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Ben Kingsley

2025-06-20T23:27:09Z

86.26.136.198: /* 1999–present: Further success */ Grammar.

{{Short description|English actor (born 1943)}}
{{distinguish|Kingsley Ben-Adir}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Sir]]
| honorific_suffix = [[Padma Shri|PS]]
| name = Ben Kingsley
| image = Ben Kingsley by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| alt = Kingsley looking towards a camera and smiling
| caption = Sir Ben Kingsley (2014)
| birth_name = Krishna Pandit Bhanji
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|12|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Snainton]], [[North Riding of Yorkshire]], England
| awards = [[List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley|Full list]]
| works = [[Ben Kingsley on screen and stage|Full list]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1966–present
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|[[Angela Morant]]|1966|1976|end=div}}|{{marriage|[[Alison Sutcliffe]]|1978|1992|end=div}}|{{marriage|Alexandra Christmann|2003|2005|end=div}}|{{marriage|[[Daniela Lavender]]|3 September 2007}}}}
| children = 4, including [[Ferdinand Kingsley]]
| signature = [[File:Ben Kingsley signature.svg|80px]]
}}

'''Sir Ben Kingsley''' (born '''Krishna Pandit Bhanji'''; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received [[List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley|various accolades]] throughout [[Ben Kingsley on screen and stage|his career]] spanning five decades, including an [[Academy Award]], a [[British Academy Film Award|BAFTA Award]], a [[Grammy Award]], and two [[Golden Globe Awards]] as well as nominations for four [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] and two [[Laurence Olivier Awards]]. Kingsley was appointed [[Knight Bachelor]] in 2002 for services to the [[Cinema of the United Kingdom|British film industry]].<ref name="Knighthood">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1880730.stm |title=Sir Ben: Knighthood beats Oscar |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref> He was awarded a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 2010<ref name="WalkofFame"/> and received the [[Britannia Awards|Britannia Award]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/los-angeles/britannia-awards/features/the-britannia-awards-kathryn-bigelow-and-sir-ben-kingsley |title=The Britannia Awards: Kathryn Bigelow and Sir Ben Kingsley|date=30 July 2013|publisher= Bafta|access-date= 26 June 2015}}</ref>

Born to an English mother and an Indian [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] father with roots in [[Jamnagar]], Kingsley began his career in theatre, joining the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] in 1967 and spending the next 15 years appearing mainly on stage. His starring roles included productions of ''[[As You Like It]]'' (his [[West End theatre|West End]] debut for the company at the [[Aldwych Theatre]] in 1967), ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'', ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'', ''[[The Tempest]]'', ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', ''[[Hamlet]]'' and ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''. Also known for his television roles, he received four [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nominations for his performances in ''[[Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story]]'' (1989), ''[[Joseph (1995 film)|Joseph]]'' (1995), ''[[Anne Frank: The Whole Story]]'' (2001), and ''[[Mrs. Harris]]'' (2006).

In film, Kingsley is known for his starring role as [[Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi]] in [[Richard Attenborough]]'s ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982), for which he subsequently won the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] and [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]. For his portrayal of [[Itzhak Stern]] in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[Schindler's List]]'' (1993), he received a [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] nomination. He was Oscar-nominated for ''[[Bugsy (film)|Bugsy]]'' (1990), ''[[Sexy Beast]]'' (2000), and ''[[House of Sand and Fog (film)|House of Sand and Fog]]'' (2003). His other notable films include ''[[Maurice (1987 film)|Maurice]]'' (1987), ''[[Sneakers (1992 film)|Sneakers]]'' (1992), ''[[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]'' (1993), ''[[Death and the Maiden (film)|Death and the Maiden]]'' (1994), ''[[Twelfth Night (1996 film)|Twelfth Night]]'' (1996), ''[[Tuck Everlasting (2002 film)|Tuck Everlasting]]'' (2002), ''[[Elegy (film)|Elegy]]'' (2008), ''[[Shutter Island (film)|Shutter Island]]'' (2010), and ''[[Hugo (film)|Hugo]]'' (2011).

Kingsley played the character of [[Trevor Slattery]] in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]], appearing in ''[[Iron Man 3]]'' (2013), ''[[Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]'' (2021), and the upcoming [[Disney+]] series ''[[Wonder Man (miniseries)|Wonder Man]]'' (2025). He also acted in the blockbusters ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film)|Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time]]'' (2010), and ''[[Ender's Game (film)|Ender's Game]]'' (2013). Kingsley lent his voice to the films ''[[The Boxtrolls]]'' (2014), and ''[[The Jungle Book (2016 film)|The Jungle Book]]'' (2016).

==Early life, education and ancestry ==
Kingsley was born [[Krishna]] [[Pandit]] Bhanji on 31 December 1943, in [[Snainton|Snainton, North Riding of Yorkshire]].<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.23178|title=Kingsley, Sir Ben, (born 31 Dec. 1943), actor|journal=[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]]|year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Steele |first=Francesca |date=19 April 2014 |title=Ferdinand Kingsley interview: 'Yeah, but mum's dad was totally bald too!' |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2014/04/the-actor-ferdinand-kingsley-worries-about-going-bald/ |newspaper=[[The Spectator]] |access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pg4y9|title=Ben Kingsley |website=Belief |publisher=[[BBC Radio 3]]|access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref> His mother, Anna Lyna Mary (''née'' Goodman) (1914–2010), was an English actress and model, and she later gave birth to a second son called Sadru Bhanji, who later worked as a [[psychiatrist]] in [[Devon]]. She was born out of wedlock and "was loath to speak of her background".<ref>{{cite news |last=Husband |first=Stuart |date=24 April 2013 |title=Sir Ben Kingsley: 'Without a mask, I haven't got a clue' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/10000322/Sir-Ben-Kingsley-Without-a-mask-I-havent-got-a-clue.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/10000322/Sir-Ben-Kingsley-Without-a-mask-I-havent-got-a-clue.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=5 June 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pfefferman |first=Naomi |date=18 May 2001 |title=Shoah dramas continue to compel actor Ben Kingsley |url=https://www.jweekly.com/2001/05/18/shoah-dramas-continue-to-compel-actor-ben-kingsley/ |newspaper=[[J. The Jewish News of Northern California]] |access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Tugend |first=Tom |date=13 April 2001 |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=6774 |title=Incidental Intelligence |newspaper=[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013135826/http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/searchview.php?id=6774 |archive-date=13 October 2007}}</ref> His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji (1914–1968), was born in [[Zanzibar]] (now part of [[Tanzania]]) to a family originating from the Indian city of [[Jamnagar]], of [[Khoja]] [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] descent.<ref name="Bennetts1982">{{cite web |last1=Bennetts |first1=Leslie |title=Ben Kingsley's Journey From Hamlet to Gandhi |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/gandhi-ar4.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=10 April 2022 |date=13 December 1982 |quote=Although born and raised in England, Mr. Kingsley is half Indian: his mother was an English model and his father, a physician, was Indian.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sir Ben Kingsley's gold turban|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/canzWkOlTVqgNWhfStHsdg|access-date=27 April 2018|website=[[A History of the World in 100 Objects]]|publisher=[[BBC Radio 4]]|quote=...[H]is grandfather (a spice trader) [...] was a prominent member of the Ismaili Koja community in Zanzibar (in the Indian Ocean). Ismaili's are Shi'a Muslims, and followers of the Aga Khan (a descendent of the prophet Muhammad).}}</ref>

