Dartmouth, Devon

Coordinates: 50°21′04″N 3°34′44″W / 50.351°N 3.579°W / 50.351; -3.579

Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the western bank of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes. It lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and South Hams District, and had a population of 5,512 in 2001, reducing to 5,064 at the 2011 census There are two electoral wards in the Dartmouth area (Townstal & Kingswear). Their combined population at the above census was 6,822.

History

Dartmouth was of strategic importance as a deep-water port for sailing vessels. The port was used as the sailing point for the Crusades of 1147 and 1190, and Warfleet Creek, close to Dartmouth Castle is supposed by some to be named for the vast fleets which assembled there. Dartmouth was a home of the Royal Navy from the reign of Edward III and was twice surprised and sacked during the Hundred Years' War, after which the mouth of the estuary was closed every night with a great chain. The narrow mouth of the Dart is protected by two fortified castles, Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle. Originally Dartmouth's only wharf was Bayard's Cove, a relatively small area protected by a fort at the southern end of the town.

Devon

Devon (/ˈdɛvən/; archaically known as Devonshire) is a county of England, reaching from the Bristol Channel in the north to the English Channel in the south. It is part of South West England, bounded by Cornwall to the west, Somerset to the northeast, and Dorset to the east. The City of Exeter is the county town; seven other districts of East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, and West Devon are under the jurisdiction of Devon County Council; Plymouth and Torbay are each a part of Devon but administered as unitary authorities. Combined as a ceremonial county, Devon's area is 6,707 km² (2,590 square miles) and its population is about 1.1 million.

Devon derives its name from Dumnonia, which, during the British Iron Age, Roman Britain, and Early Medieval was the homeland of the Dumnonii Brittonic Celts. The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain resulted in the partial assimilation of Dumnonia into the Kingdom of Wessex during the eighth and ninth centuries. The western boundary with Cornwall was set at the River Tamar by King Æthelstan in 936. Devon was constituted as a shire of the Kingdom of England thereafter.

Devon (given name)

Devon is a unisex given name. It is a variant of Devin, which has Gaelic origins and means "of a little deer".

People

Devon (Milford)

Coordinates: 41°12′N 73°06′W / 41.20°N 73.10°W / 41.20; -73.10

The village of Devon is a neighborhood of the city of Milford, Connecticut, United States. It lies on the southwest corner of the city bordering Long Island Sound and the mouth of the Housatonic River. The village generally corresponds to the Third Voting District of Milford.

The village features an Audubon Center overlooking the estuary.

Municipal services

Since it lies within the municipality of Milford, all of its municipal services are provided by the city including police, schools, and other essential municipal services. Court services are provided by the Ansonia-Milford Judicial District.

Geography

Devon lies on the coast with a great amount of coastline, it also has a surprisingly high amount of inland freshwater swamps. The Charles E. Wheeler Wildlife Management Area is located in Devon.

Flooding

Due to the low elevation of Devon, the high concentration of structures and pavement along Route 1 and Naugatuck Avenue, Devon experiences flooding during heavy rainstorms on a regular and increasing basis. The flooding also occurs as a result of or coincides with raised waters from Beaver Brook, the Housatonic River, or Long Island Sound.