ref>

==Cities, towns and villages==

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 [[Archdeacon of Cornwall|Archdeaconry of Cornwall]] and in 1876 became part of the [[Diocese of Truro]]).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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, Earl of Cornwall|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 [[North Devon cattle|Devon bull]] and a sea lion.<ref>W. C. Scott-Giles, ''Civic Heraldry of England and Wales'', 2nd edition, London, 1953</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracycommunities/county_councillors/historic/brief_history.htm |title=A brief history of Devon's coat of arms (Devon County Council) |publisher=Devon.gov.uk |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511234359/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracycommunities/county_councillors/historic/brief_history.htm |archive-date=11 May 2011}}</ref>

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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/community_life/features/devon_flag.shtml |title=Flag celebrates Devon's heritage |publisher=BBC |date=18 July 2003 |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425161755/http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/community_life/features/devon_flag.shtml |archive-date=25 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 the [[University of Exeter]], the [[rugby union]] team, and the Green and White flag flown by the first [[Viscount Exmouth]] at the [[Bombardment of Algiers (1816)|Bombardment of Algiers]] (now on view at the Teign Valley Museum), as well as one of the county's [[Association football|football]] teams, [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|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.<ref>[http://www.devon.gov.uk/press_devonflagpr Devon County Council Press Release, 16 October 2006] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014214602/http://www.devon.gov.uk/press_devonflagpr |date=14 October 2008 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quick |first1=Alan |title=St Boniface of Crediton to become Patron Saint of Devon |url=https://www.creditoncourier.co.uk/article.cfm?id=138406&headline=St%20Boniface%20of%20Crediton%20to%20become%20Patron%20Saint%20of%20Devon&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019 |access-date=9 November 2020 |work=Crediton Country Courier |date=24 May 2019 |language=en |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109214516/https://www.creditoncourier.co.uk/article.cfm?id=138406&headline=St%20Boniface%20of%20Crediton%20to%20become%20Patron%20Saint%20of%20Devon&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==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, but it is now significantly more diverse. Agriculture has been an important industry in Devon since the 19th century. The [[2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth crisis|2001 UK foot and mouth crisis]] harmed the farming community severely.<ref>''In Devon, the county council estimated that 1,200 jobs would be lost in agriculture and ancillary rural industries'' – [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo010425/debtext/10425-17.htm#column_357 ''Hansard'', 25 April 2001] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404043956/https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo010425/debtext/10425-17.htm#column_357 |date=4 April 2017 }}</ref> 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.

in 2014 to 2016, the attractive lifestyle of the area was drawing in new industries which are not heavily dependent upon geographical location;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.investdevon.co.uk/ |title=Devon Delivers |publisher=Invest Devon |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223012937/https://www.investdevon.co.uk/ |archive-date=23 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northdevon.gov.uk/ndc_northern_devon_economic_strategy.pdf |title=NORTHERN DEVON Economic Strategy 2014 – 2020 |access-date=12 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216023315/http://www.northdevon.gov.uk/ndc_northern_devon_economic_strategy.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2014}}</ref> Dartmoor, for instance, has recently seen a significant rise in the percentage of its inhabitants involved in the digital and financial services sectors. 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 (retailer)|The Range]], the only major national retail chain headquartered in Devon.

[[Devon County Council]] oversees and co-ordinates bus transport through [[DevonBus]], an [[Bus Services Act 2017|Enhanced Partnership]] covering the county, with the purpose of improving the network and creating a unified brand for buses in the county.<ref name="TravelDevon enhanced">{{cite web |title=DevonBus Enhanced Partnership |url=https://www.traveldevon.info/bus/bsip/devonbus-enhanced-partnership/ |website=TravelDevon |publisher=[[Devon County Council]] |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>