Kingsley grew up in [[Pendlebury|Pendlebury, Lancashire]]. Although his father was a [[Gujarat]]i Khoja who practised [[Isma'ilism|Isma'ili Shia Islam]], Kingsley was not raised in his father's faith, and identifies as a [[Quakers|Quaker]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-32381926|title=The faith forgotten in its hometown|last=Wade|first=Dave|date=25 April 2015|access-date=23 January 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-06-19/sir-ben-kingsleys-identity-is-as-colourful-as-his-characters/|title=Sir Ben Kingsley's identity is as colourful as his characters|website=Radio Times|access-date=23 January 2019}}</ref> He was educated at the [[Manchester Grammar School]], where one of his classmates was actor [[Robert Powell]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Walsh |first=John |date=6 March 2010 |title=Sir Ben Kingsley: 'I was blessed by being a very popular child |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/sir-ben-kingsley-i-was-blessed-by-being-a-very-popular-child-1915503.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=7 March 2010}}</ref> Kingsley went on to study at [[Pendleton College|De La Salle College]] in [[City of Salford|Salford]], which later became home to The Ben Kingsley Theatre. While at college, he became involved in amateur dramatics in [[Manchester]], making his professional stage debut on graduation, aged 23.

Kingsley's paternal grandfather, Harji Bhanji, was a successful [[spice trade]]r who had moved from India to the [[Sultanate of Zanzibar]], where Kingsley's father lived until moving to the United Kingdom at the age of 14.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bennetts |first=Leslie |date=13 December 1982 |title=Ben Kingsley's Journey From Hamlet to Gandhi |url=https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/gandhi-ar4.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref><ref>Von Busack, Richard. [http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/03.02.05/kingsley-0509.html ''Sexy Beast.''] Metroactive movies. March 2005.</ref><ref>Pathak, Rujul. [http://www.littleindia.com/news/125/ARTICLE/1399/2005-06-15.html ''Ben Kingsley's Chameleon Characters''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210537/http://www.littleindia.com/news/125/ARTICLE/1399/2005-06-15.html |date=27 September 2007 }}. Little India.com. 15 June 2005.</ref> Kingsley's maternal grandfather was believed by the family to have been of Russian or German-Jewish descent, while his maternal grandmother was English and worked in the garment district of [[East End of London|London's East End]].<ref name="highbeamref1">{{cite news |last=Krieger |first=Hilary Leila |date=10 April 2005 |title='Gandhi' brings his 'truth-force' to Palestinian audiences |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-107274645.html |newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105185957/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-107274645.html |archive-date=5 November 2012 |url-access=subscription}}: "The grandmother of the knighted Royal Shakespeare Company alum spoke Yiddish she picked up while a garment worker in London's East End a century ago. "She was violently opposed to talking about this, so my poor mother was at the receiving end of a rage attack every time my grandmother was asked about her husband, her lover, whoever it was, but it's believed that he was a Russian Jew or a German Jew called Goodman", Kingsley told ''The Jerusalem Post''".</ref> Kingsley stated in 1994, "I'm not Jewish, and though there might be some Russian-Jewish heritage way back on my mother's side, the thread is so fine there's no real evidence."<ref>{{cite news|last=Pollack|first=Joe|title=He's No Stranger to Holocaust|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=3 January 1994|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZHcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qHsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6244,2477398|access-date=28 November 2011|quote="I'm not Jewish," he said, "and though there might be some Russian-Jewish heritage way back on my mother's side, the thread is so fine there's no real evidence..."}}</ref> In 2016, he suggested that his maternal grandmother was impregnated by a Russian-Jewish immigrant who later abandoned her, which led her to become a "vile anti-Semite."<ref name=":0" />

==Career==
===1967–1981: Stage work and early career===
After graduating, in 1966, Kingsley was approached by music producer and manager [[Dick James]]. James, who was the publisher of [[The Beatles]], offered to mould Kingsley into a pop star. Kingsley declined James' offer, and instead chose to join the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] (RSC) in 1967 after an audition before [[Trevor Nunn]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Birthdays – Sir Ben Kingsley |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/birthdays-223xvsdfnfh |access-date=13 August 2020 |newspaper=The Times}}</ref> Devoting himself almost exclusively to stage work for the next 15 years, he made his [[West End theatre|West End]] debut for the company at the [[Aldwych Theatre]] in 1967 in a production of ''[[As You Like It]]''.<ref name="RSC"/> Further productions for the RSC included ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'', ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'', ''[[The Tempest]]'', ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (starring in [[Peter Brook]]'s [[RSC production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1970)|acclaimed 1970 RSC production]] as Demetrius), ''[[Hamlet]]'' and ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''.<ref name="RSC">{{cite news |title=Kingsley, Ben. RSC Productions |url=http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/rsc-performances/search/rsc_person:kingsley-ben-27077 |access-date=12 August 2020 |agency=RSC}}</ref>

In the 1960s, Kingsley changed his name to Ben Kingsley, fearing that a foreign name would hamper his career.<ref name="actors">Stated in interview on ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]''</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/1734960.stm "Sir Ben's Sexy honour"], ''BBC News''. 31 December 2001.</ref> He told the ''[[Radio Times]]'', "As soon as I changed my name, I got the jobs. I had one audition as Krishna Bhanji and they said, 'Beautiful audition but we don't quite know how to place you in our forthcoming season.' I changed my name, crossed the road, and they said when can you start?"<ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Ben Kingsley on his identity and new film Learning to Drive |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-06-19/sir-ben-kingsleys-identity-is-as-colourful-as-his-characters/ |access-date=13 September 2020 |work=Radio Times}}</ref> In 1971 Kingsley made his [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] debut playing Demetrius in the revival of [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' acting with [[Patrick Stewart]], [[Frances de la Tour]] and [[Martin Best]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.playbill.com/production/a-midsummer-nights-dream-billy-rose-theatre-vault-0000002742|title= A Midsummer Night's Dream (Broadway, 1971)|website= Playbill|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref> He played Mosca in [[Peter Hall (director)|Peter Hall]]'s 1977 production of Ben Jonson's ''[[Volpone]]'' for the [[Royal National Theatre]]. In 1981 he returned to Broadway playing the [[Edmund Kean|title role]] in the Raymond Fitzsimmons play ''[[Edmund Kean]]'' (1983).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.playbill.com/production/edmund-kean-brooks-atkinson-theatre-vault-0000008019|title= Edmund Kean (Broadway, 1983)|website= Playbill|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref> He played [[Willy Loman]] in a 1982 [[Sydney]] production of the [[Arthur Miller]] play ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' opposite [[Mel Gibson]].

Kingsley began his transition to film roles early on, making his feature film debut playing a supporting role in the British action thriller ''[[Fear Is the Key (film)|Fear Is the Key]]'' in 1972. Kingsley continued to play small roles in both film and television, including a role as Ron Jenkins on the soap opera ''[[Coronation Street]]'' from 1966 to 1967 and regular appearances as a defence counsel in the long-running British legal programme ''[[Crown Court (TV series)|Crown Court]]''. In 1974 he played Thidias in a taped performance of the [[William Shakespeare]] play ''[[Antony and Cleopatra (1974 TV drama)|Antony and Cleopatra]]'' with the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]]. He acted alongside [[Patrick Stewart]] and [[Tim Pigott-Smith]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/527270/index.html|title= Antony and Cleopatra|website= BFI|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref> In 1975, he starred as [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]] in the historical drama ''[[The Love School]]'' and appeared in the TV miniseries ''[[Dickens of London]]'' the following year.

