Portal:Devon

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The Devon Portal

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...)

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Christie in 1958

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was a British author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime"—a moniker which is now trademarked by her estate—or the "Queen of Mystery". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled. She was initially an unsuccessful writer with six consecutive rejections, but this changed in 1920 when The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring detective Hercule Poirot, was published. Her first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 and had one child before divorcing in 1928. Following the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her mother in 1926, she made international headlines by going missing for eleven days. During both World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the poisons that featured in many of her novels, short stories, and plays. Following her marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930, she spent several months each year on digs in the Middle East and used her first-hand knowledge of this profession in her fiction.

According to UNESCO's Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author. Her novel And Then There Were None is one of the top-selling books of all time, with approximately 100 million copies sold. Christie's stage play The Mousetrap holds the world record for the longest initial run. It opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End on 25 November 1952, and by 2018 there had been more than 27,500 performances. The play was temporarily closed in 2020 because of COVID-19 lockdowns in London before it reopened in 2021.

In 1955, Christie was the first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. Later that year, Witness for the Prosecution received an Edgar Award for best play. In 2013, she was voted the best crime writer and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd the best crime novel ever by 600 professional novelists of the Crime Writers' Association. In 2015, And Then There Were None was named the "World's Favourite Christie" in a vote sponsored by the author's estate. Many of Christie's books and short stories have been adapted for television, radio, video games, and graphic novels. More than 30 feature films are based on her work. (Full article...)

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

Image 1HMNB Devonport – the largest operational naval base in Western Europe. (from Plymouth)
Image 2Siege of Plymouth, 1643 (from Plymouth)
Image 3Sir Francis Drake (from Plymouth)
Image 4The High Street ca. 1895 (from Exeter)
Image 5John Foulston's Town Hall, Column and Library in Devonport (from Plymouth)
Image 6The Higher Market, Exeter, in 1943; at this time the larger firms such as Mac Fisheries had joined the smaller shopkeepers' stalls in the market, which, before the war, along with neighbouring Goldsmith Street, was earmarked for demolition; a new Civic Centre was to be built on the site. (from Exeter)
Image 7Remains of the medieval Exe Bridge, built around 1200 (from Exeter)
Image 8Interior of the Drake Circus Shopping Centre in 2006 (from Plymouth)
$Image 9Ilfracombe, on the coast of North Devon (from Devon)$

