Slapton, Devon

Coordinates: 50°18′N 3°39′W / 50.300°N 3.650°W / 50.300; -3.650

Slapton is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. It is located near the A379 road between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, and lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). In 1901 the population of the civil parish was 527, decreasing to 473 in 2001, and decreasing further to 434 at the 2011 census. The parish is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of Blackawton, Strete, Stokenham and East Allington.

History

Slapton was recorded in the Domesday Book as Sladone. The Collegiate Chantry of St Mary was founded in 1372 or 1373 by Sir Guy de Brian. The Tower Inn and West tower remain and the tower has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building. The Church of St James dates from the late 13th or early 14th century, and is also grade I listed.

The nearby beach which is technically a coastal bar (see below), known as Slapton Sands, was in 1944 part of the site of the ill-fated Exercise Tiger. A Sherman tank that was sunk in this action has been recovered and now stands on the road behind the beach at nearby Torcross. Part of Exercise Fabius took place a week after Exercise Tiger on Slapton Sands. The beach itself is not sand, but consists of small smooth pebbles ranging in size from ¼ inch to several inches.

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.