===1982–1998: Transition to film and television===
A turning point in Kingsley's career came with the historical biographical epic drama film ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982), directed by [[Richard Attenborough]], in which Kingsley played the titular role of the [[anti-colonialist]] activist and peacemaker [[Mahatma Gandhi]]. The film was a critical and financial success with film critic [[Roger Ebert]] of ''[[The Chicago Sun-Times]]'' praising the casting of Kingsley in the lead role writing, "makes the role so completely his own that there is a genuine feeling that the spirit of Gandhi is on the screen. Kingsley's performance is powerful without being loud or histrionic; he is almost always quiet, observant, and soft-spoken on the screen, and yet his performance comes across with such might that we realize, afterward, that the sheer moral force of Gandhi must have been behind the words."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gandhi-1982|title= Gandhi movie review|website= Rogerebert.com|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref> Kingsley went on to win numerous accolades for his performance including the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]], the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]], and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]] for his performance.<ref name="actors" />

[[File:Ben Kingsley.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Kingsley in Sweden (1983)]]
Following the success of the film ''Gandhi'', Kingsley appeared in a variety of films, including the 1983 British drama film ''[[Betrayal (1983 film)|Betrayal]]'', which was an adaptation of the [[Betrayal (play)|1978 play of the same title]] by [[Harold Pinter]] and also features actors, [[Jeremy Irons]] and [[Patricia Hodge]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1002203-betrayal|title= Betrayal (1983)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref> For this performance, Kingsley won the [[Evening Standard British Film Awards#1983 Winners|Evening Standard British Film Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001426/awards/|title= Ben Kingsley – Awards|website= IMDB|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref>

In 1985, Kinsley appeared in the [[John Irvin]] directed British drama ''[[Turtle Diary]]'', which co-starred starring [[Glenda Jackson]]. This film was based on the [[Turtle Diary (novel)|1975 novel of the same title]] and was adapted for the screen by [[Harold Pinter]]. Sheila Benson of ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' praised their performances writing, "No filmic cliches, no swelling musical score; these are no "littul peeple" who melt into each other's arms, but blessedly real people, who get exhausted and don't talk all the time."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-14-ca-8108-story.html|title= MOVIE REVIEW : FREEDOM MAKES WAVES IN 'TURTLE DIARY'|website= The Los Angeles Times|date= 14 February 1986|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref> During that same year, he appeared in the [[BBC]] adaptation of ''[[Silas Marner]]'' as the titular character.

In 1987, Kingsley acted in the [[Merchant-Ivory]] costume drama ''[[Maurice (1987 film)|Maurice]]''. This film was adapted from the [[Maurice (novel)|1971 novel of the same title]] by [[E. M. Forster]] and it also featuresthe actors [[Hugh Grant]], [[Rupert Graves]], [[Simon Callow]], and [[Denholm Elliott]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/maurice|title= Maurice (1987)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref> The following year, Kingsley played multiple roles including the Russian composer [[Dmitri Shostakovich]] in ''[[Testimony (1988 film)|Testimony]]'', Basil Pascali in ''[[Pascali's Island (film)|Pascali's Island]]'' and [[Dr. John Watson]] in ''[[Without a Clue]]''.

[[File:Ben Kingsley (1990).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Kingsley at the [[1990 Venice Film Festival|Venice Film Festival]] (1990)]]
In 1991, Kingsley was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his portrayal of the organised crime figure [[Meyer Lansky]] in ''[[Bugsy]]''. Shortly thereafter, he played the supporting character of Cosmo in the thriller film ''[[Sneakers (1992 film)|Sneakers]]'' (1992), Vice-President Gary Nance in ''[[Dave (film)|Dave]]'' (1993) and the chess teacher [[Bruce Pandolfini]] in ''[[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]'' (1993).

In 1993, Kingsley portrayed the [[Holocaust]] survivor [[Itzhak Stern]] alongside [[Liam Neeson]] as [[Oskar Schindler]] in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s historical drama film, ''[[Schindler's List]]''. The film was a critical and commercial success, and Kingsley received a nomination for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]. Todd McCarthy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote of his performance, "Kingsley must act within much more rigid constraints as his trusted accountant Stern, a man who feels he must never make a misstep. Role is reminiscent of [[Alec Guinness]]' deluded Col. Nicholson in ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]''; in his compulsion to do a perfect job for Schindler, he often seems to forget that he's working for the enemy."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/schindler-s-list-2-1200434300/|title= Schindler's List review|website= Variety|date= 20 November 1993|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref>

In 1994, Kingsley starred alongside [[Sigourney Weaver]] in [[Roman Polanski]]'s ''[[Death and the Maiden (1994 film)|Death and the Maiden]]'', having previously acted with her in ''Dave''. Two years later, Kingsley portrayed [[Feste]] in ''[[Twelfth Night (1996 film)|Twelfth Night]]'', a film adaptation of the [[William Shakespeare]] play, which also features the actors [[Helena Bonham Carter]], [[Nigel Hawthorne]], and [[Richard E. Grant]]. In a mixed review, Todd McCarthy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' noted his performance as a highlight writing, "Ben Kingsley brings some nice readings to his rather mysterious role of Feste, the commentator on the convoluted proceedings."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/twelfth-night-3-1200446788/|title= Twelfth Night|website= Variety|date= 16 September 1996|accessdate= 12 March 2024}}</ref>

In 1997, Kingsley provided a voice in the video game ''[[Ceremony of Innocence]]''. The following year, he was the head of the jury at the [[48th Berlin International Film Festival]] and starred in the family film ''[[Spooky House]]'', saying he had chosen a role in a lighter film after acting in roles that left him feeling traumatised.<ref name="Berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1998/04_jury_1998/04_Jury_1998.html |title=Berlinale: 1998 Juries |access-date=14 January 2012 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref><ref name="Spooky House">{{cite AV media |people=Kingsley, Ben |date=2020 |title=Spooky House (Extras–Interviews–Ben Kingsley) |medium=DVD-ROM |quote="I was looking at the roles that I've done over the last five, just five years. They include a serial killer, a concentration camp victim, a total tyrant, a lunatic, a man whose child dies in his arms and he takes revenge by killing the three people responsible – so I noticed I was going into some pretty dark areas, and I was pretty well carrying the moral agenda of every film I was in on my own shoulders. And given that I have a fairly wide choice most of my career on what to do next, I decided I had to do something that did not involve me being traumatized to any extent by the role. I would choose to do something much lighter – that doesn't mean any easier, it means lighter, not necessarily have the whole moral agenda of the holocaust, or serial killing, or crime and punishment on my shoulders. Just to do something that was without that particular agenda, that's why I chose this role."}}</ref>

