Devon is a very large county, which spans East (Sidmouth) to South (seaside sailing resorts) to North (Ilfracombe). It also has two national parks (Exmoor and Dartmoor) known for their wild ponies. Along with two major cities (Plymouth is a maritime city near Cornwall and Exeter is an elegant cathedral city).
As well as many mammals living here, you can also find many marine creatures including seals and even the odd visiting whale. Find more ways to help your local wildlife rescue and animal shelter.
Devon has many thatched cottages, which use wheat or straw to bundle a thick roof to protect from rain, yet keep houses c ool in summer. Dating from the 16th century, the frequent rainfall in England replaces the natural moisture lost, and in dry summers, it needs to be watered, just like a plant. Thatched roofs are of no greater fire risk than any other roof (if so, it’s usually do to bad construction, faulty wiring or old chimneys – a reason to keep them clean and well-maintained by an expert). A study found that the main cause of fires from 2008 to 2016 was ejected embers (woodburners installed with low chimneys poses the greater risk). Moss often grows on thatch (which is find, but mould needs to be stripped).
Torquay is known as the English Riviera, and was home to Agatha Christie, the greatest crime writer of all time. From the cliff promenade at Babbacombe Downs, you can see all the way to Portland Bill in Dorset. And sorry to burst the bubble, but Fawlty Towers was never filmed here, it was all shot in Buckinghamshire!
Dartmoor is made up of mostly granite rock, created almost 300 millions years ago. Featuring 160 tors, this is where the granite rock shows through.
Exmoor (Robert Hogg) is the other national park, made up of wooded coastline and sea cliffs, with high and low tides, unique plants, a long-distance path and rare butterflies. The rocks here are slowly moving north.
Secrets of a Devon Wood
Secrets of a Devon Wood is a beautifully illustrated journal by a local artist, who inspires you to also note the local finds in your woods and forests. Artist Jo started a nature diary, in a bid to document the small wonders of the wood behind her home. ‘Things of such magnitude deserve respect and understanding. They deserve to be remembered’.
The pages in this book are an exact replica of those in her original journal – a rich illustrated memory of Jo’s discoveries, in the order in which she found them. In enchanting detail, she zooms in on a bog beacon mushroom, a buff-tailed bumble bee or a native bluebell. And she notes facts on their physiology and life history.
This book is a treat for the senses, a hymn to the intricate beauty of the natural world and a quiet call to arms, for all of us to acknowledge and preserve it. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finally put it down.