The key train operator for Devon is [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]], which operates numerous regional, local and suburban services, as well as inter-city services north to [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] and south to [[Plymouth railway station|Plymouth]] and [[Penzance railway station|Penzance]]. Other inter-city services are operated by [[CrossCountry]] north to [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester Piccadilly]], [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh Waverley]], [[Glasgow Central railway station|Glasgow Central]], [[Dundee railway station|Dundee]], [[Aberdeen railway station|Aberdeen]] and south to Plymouth and Penzance; and by [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]], operating hourly services between [[London Waterloo railway station|London Waterloo]] and [[Exeter St Davids railway station|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 railway station|Tavistock]] to [[Bere Alston railway station|Bere Alston]] for a through service to Plymouth.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Harris |first=Nigel |title=Taking trains back to Tavistock |journal=Rail |issue=590 |pages=40–45 |publisher=Bauer |year=2008}}</ref> 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 [[South Devon Railway sea wall|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<ref>{{cite web |title=West of Exeter Route Resilience Study |publisher=Network Rail |year=2014 |url=https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/West-of-Exeter-Route-Resilience-Study-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603173013/https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/West-of-Exeter-Route-Resilience-Study-1.pdf |archive-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> and work to strengthen the line at [[Dawlish]] began in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dawlish Sea Wall |url=https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/south-west-rail-resilience-programme/dawlish-sea-wall/ |access-date=3 June 2020 |website=Network Rail |language=en-GB |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726151828/https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/south-west-rail-resilience-programme/dawlish-sea-wall/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

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 opening of [[Cranbrook railway station (Devon)|Cranbrook station]] in December 2015, plus four new stations to be constructed (including [[Edginswell railway station|Edginswell]]) as a priority.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_metro_briefing.pdf |access-date=25 April 2015 |url-status=dead |title=Devon Metro – fulfilling the potential of rail |publisher=Devon City Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214602/http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_metro_briefing.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> Several elements of the scheme have, or are in the process of being delivered including the building of [[Marsh Barton railway station|Marsh Barton station]] on the edge of Exeter<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.devonnewscentre.info/work-starts-on-marsh-barton-rail-station/ |title=Work starts on Marsh Barton rail station – News |publisher=Devon City Council |date=15 April 2021 |access-date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925144657/https://www.devonnewscentre.info/work-starts-on-marsh-barton-rail-station/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which was opened in July 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parker-Bray |first=Michael |date=2023-07-04 |title=Marsh Barton station now open |url=https://dcrp.org.uk/marsh-barton-station-now-open/ |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership |language=en-GB}}</ref> and a regular half hourly local rail service now extended from the [[Avocet Line]] across Exeter to include the [[Riviera Line]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/plan-journey/timetables/2021/september-timetable-updates/d1-1309-a4-web-v1.pdf?la=en/ |title=D1 Train Times |publisher=Great Western Railway |access-date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=9 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209160410/https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/plan-journey/timetables/2021/september-timetable-updates/d1-1309-a4-web-v1.pdf?la=en/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Devon has a mostly [[comprehensive education]] system. There are 37 state and 23 independent secondary schools. There are three tertiary ([[Further education|FE]]) colleges and an [[agricultural college]] ([[Bicton College]], near [[Budleigh Salterton]]). Torbay has eight state (with three grammar schools) and three independent secondary schools, and Plymouth has 17 state (with three 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.

Devon has three professional football teams, based in each of its most populous towns and cities. As of 2023, [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.]] competes in the [[EFL Championship]], [[Exeter City F.C.]] in the [[EFL League One]], whilst [[Torquay United F.C.]] compete in the [[National League (division)|National League]]. Plymouth's highest Football League finish was fourth in the [[Football League Second Division|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 [[Football League Third Division|Third Division (S)]] behind Sir [[Alf Ramsey]]'s [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]] in 1957. Exeter's highest position has been eighth in the Third Division (S). The county's biggest non-league clubs are [[Plymouth Parkway F.C.]] and [[Tiverton Town F.C.]] which compete in the [[Southern Football League Premier Division]], and [[Bideford A.F.C.]], [[Exmouth Town F.C.]] and [[Tavistock A.F.C.]] which are 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 [[English Premiership (rugby union)|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 R.F.C.|Plymouth Albion]] who are, {{as of|2023|lc=y}}, in the [[National League 1]] (The third tier of English Professional Rugby Union).