===1999–present: Further success===
Kingsley took on the role of Don Logan, a violent psychopath and recruiter for London's underworld, in [[Jonathan Glazer]]'s ''[[Sexy Beast]]'' (2000), a [[psychological film|psychological]] [[black comedy]] [[crime film]] acting with [[Ray Winstone]] and [[Ian McShane]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sexy_beast|title= Sexy Beast (2000)|website= Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate= 13 March 2024}}</ref> Critic [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised his performance writing, "The role of Don Logan is perfectly suited to Ben Kingsley's gifts for control and stillness. There is something a little baroque and stylised about his approach – it is arguably a little actorly and unlike the behaviour of any real villain. But it is a very funny, intelligent performance nonetheless, beautifully scripted and acted, and Kingsley tops it off with a bravura show of pure sociopathic cunning".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/jan/12/1|title= Sexy Beast review|website= The Guardian|date= 12 January 2001|accessdate= 13 March 2024|last1= Bradshaw|first1= Peter}}</ref> Kingsley's role as Logan earned him another Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]. A year later, he won a [[Crystal Globe (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)|Crystal Globe]] award for having an outstanding artistic contribution to [[world cinema]] at the [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]].<ref>Andre Deutsch (2003). "Variety International Film Guide". p. 377.</ref> In 2003 he portrayed Colonel Massoud Amir Behrani in the [[Vadim Perelman]] directed ''[[House of Sand and Fog (film)|House of Sand and Fog]]'' acting opposite [[Jennifer Connelly]] and [[Shohreh Aghdashloo]]. Critic Owen Gleiberman of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' wrote of his performance, "Kingsley, carrying his body like armor, sculpting each line into a bitter dart of pride, plays fierceness with a powerful tug of sorrow."<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://ew.com/article/2003/12/11/house-sand-and-fog-2/|title= House of Sand and Fog review|magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]]|accessdate= 13 March 2024}}</ref> For his role he earned nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Academy Award]], [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globe Award]], and [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead|Independent Spirit Award]] for Best Actor.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2004|title= 2004 Academy Awards|website= [[Academy Awards|Oscars.org]]|date= 4 October 2014|accessdate= 13 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://goldenglobes.com/person/ben-kingsley/|title= Ben Kingsley|website= Golden Globe Awards|accessdate= 13 March 2024}}</ref> The following year he played a supporting role as Benjamin O'Ryan in the psychological thriller ''[[Suspect Zero]]'' (2004). Although the film received negative reviews from critics, reservations were made for Kingsley's performance.

In July 2006, Kingsley received an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie]] nomination for his performance in the [[HBO]] television film ''[[Mrs. Harris]]'' (2005), in which he played famed [[cardiologist]] [[Herman Tarnower]], who was murdered by his jilted lover, [[Jean Harris]] played by [[Annette Bening]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/bios/sir-ben-kingsley|title= Sir Ben Kingsley|website= Emmy Awards|accessdate= 13 March 2024}}</ref> Later that year, he made a cameo appearance in an episode of ''[[The Sopranos]]'' titled "[[Luxury Lounge]]". Kingsley plays himself in the episode as [[Christopher Moltisanti|Chris]] and [[Little Carmine Lupertazzi|Little Carmine]] pitch him the role of a mob boss in the film [[Cleaver (The Sopranos)|''Cleaver'']], which he turns down. In 2007, Kingsley appeared as a [[Polish American]] mobster in the [[Mafia comedy]] ''[[You Kill Me]]'', and a hitman in ''[[War, Inc.]]'' The following year he acted in the romantic drama ''[[Elegy (film)|Elegy]]'' (2008) directed by [[Isabel Coixet]]. He starred alongside [[Penélope Cruz]], [[Peter Sarsgaard]], [[Patricia Clarkson]], and [[Dennis Hopper]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1194209-elegy|title= Elegy (2008)|website= Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate= 13 March 2024}}</ref> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] wrote of the film and his performance, "Ben Kingsley, who can play just about any role, seems to be especially effective playing slimy intellectuals. "Elegy" is a film that could have been made for him, although by the time it's over, Penélope Cruz has slipped away with it, and transformed Kingsley's character in the process. It's nicely done."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/elegy-2008|title= Elegy|website= Rogerebert.com|accessdate= 13 March 2024}}</ref> Kingsley received a nomination for the [[London Film Critics Circle Award]] for Best British Actor of the Year.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/dec/19/london-critics-circle-awards|title= Slumdog Millionaire leads London critics' nominations|website= The Guardian|date= 19 December 2008|accessdate= 13 March 2024|last1= Child|first1= Ben}}</ref>

The years 2010 and 2011 contained several big roles for Kingsley. In 2010, he worked voicing a character named Sabine in the [[Lionhead Studios]] game ''[[Fable III]]'' and starred alongside [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] in ''[[Shutter Island (film)|Shutter Island]]'' (2010), directed by [[Martin Scorsese]]. That same year, Kingsley made his [[Bollywood]] debut in the thriller ''[[Teen Patti (film)|Teen Patti]]'' (2010). The following year he appeared in Scorsese's next film, the children's adventure film ''[[Hugo (film)|Hugo]]'' (2011), playing the French illusionist [[Georges Méliès]]. Kingsley's portrayal of Méliès also earned him a [[Saturn Award for Best Actor]]. Kingsley also signed on to the sci-fi romance feature ''Broken Dream''. The feature, by [[Neil Jordan]] and [[John Boorman]], was later scrapped.<ref name="Broken Dream">{{cite web|url=http://iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4283808&tpl=archnews&force=1|title=Ben Kingsley & John Hurt for Neil Jordan–John Boorman film 'Broken Dream'|publisher=IFTN|access-date=15 April 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Ben Kingsley 2012.jpg|thumb|upright|Kingsley at the [[Santa Barbara International Film Festival]] (2012)]]
In 2013, Kingsley appeared as the villain [[Trevor Slattery]] in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] film ''[[Iron Man 3]]'' with [[Robert Downey Jr.]]'','' and as the hero [[Mazer Rackham]] in the science-fiction action adventure film ''[[Ender's Game (film)|Ender's Game]]'' with [[Harrison Ford]] and [[Asa Butterfield]]. A year later he played the Hebrew slave [[Nun (biblical figure)|Nun]] in [[Ridley Scott]]'s ''[[Exodus: Gods and Kings]]'' and Merenkahre, a [[simulacrum]] of an Egyptian pharaoh and father of Ahkmenrah, in [[Shawn Levy]]'s ''[[Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb]]''<ref>{{cite news|title=Ridley Scott In 'Exodus' Talks With Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Paul|url=https://deadline.com/2013/08/ridley-scott-in-exodus-talks-with-ben-kingsley-john-turturro-sigourney-weaver-aaron-paul-572676/|access-date=16 September 2013|newspaper=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=27 August 2013}}</ref> with [[Ben Stiller]], [[Robin Williams]], [[Owen Wilson]], [[Rami Malek]] and [[Dan Stevens]]. That same year, Kingsley would also reprise his role as Slattery in the direct-to-video short film ''[[All Hail the King]]''.