Image 9Ilfracombe, on the coast of North Devon (from Devon)
Image 10The Mayflower Steps Memorial (from Plymouth)
Image 11Cliffs in Devon (from Devon)
Image 12A portion of Exeter's city wall, formed of both Roman and medieval stones (from Exeter)
Image 13Plymouth (1860s–1880s) by Francis Frith (from Plymouth)
Image 14Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay (from Devon)
Image 15Inter-city trains at Plymouth station, operated by Great Western Railway (from Plymouth)
Image 16Charter map of Sutton harbour and Plymouth in 1540 (from Plymouth)
Image 17The Parade, Barbican (from Plymouth)
Image 18Geological map of Wales & Southwest England (from Devon)
Image 19MV Pont-Aven: Brittany Ferries service to Roscoff, France and Santander, Spain in Millbay Docks (from Plymouth)
Image 20Princesshay Shopping Centre with Exeter Cathedral in the background (from Exeter)
Image 21Barnfield Theatre (from Exeter)
Image 22Smeaton's Tower (from Plymouth)
Image 23Laver Building, University of Exeter (from Exeter)
Image 24Naval War Memorial (from Plymouth)
Image 25Exeter Canal Basin (from Exeter)
Image 26Plymouth Drake's Island (1860s–1880s) by Francis Frith (from Plymouth)
Image 27The Exeter Riddle Sculpture in Exeter High Street, created by artist Michael Fairfax and installed in 2005 (from Exeter)
Image 28The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide (from Devon)
Image 29The beach at Westward Ho!, North Devon, looking north towards the shared estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge (from Devon)
Image 30Roger Deakins, cinematographer (from Devon)
Image 31Black-eyed Sue and Sweet Poll of Plymouth mourning their lovers, who are soon to be transported to Botany Bay, 1792 (from Plymouth)
Image 32Population pyramid of Plymouth (unitary authority) in 2021 (from Plymouth)
Image 33Frontispiece to Shapter's "History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832" (from Exeter)
Image 34Exeter St Davids Railway Station (from Exeter)
Image 35John Rocque's 1744 map of Exeter (from Exeter)
Image 36The Great Hall in the Guildhall (from Plymouth)
Image 37Exeter Civic Centre (from Exeter)
Image 38Lamp standard from the 1905 Exe bridge, installed at Butts Ferry, on Exeter Quayside, in 1983 (from Exeter)
Image 39Northeastward view of Plymouth Sound from Mount Edgcumbe Country Park in Cornwall, with Drake's Island (centre) and, behind it from left to right, the Royal Citadel, the fuel tanks of Cattedown, and Mount Batten; in the background, the hills of Dartmoor. (from Plymouth)
Image 40Plymouth the Promenade Pier (postcard c. 1925) by A. R. Quinton (from Plymouth)
Image 41Home Park (from Plymouth)
Image 42The gatehouse of Rougemont Castle (from Exeter)
Image 43St Michael's Church and Episcopal Building (from Exeter)
Image 44The Roland Levinsky Building – Faculty of Arts of the University of Plymouth (from Plymouth)
Image 45Exeter Guildhall, which dates from 1470 (from Exeter)
Image 46Menhir at Drizzlecombe (from Devon)
Image 47Prysten House (1498) on Finewell Street is the oldest surviving house in Plymouth, built from local Plymouth limestone and Dartmoor granite. (from Plymouth)
Image 48Saltram House remodelled by the architect Robert Adam (from Plymouth)
Image 49The flag of the historic county of Devon (from Devon)
Image 50Exeter International Airport (from Exeter)
Image 51John Lewis Building (right), adjacent to Waterstones (left) in the busy high street (from Exeter)
Image 52Heathland at Woodbury Common in south east Devon (from Devon)
Image 53Plymouth the Hoe (postcard c. 1920) by A.R. Quinton (from Plymouth)
Image 54Piazza Terracina, Exeter, named after Terracina, Italy (from Exeter)
Image 55Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide (from Devon)
Image 56Exeter Cathedral and the Devon County War Memorial (from Exeter)
Image 57Grade I listed Town Hall, Column and Library in Devonport (from Plymouth)
Image 58Oil on canvas painting by an unknown artist c.1870. These houses were later demolished to make way for St Edmund's Church. The painting depicts the edge of the River Exe flowing under three arches of the Old Exe Bridge, with houses on the bridge and on the river bank, St Edmund's Church can be seen in the top left. (from Exeter)
Image 59Population pyramid of Exeter (district) in 2021 (from Exeter)
Image 60The Plymouth Combined Crown and County Court Centre (from Plymouth)
Image 61Plymouth Sound and Breakwater (from Plymouth)
Image 62Exe Flood Relief Channel built after the floods of 1960 (from Exeter)
Image 63The Exeter Law Courts (from Exeter)
Image 64The 'invincible' Spanish Armada, 1588 (from Plymouth)
Image 65The Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Boniface (Stonehouse, Plymouth) (from Plymouth)
Image 66The Cathedral Green after a rare snowfall (from Exeter)
Image 67St David's Church, Exeter (from Exeter)
Image 68Plymouth Pavilions, home to the Plymouth City Patriots. (from Plymouth)
Image 69Unloading mail by hand from the Sir Francis Drake at Millbay Docks, March 1926 (from Plymouth)
Image 70The Devonport Leat on Dartmoor looking up stream (from Plymouth)
Image 71Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse by Sir John Rennie, 1825–1833 (from Plymouth)
Image 72An illustration of Exeter in 1563, entitled Civitas Exoniae (vulgo Excester) urbs primaria in comitatu Devoniae (from Exeter)
Image 73Ponies grazing on Exmoor near Brendon, North Devon (from Devon)
Image 74Civic Centre, completed 1962, symbolic of the Post War 'Heroic Modernism' of the Welfare State; a listed building since 2007 (from Plymouth)
Image 75Elliot Terrace, Plymouth Hoe (from Plymouth)
Image 76Torquay sea front during Storm Emma – March 2018 (from Devon)
Image 77Beckley Point (from Plymouth)
Image 78Agatha Christie, best selling crime novelist (from Devon)
Image 79The New Palace Theatre in 2008 (from Plymouth)
Image 80The coat of arms of Devon County Council (from Devon)
Image 81Watercolour by Olive Wharry circa 1942 of St. Sidwell's Church, Exeter, after the Blitz. In the early hours of 4th May 1942 a 250kg bomb fell directly on St Sidwells. The church tower was left standing but was so badly damaged that it was pulled down shortly after. A replacement church was built on the site. From the Royal Albert Memorial Museum's collection (63/2004/4). (from Exeter)
Image 82National Armada memorial (Britannia) (from Plymouth)
Image 83County Hall, Exeter. Headquarters for Devon County Council. (from Devon)
Image 84Armada Way looking north (from Plymouth)
Image 85The River Exe (from Exeter)
Image 86Bridge carrying the M5 motorway across the River Exe (from Exeter)
Image 87"The House That Moved", West Street, Exeter (from Exeter)

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Little Trowlesworthy Tor on Lee Moor, near Cadover Bridge.

Recently featured: Bigbury sea tractor - Crazywell cross - South Devon Cattle - Dartmoor tors – Plymouth harbour – Westward Ho! beach

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Some of the larger settlements of Devon

See List of places in Devon for more information

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Did you know...

... 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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Economy and industry of Devon • Flag of Devon • History of Devon • Notable people from Devon

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v t e Ceremonial county of Devon
Devon Portal
Unitary authorities	Plymouth Torbay
Boroughs or districts	East Devon Exeter Mid Devon North Devon South Hams Teignbridge Torridge West Devon
Major settlements (cities in italics)	Ashburton Axminster Bampton Barnstaple Bideford Bovey Tracey Brixham Buckfastleigh Budleigh Salterton Chagford Chudleigh Chulmleigh Colyton Crediton Cullompton Dartmouth Dawlish Exeter Exmouth Great Torrington Hatherleigh Holsworthy Honiton Ilfracombe Ivybridge Kingsbridge Kingsteignton Lynton Moretonhampstead Newton Abbot North Tawton Northam Okehampton Ottery St Mary Paignton Plymouth Plympton Plymstock Salcombe Seaton Sidmouth South Molton Tavistock Teignmouth Tiverton Topsham Torquay Totnes See also: List of civil parishes in Devon
Rivers	Ashburn Avon Axe Barle Bovey Bray Burn Clyst Creedy Culm Dart East Dart West Dart Erme Exe Heddon Lemon Lew Lumburn Lyd East Lyn West Lyn Meavy Mole Okement East Okement West Okement Otter Plym Sid Swincombe Tamar Tavy Taw Teign Thrushel Torridge Walkham Wallabrooke East Webburn West Webburn Wolf Yealm
Topics	Flag Devon County Council Parliamentary constituencies Economy Places Towns by population SSSIs Country houses Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Scheduled monuments Bridges History Schools Museums Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Notable people Dartmoor Exmoor South Devon AONB Tamar Valley AONB Jurassic Coast South West Coast Path Two Moors Way North Devon's Biosphere Reserve