There are five [[rugby league]] teams in Devon: [[Plymouth R.L.F.C|Plymouth Titans]], [[Exeter Centurions]], and [[Torquay|Devon Sharks]] from Torquay, North Devon Raiders from Barnstaple, and [[East Devon Eagles]] from [[Exmouth]]. They all play in the [[Rugby League Conference]].

Devon is known for its [[sailor|mariner]]s, such as Sir [[Francis Drake]], Sir [[Humphrey Gilbert]], Sir [[Richard Grenville (Elizabethan sailor)|Richard Grenville]], Sir [[Walter Raleigh]], Sir [[Francis Chichester]] and Sir [[Robin Knox-Johnston|William Robert Patrick Knox-Johnston]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Sailing legend crosses the line |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6623703.stm |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> [[Henry Every]], described as the most notorious pirate of the late 17th century, was probably born in the village of [[Newton Ferrers]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Pirates of the Americas |url=https://archive.org/details/piratesamericasv00marl |url-access=limited |last=Marley |first=David F. |year=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, CA |isbn=978-1-59884-201-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/piratesamericasv00marl/page/n609 589]}}</ref> [[John Oxenham]] (1536–1580) was a lieutenant of Drake but considered a pirate by the Spanish. [[Thomas Morton (colonist)|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.<ref>''New English Canaan or New Canaan. Containing an abstract of New England, composed in three bookes. The first booke setting forth the originall of the natives, their manners and customes, together with their tractable nature and love towards the English. The second booke setting forth the naturall indowments of the country, and what staple commodities it yealdeth. The third booke setting forth, what people are planted there, their prosperity, what remarkable accidents have happened since the first planting of it, together with their tenents and practise of their church''. Written by Thomas Morton of Cliffords Inne gent, upon tenne yeares knowledge and experiment of the country. Amsterdam: Jacob Stam</ref> Another famous mariner and Devonian was [[Robert Falcon Scott]], the leader of the unfortunate [[Terra Nova Expedition]] to reach the geographical South Pole.<ref>H. G. R. King, 'Scott, Robert Falcon (1868–1912)', ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, January 2011 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35994 accessed 21 June 2011]</ref>  

Devon has also been the home, inspiration or base for a number of notable writers, artists, [[Entrepreneurship|entrepreneurs]] and politicians. The poet [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]], the crime writers [[Agatha Christie]] and [[Bertram Fletcher Robinson]], 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 (businessman)|Chris Dawson]], the billionaire owner of retailer [[The Range (retailer)|The Range]] was born in Devon, where his business retains its head office in [[Plymouth]]. Devon has also been represented in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] by notable [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs) such as [[Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor|Nancy Astor]], [[Gwyneth Dunwoody]], [[Michael Foot]] and [[David Owen]] and the Prime Ministers [[Lord John Russell]] and [[Lord Palmerston]].

* [[High Sheriff of Devon|List of High Sheriffs of Devon]]

* [[Lord Lieutenant of Devon|List of Lord Lieutenants of Devon]]

* {{Cite book |last1=Stabb |first1=John |date=1908–1916 |title=Some Old Devon Churches: Their Rood Screens, Pulpits, Fonts, Etc. |location=London |publisher=Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. |language=en}} [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101067698538&seq=1 Vol. I], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101067698546&seq=1 Vol. II], and [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433065874566&seq=1 Vol. III].

* {{Cite journal |last=Stansfield-Cudworth |first=R.E. |year=2013 |title=The Duchy of Cornwall and the Wars of the Roses: Patronage, Politics, and Power, 1453–1502 |journal=Cornish Studies |series=2nd Series |volume=21 |pages=104–50 |doi=10.1386/corn.21.1.104_1 |doi-broken-date=11 July 2025 |language=en}}