In 2015, Kingsley portrayed a [[Sikh]] driving instructor in the film ''[[Learning to Drive (film)|Learning to Drive]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Doty|first1=Meriah|title=Ben Kingsley Reveals the Challenges of 'Learning to Drive' and the Beauty of Connecting With Fans|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/ben-kinsley-reveals-the-challenges-of-learning-to-116565996262.html|website=Yahoo|date=16 April 2015 |access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref> He voiced [[Bagheera]] in the live-action adaptation of [[Jon Favreau]]'s ''[[The Jungle Book (2016 film)|The Jungle Book]]'' (2016), a remake of the original [[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|1967 film]] shared cast with [[Bill Murray]], [[Idris Elba]], [[Lupita Nyong'o]], [[Scarlett Johansson]] and [[Christopher Walken]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/06/ben-kingsley-to-voice-bagheera-in-disneys-the-jungle-book/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628052300/http://www.deadline.com/2014/06/ben-kingsley-to-voice-bagheera-in-disneys-the-jungle-book/|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 June 2014|title=Ben Kingsley To Voice Bagheera In Disney's 'The Jungle Book'|work=Deadline|date=25 June 2014|access-date=25 June 2014}}</ref> Kingsley also recorded [[Paramahansa Yogananda|Yogananda]]'s ''[[Autobiography of a Yogi]]'' in book-on-tape format. In 2018, he narrated Amazon Prime's documentary ''[[All or Nothing: Manchester City]]'' which followed [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]'s record breaking [[2017–18 Premier League]] campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/All-Nothing-Manchester-City-Season/dp/B07FRNLKX1|title=All or Nothing: Manchester City|website=Amazon |access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref> and served as the voice of General Woundwort in the BBC adaptation of ''[[Watership Down (2018 TV series)|Watership Down]]''.<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Plunkett|title=Netflix Bags Global Rights for 'Watership Down' Adaptation With John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/apr/28/bbc-and-netflix-team-up-for-new-watership-down-production|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 April 2016|date=27 April 2016}}</ref>

In 2021, Kingsley reprised his role as Trevor Slattery in the film ''[[Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Boone |first=John |date=17 August 2021 |title=Sir Ben Kingsley Confirms His MCU Return in 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' |url=https://www.etonline.com/sir-ben-kingsley-confirms-his-mcu-return-in-shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-170618 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818205536/https://www.etonline.com/sir-ben-kingsley-confirms-his-mcu-return-in-shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-170618 |archive-date=18 August 2021 |access-date=24 October 2021 |website=[[Entertainment Tonight]]}}</ref> Two years later, he also acted in [[Wes Anderson]]'s ''[[The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (film)|The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar]]'', a film adaptation of a [[The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More|short story]] by [[Roald Dahl]], and starred opposite [[Ralph Fiennes]], [[Dev Patel]] and [[Benedict Cumberbatch]]. This film went on to win the [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.indiewire.com/2022/01/wes-anderson-roald-dahl-wonderful-story-henry-sugar-netflix-1234689310/|title= Wes Anderson to Direct Roald Dahl's 'Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' for Netflix with Benedict Cumberbatch|website= [[IndieWire]]|date= 7 January 2022|access-date= 7 January 2022}}</ref>

Kingsley has been announced as playing Ibrahim Arif in the upcoming film of [[Richard Osman]]'s multi-award-winning [[The Thursday Murder Club|Thursday Murder Club]] series.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shoard |first=Catherine |date=23 April 2024 |title=Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley set for film of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/23/helen-mirren-pierce-brosnan-and-ben-kingsley-set-for-film-of-richard-osman-the-thursday-club-chris-columbus |access-date=23 April 2024 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Filming is due to begin during the summer of 2024.

==Personal life==
[[File:The Children's Monologues cast (2010).jpg|thumb|Kingsley (third left) and the cast of ''[[The Children's Monologues]]'' at the [[Old Vic Theatre]] (2010)]]

=== Marriage and family ===
Kingsley has been married four times and has four children: Thomas Bhanji and artist Jasmin Bhanji, with his first wife, actress [[Angela Morant]], and Edmund Kingsley and [[Ferdinand Kingsley]], both of whom became actors, with his second wife, theatrical director [[Alison Sutcliffe]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ensor |first=Josie |date=14 April 2013 |title=Sir Ben Kingsley: my Hollywood actress mother was jealous of my success |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9991850/Sir-Ben-Kingsley-my-Hollywood-actress-mother-was-jealous-of-my-success.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9991850/Sir-Ben-Kingsley-my-Hollywood-actress-mother-was-jealous-of-my-success.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=28 June 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He divorced his third wife Alexandra Christmann in 2005, having been "deeply, deeply shocked" after pictures of her kissing another man surfaced on the internet.<ref name="contactmusic.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/kingsley-admits-devastation-at-adulterous-wife-photos|title=Kingsley Admits Devastation at Adulterous Wife Photos|access-date=15 August 2007|publisher=Contact Music News|date=16 November 2005}}</ref> On 3 September 2007, Kingsley married Brazilian actress [[Daniela Lavender]] at Eynsham Hall in [[North Leigh|North Leigh, Oxfordshire]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6983562.stm |title=Kingsley weds Brazilian actress |work=BBC News |date=7 September 2007 |access-date=1 January 2010}}</ref>

=== Charity ===
Kingsley appeared in a production of ''[[The Children's Monologues]]'' in 2010 on stage in [[London]] alongside [[Benedict Cumberbatch]], [[Tom Hiddleston]], [[Gemma Arterton]], and [[Eddie Redmayne]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Children's Monologues|url=http://www.thecrossedcow.com/2010/11/16/the-childrens-monologues/|publisher=The Crossed Cow|access-date=14 November 2020|date=16 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227213735/http://www.thecrossedcow.com/2010/11/16/the-childrens-monologues/|archive-date=27 December 2013}}</ref> It was performed on behalf of [[Dramatic Need]], a charity that sends international arts professionals (such as musicians, artists, and actors) to host workshops in underprivileged and rural communities in Africa.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Children's Monologues|url=https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124789|access-date=14 November 2020|website=www.brownpapertickets.com}}</ref>

== Acting credits ==
{{main|Ben Kingsley on screen and stage}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Betrayal (1983 film)|Betrayal]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Maurice (1987 film)|Maurice]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Pascali's Island (film)|Pascali's Island]]'' (1988)
* ''[[The Children (1990 film)|The Children]]'' (1990)
* ''[[Bugsy]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Sneakers (1992 film)|Sneakers]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Schindler's List]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Dave (film)|Dave]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Death and the Maiden (film)|Death and the Maiden]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Species (film)|Species]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Twelfth Night (1996 film)|Twelfth Night]]'' (1996)
* ''[[The Confession (1999 film)|The Confession]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Parting Shots]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Rules of Engagement (film)|Rules of Engagement]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Triumph of Love (2001 film)|The Triumph of Love]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Sexy Beast]]'' (2001)
* ''[[A.I. Artificial Intelligence]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Tuck Everlasting (2002 film)|Tuck Everlasting]]'' (2002)
* ''[[House of Sand and Fog (film)|House of Sand and Fog]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|Thunderbirds]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Suspect Zero]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Oliver Twist (2005 film)|Oliver Twist]]'' (2005)
* ''[[BloodRayne (film)|BloodRayne]]'' (2005)
* ''[[A Sound of Thunder (film)|A Sound of Thunder]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Lucky Number Slevin]]'' (2006)
* ''[[You Kill Me]]'' (2007)
* ''[[The Last Legion]]'' (2007)
* ''[[The Wackness]]'' (2008)
* ''[[The Love Guru]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Elegy (film)|Elegy]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Shutter Island (film)|Shutter Island]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film)|Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Hugo (film)|Hugo]]'' (2011)
* ''[[The Dictator (2012 film)|The Dictator]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Iron Man 3]]'' (2013)
* ''[[The Physician (2013 film)|The Physician]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Ender's Game (film)|Ender's Game]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Robot Overlords]]'' (2014)
* ''[[Stonehearst Asylum]]'' (2014)
* ''[[Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb]]'' (2014)
* ''[[Learning to Drive (film)|Learning to Drive]]'' (2014)
* ''[[Exodus: Gods and Kings]]'' (2014)
* ''[[The Walk (2015 film)|The Walk]]'' (2015)
* ''[[Jungle Book (2016 film)|Jungle Book]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Night Hunter (2018 film)|Night Hunter]]'' (2018)
* ''[[Operation Finale]]'' (2018)
* ''[[The Red Sea Diving Resort]]'' (2019)
* ''[[Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings]]'' (2021)
* ''[[Locked Down (film)|Locked Down]]'' (2021)
* ''[[Daliland]]'' (2022)
* ''[[The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (film)|The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar]]'' (2023)
* ''[[Jules (film)|Jules]]'' (2023)
* ''[[The Killer's Game]]'' (2024)
* ''[[The Thursday Murder Club (film)|The Thursday Murder Club]]'' (2025)
}}

