Ilfracombe Books

Devon means many things to many people.Whether it be her picturesque thatched cottages of colourwashed cob, the deep-cut lanes, rolling green hills and embosomed farms that epitomise the county. Or perhaps it is her wave-lashed cliffs, sandy coves or sweeping moorland that first spring to mind. Whatever it may be, one thing is agreed, her scenery is unsurpassed and of a variety that is unequalled in all England. Its landscape has always been a haven for the creative spirit and has not only inspired artists, but poets and writers too, both native and visitors alike.

Devon's colourful past may still be visible in its street names and pub signs, but in fact much of the region's history has been obliterated - through necessity, social change and the demands of the outside world. The traditional occupations of farming, fishing, pottery, copper and tin mining, wool production and quarrying and have all seen change over the past several hundred years. Many of these industries are now lost, replaced instead by ever-expanding tourism. Although many historic buildings have been preserved and are now protected properties, a large number of houses, ecclesiastical ruins and settlements such as Hope Cove, a coastal village once renowned for its tough fisherwomen, have tragically vanished. The county's coast is also peppered with ruined pillboxes manned by the Home Guard to watch for invaders - Devon has played a significant military role in the past, from acting as a mooring place for prison hulks in the Napoleonic wars to being the location of a training camp for spies in the Second World War.