== Awards and nominations==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley}}
[[File:Ben Kingsley handprints at Leicester Square WC2 - geograph.org.uk - 1352183.jpg|thumb|left|Kingsley's handprints at [[Leicester Square]], London]]Kingsley won an [[Academy Award]] in the [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] category for ''Gandhi'', and has been nominated three more times: [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for ''Bugsy'' and ''Sexy Beast'', and Best Actor for ''[[House of Sand and Fog (film)|House of Sand and Fog]]'' (2003). In 1984, Kingsley won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word or Nonmusical Recording for ''The Words of Gandhi'', received an [[honorary degree]] from the [[University of Salford]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Manchester|first=University of Salford|date=24 April 2015|title=Sir Ben Kingsley, recipient of honorary degree, with Registrar Stuart Bosworth|url=http://www.salford.ac.uk/__data/assets/xml_file/0010/530866/photographs.xml|access-date=25 October 2021|website=www.salford.ac.uk}}</ref> and was awarded the Indian civilian honour [[Padma Shri]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards|url=http://india.gov.in/myindia/advsearch_awards.php?start=0&award_year=&state=&field=3&p_name=Kingsley&award=All|access-date=10 July 2009|publisher=[[Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (India)|Ministry of Communications and Information Technology]]}}</ref>

He was made a [[Knight Bachelor]] in the [[2002 New Year Honours]] for services to the British film industry.<ref name="Knighthood"/><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=56430 |date=31 December 2001 |page=1 |supp=y}}</ref> The award was announced on 31 December 2001, which happened to be Kingsley's 58th birthday.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/dec/31/news |title=Parker and Kingsley receive New Year knighthoods |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=31 December 2001 |access-date=13 June 2014}}</ref> After being [[knight]]ed by Queen [[Elizabeth II]] at [[Buckingham Palace]], Kingsley stated:{{cquote|I told the Queen that winning an Oscar pales into insignificance{{emdash}}this is insurmountable. I'm fascinated by the [[ancient]], by [[mythology]], by these islands and their tradition of story telling. I feel that I am a story teller and to receive a [[knighthood]] is really recognition of that.<ref name="Knighthood"/>
}}

His demand to be called '[[Sir]]' in film and TV show credits was documented by the BBC, to some criticism.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4732688.stm|title=Lord Puttnam dubs Sir Ben 'barmy'|work=BBC News|date=20 February 2006|access-date=1 January 2010}}</ref> Co-star [[Penélope Cruz]] was reportedly unsure what to call him during the filming of ''[[Elegy (film)|Elegy]]'' as someone had told her she needed to refer to him as "Sir Ben". One day it slipped out as such, and she called him that for the remainder of the shoot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/news/ni0740409|title=Cruz Baffled By Kingsley's Title|website=imdb.com|access-date=29 August 2021}}</ref> Kingsley has denied accusations that he prefers to be referred to by his title, saying, "If I've ever insisted on being called 'Sir' by colleagues on a film set then I am profoundly sorry. I don't remember ever doing that and I tend not to forget."<ref>{{cite news |last=Hastings |first=Chris |date=26 February 2006 |title=If I ever insisted on being called 'Sir' on a film, then I am really sorry, says Sir Ben Kingsley |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1511466/If-I-ever-insisted-on-being-called-Sir-on-a-film-then-I-am-really-sorry-says-Sir-Ben-Kingsley.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1511466/If-I-ever-insisted-on-being-called-Sir-on-a-film-then-I-am-really-sorry-says-Sir-Ben-Kingsley.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=17 June 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
In May 2010, Kingsley was awarded a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].<ref name="WalkofFame">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10180377 |title=Sir Ben Kingsley gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame |work=BBC News |date=28 May 2010 |access-date=20 June 2010}}</ref> In April 2013, Kingsley was honoured with the Fellowship Award at [[The Asian Awards]] in London.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bollyspice.com/57703/asian-awards-winners-night-event|title=Special Report: Asian Awards 2013|date=18 April 2013|work=BollySpice.com – The latest movies, interviews in Bollywood|access-date=27 April 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of British actors]]
* [[List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Great Britain]]
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]
* [[List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories]]
==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q173158|c=Category:Ben Kingsley|n=no|b=no|q=no|wikt=no|s=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|v=no}}
* {{IMDb name|1426}}
* {{Screenonline name|474377}}
* {{Charlie Rose guest|67}}

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley|Awards for Ben Kingsley]]
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestActor 1981–2000}}
{{Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor 1980–1999}}
{{Bafta Award for Most Promising Newcomer}}
{{BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards}}
{{BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{European Film Award for Best Actor}}
{{Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorMotionPictureDrama 1981–2000}}
{{Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year Actor}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album 1980s}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actor}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward MaleTVMiniseriesMovie 1994–2009}}
{{TFCA Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
}}
{{Berlin International Film Festival jury presidents}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingsley, Ben}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Actors awarded knighthoods]]
[[Category:Actors from the Borough of Scarborough]]
[[Category:Actors from the City of Salford]]
[[Category:Annie Award winners]]
[[Category:Audiobook narrators]]
[[Category:BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Anglo-Indian people]]
[[Category:British people of Indo-Tanzanian descent]]
[[Category:Converts to Quakerism]]
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[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male voice actors]]
[[Category:English people of Gujarati descent]]
[[Category:English people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:English people of Kenyan descent]]
[[Category:British people of Indo-Kenyan descent]]
[[Category:English Quakers]]
[[Category:European Film Award for Best Actor winners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Male actors from Lancashire]]
[[Category:Male actors from North Yorkshire]]
[[Category:National Youth Theatre members]]
[[Category:New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
[[Category:People educated at Manchester Grammar School]]
[[Category:People from Pendlebury]]
[[Category:People from Snainton]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members]]

Sylvia Townsend Warner

2025-06-19T06:52:11Z

86.26.136.198: /* Early life and family */ Punctuation.

{{Short description|English writer, poet, and activist}}
{{distinguish|Sylvia Ashton-Warner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Sylvia Townsend Warner
| image = Sylvia Townsend Warner.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Sylvia Nora Townsend Warner
| birth_date = 6 December 1893
| birth_place = [[Harrow on the Hill]], [[Middlesex]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1978|5|1|1893|12|6|df=yes}}
| partner = [[Valentine Ackland]]
| occupation = Writer
| genre = [[Novel]], [[poetry]]}}

'''Sylvia Nora Townsend Warner''' (6 December 1893 – 1 May 1978) was an English [[novelist]], [[poet]] and musicologist, known for works such as ''[[Lolly Willowes]]'', ''[[The Corner That Held Them]]'', and ''[[Kingdoms of Elfin]]''.

==Early life and family==
Sylvia Townsend Warner was born at [[Harrow on the Hill]], [[Middlesex]], the only child of George Townsend Warner and his wife Eleanor "Nora" Mary (née Hudleston). Her father was a house-master at [[Harrow School]] and was, for many years, associated with the prestigious [[Harrow History Prize]], which was renamed the [[Townsend warner history prize|Townsend Warner History Prize]] following his death in 1916.

As a child, Sylvia Townsend Warner was [[Homeschooling|home-schooled]] by her father after being kicked out of kindergarten for mimicking the teachers.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ellmann|first=Maud|title=Virginia Woolf: Writing the World|publisher=Liverpool University Press|year=2015|pages=77–78}}</ref> She was musically inclined, and, before World War I, planned to study in Vienna under [[Arnold Schoenberg|Schoenberg]]. She enjoyed a seemingly idyllic childhood in rural [[Devon|Devonshire]], but was strongly affected by her father's death. She moved to London and worked in a munitions factory at the outbreak of [[World War I]].

Between 1875 and 1895, Warner's paternal grandfather, The Reverend [[Townsend Warner|George Townsend Warner]] was headmaster of [[Newton Abbot]] Proprietary College in Devon<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Newtonian'' Vol.1, No.1 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=MvcHAAAAQAAJ&q=Warner|website= [[Google Books]]| date=1875 }}</ref> where he had taught [[Arthur Quiller Couch]], [[Bertram Fletcher Robinson]] and [[Percy Fawcett]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://bfronline.info/images/pdf/bfr_chronology.pdf |title=B. Fletcher Robinson Chronology |date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724142459/http://bfronline.info/images/pdf/bfr_chronology.pdf |access-date=16 February 2024|archive-date=24 July 2013 }}</ref>

==Later life==
In 1923, Warner met [[T. F. Powys]], whose writing influenced her own and whose work she in turn encouraged.<ref>Harman, Claire. [https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31804 'Warner, (Nora) Sylvia Townsend'] in ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''</ref> The two became friends, and her debut novel, ''[[Lolly Willowes]],'' was published shortly after in 1926. From her first work, it was clear that Warner's focus was on subverting societal norms; she would later heavily use the themes of rejecting the Church, a need for female empowerment, and independence in her works. It was at Powys' home that Warner first met [[Valentine Ackland]], a young poet; the two women fell in love, moving in together in 1930 and eventually settling at [[Frome Vauchurch|Frome Vauchurch, Dorset]], in 1937.<ref name="townsendwarner.com">{{Cite web|title=A short biography – The Sylvia Townsend Warner Society|url=http://townsendwarner.com/about-sylvia-townsend-warner/biography|access-date=2021-10-21|language=en-GB}}</ref> Her relationship with Ackland inspired many of Warner's works, and the couple collaborated on a collection of poems, ''Whether a Dove or a Seagull'', published in 1933.<ref name="townsendwarner.com"/>

Warner and Ackland's relationship was a tumultuous one, in part due to Ackland's infidelity, which included an affair with fellow writer [[Elizabeth Wade White]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last3=Granne|first3=Ailsa|last4=Judd|first4=Peter Haring|date=2020-04-15|title='The End of the Affair': A Correspondence between Valentine Ackland and Elizabeth Wade White, with an Introduction by Ailsa Granne and Peter Haring Judd|journal=The Journal of the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society|volume=19|issue=1–2 |pages=29–52|doi=10.14324/111.444.stw.2020.08|s2cid=218811995|issn=|doi-access=free}}</ref> Alarmed by the growing threat of fascism, they were active in the [[Communist Party of Great Britain|Communist Party]], and Marxist ideals found their way into Warner's works. Warner participated in the Second International Congress of Writers for the Defence of Culture, held in [[Valencia]] between 4 and 17 July 1937, while serving in the Red Cross during the [[Spanish Civil War]]. After that war, Warner and Ackland permanently returned to England, living together until Ackland's death in 1969.

[[EM Delafield]] portrayed a visit to Warner in 1931 in her ''The Provincial Lady Goes Further'' describing her as "novelist, famous in two continents for numerous and brilliant contributions to literature" and giving her and Ackland the pseudonyms 'Carina/ Charlotte Volley' and 'Miss Postman'.<ref>The Provincial Lady Goes Further pp83-87</ref>

In 1937 Warner and Ackland moved to a house called Riversdale beside the [[River Frome, Dorset|River Frome]] in [[Frome Vauchurch|Forme Vauchurch]] near [[Maiden Newton]]. They initially rented the house and did not intend to stay there long, however they bought it in 1946 and they lived for the rest of their lives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893–1978) & Valentine Ackland (1906–1969) – Dorset History Centre blog |url=https://news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/dorset-history-centre-blog/2021/02/08/sylvia-townsend-warner-1893-1978-valentine-ackland-1906-1969/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210506064552/https://news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/dorset-history-centre-blog/2021/02/08/sylvia-townsend-warner-1893-1978-valentine-ackland-1906-1969/ |archive-date=2021-05-06 |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stinton |first=Judith |date=2020-04-14 |title=At War: Sylvia Townsend Warner and Maiden Newton |url=https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/stw/article/id/2355/ |journal=The Journal of the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society |language= |volume=19 |issue=12 |doi=10.14324/111.444.stw.2020.12 |issn=2398-0605|doi-access=free }}</ref> In 1950 and 1951 they also rented [[Randall's Folly|Great Eye Folly]] at [[Salthouse]], where Warner wrote her final novel, ''The Flint Anchor'' (published 1954).<ref name="LN">{{cite web |title=Salthouse |url=https://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/salthouse.htm |website=Literary Norfolk |access-date=23 May 2021}}</ref>

After Warner's death in 1978, her ashes were buried with Ackland's at St Nicholas, [[Chaldon Herring]], Dorset.<ref>{{Cite web|title=At home in Dorset – The Sylvia Townsend Warner Society|url=http://townsendwarner.com/about-sylvia-townsend-warner/dorset|access-date=2021-10-21|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Work==
Early in her career Warner researched 15th and 16th century music. From 1917 she was in regular employment as one of the editors of ''Tudor Church Music'',<ref name="Society">{{cite web | url=http://townsendwarner.com/biography.php | title=Biography | publisher=Sylvia Townsend Warner Society | date=2015 | accessdate=10 July 2016}}</ref> ten volumes published by Oxford University Press in the 1920s with the support of the [[Carnegie UK Trust]].<ref name="observer">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/11/stile-antico-phoenix-rising-review | title=The phoenix rising | publisher=(www.theguardian.com) | work=[[The Observer|Observer]] | date=August 2013 | accessdate=10 August 2014 | author=Maddocks, Fiona}}</ref> The lead editor was initially Sir [[Richard Terry (musicologist)|Richard Terry]], who as the Master of Music at [[Westminster Cathedral]], had been a pioneer in the revival of Tudor vocal repertoire. Warner obtained the work as the protegee of her lover and music teacher Sir [[Percy Buck]], who was on the editorial committee.<ref name="Guardian2">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/02/sylvia-townsend-warner | title=Sylvia Townsend Warner: the neglected writer | work=The Guardian | date=2012 | accessdate=22 July 2016 | author=Waters, Sarah}}</ref>

Warner was involved in travelling to study source material and in transcribing the music into modern [[musical notation]] for publication. Warner wrote a section on musical notation for the ''[[Oxford History of Western Music|Oxford History of Music]]'' (it appeared in the introductory volume of 1929).<ref>Buck, P. ed. Oxford History of Music, Introductory Volume. London: Oxford University Press, 1929.</ref>

Her first published book was the 1925 poetry collection ''The Espalier'', which was praised by [[A. E. Housman]] and [[Arthur Quiller-Couch]].<ref name=guard>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/mar/29/featuresreviews.guardianreview35 Harman, Claire. 'Lightning from skies', in ''The Guardian'', 29 March 2008]</ref> She was encouraged to write fiction by [[David Garnett]].<ref name="jd">Jane Dowson. ''Women's Poetry of the 1930s: A Critical Anthology''. Routledge, 1996; {{ISBN|0-415-13095-6}} (pp. 149–58).</ref> Warner's novels included ''[[Lolly Willowes]]'' (1926), ''Mr Fortune's Maggot'' (1927), ''Summer Will Show'' (1936), and ''The Corner That Held Them'' (1948).<ref name="ds">[[Darrell Schweitzer]], "Warner, Sylvia Townsend", [sic] in ''St. James Guide To Fantasy Writers'', edited by [[David Pringle]]. St. James Press, 1996; {{ISBN|1-55862-205-5}} (pp. 589–90).</ref> Recurring themes are evident in a number of her works. These include a rejection of Christianity (in ''Mr Fortune's Maggot'', and in ''Lolly Willowes'', where the protagonist becomes a witch); the position of women in patriarchal societies (''Lolly Willowes'', ''Summer Will Show'', ''The Corner that Held Them''); ambiguous sexuality, or bisexuality (''Lolly Willowes'', ''Mr Fortune's Maggot'', ''Summer Will Show''); and lyrical descriptions of landscape.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} ''Mr Fortune's Maggot'', about a missionary in the Pacific Islands, has been described as a "satirical, anti-imperialist novel".<ref>Emily M. Hinnov, ''Encountering Choran Community: Literary Modernism, Visual Culture, and Political Aesthetics in the Interwar Years''. Susquehanna University Press, 2009 {{ISBN|1-57591-130-2}}, (p. 110).</ref> In ''Summer Will Show'', the heroine, Sophia Willoughby, travels to Paris during the [[French Revolution of 1848|1848 Revolution]] and falls in love with a woman.<ref name="mj">Maroula Joannou, "Warner, Sylvia Townsend", in Faye Hammill, Esme Miskimmin, Ashlie Sponenberg (eds.) ''An Encyclopedia of British Women's Writing 1900–1950''. Palgrave, 2008 {{ISBN|0-230-22177-7}} (pp. 266–7)</ref> ''The Corner That Held Them'' (1948) focuses on the lives of a community of nuns in a medieval convent.<ref name="mj" />

Warner's short stories include the collections ''A Moral Ending and Other Stories'', ''The Salutation'', ''More Joy in Heaven'', ''The Cat's Cradle Book'', ''A Garland of Straw'', ''The Museum of Cheats''. ''Winter in the Air'', ''A Spirit Rises'', ''A Stranger with a Bag'', ''The Innocent and the Guilty'', and ''One Thing Leading to Another''. Her [[Swan song|final work]] was a collection of interconnected short stories set in the supernatural ''[[Kingdoms of Elfin]]''.<ref name="ds"/> Many of these stories were published in ''[[The New Yorker]]''.<ref name="nyt">Dinnage, Rosemary. [https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/03/07/reviews/990307.07dinnagt.html ''An Affair to Remember''] (review of ''I'll Stand by You: Selected Letters of Sylvia Townsend Warner and Valentine Ackland''). ''The New York Times'', 7 March 1999; retrieved 4 January 2013.</ref> In addition to fiction, Warner wrote [[anti-fascist]] articles for such leftist publications as ''[[Time and Tide (magazine)|Time and Tide]]'' and ''[[Left Review]]''.<ref name="jd" />

After the death of the novelist [[T. H. White]], Warner was given access to his papers. She published a biography which ''[[The New York Times]]'' declared "a small masterpiece which may well be read long after the writings of its subject have been forgotten."<ref name="nybio">Allen, Walter. [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F16F93F5F127A93C3AB178FD85F4C8685F9&scp=1&sq=%22lucky+in+art%22+AND+%22t.+h.+white%22&st=p "Lucky In Art Unlucky In Life"] (fee required), ''[[The New York Times]]'', 21 April 1968; retrieved 10 February 2008.</ref> White's long-time friend and literary agent, David Higham, however, questioned Warner's work, suggesting a bias in her approach due to her own homosexuality: he gave Warner the address of one of White's lovers "so that she could get in touch with someone so important in Tim's story. But she never, the girl told me, took that step. So she was able to present Tim in such a light that a reviewer could call him a raging homosexual. Perhaps a heterosexual affair would have made her blush."<ref>Higham, David. "Literary Gent", Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc., New York, 1979, page 213</ref>

Warner produced several books of poetry, including ''Opus 7'', a book-length [[pastoral]] poem about an elderly female flower-seller.<ref name="mj" /> The critical and personal hostility that greeted the jointly authored ''Whether a Dove or a Seagull'' in 1933 effectively put an end to the public poetic careers of both Warner and Ackland. It was only with the posthumous publication of Warner's ''Collected Poems'' in 1982 that the extent and significance of her poetry became evident, with poems ranging in date from 1914 through to 1978. Ackland's selected poems, ''Journey from Winter'', were not published until 2008.<ref name=guard/>

Although Warner never wrote an autobiography, ''Scenes of Childhood'' was compiled after her death on 1 May 1978 at age 84, based on short reminiscences published over the years in the ''New Yorker''. She also translated ''[[Contre Sainte-Beuve]]'' by [[Marcel Proust]] from the original French into English.<ref name="mj" />

== Legacy and commemoration ==
In the 1970s, Warner became known as a significant writer of feminist or lesbian sentiment,<ref name="mj" /> and her novels were among the earlier ones to be revived by [[Virago Press]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Journal of the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society |url=https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/stw/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=journals.uclpress.co.uk}}</ref> Selected letters of Warner and [[Valentine Ackland]] have been published twice: [[Wendy Mulford]] edited a collection titled ''This Narrow Place'' in 1988, and ten years later Susanna Pinney published another selection, ''I’ll Stand by You''.

The Sylvia Townsend Warner Society was founded in [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]] in January 2000 and publishes ''The Journal of the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society'' annually with [[UCL Press]].<ref name=":0" />

In 2024 it was announced that Warner had been chosen to be the subject of a new statue in Dorchester. She was selected by a public vote carried by the charity Visible Women UK, for greater representation of women in public art. The design for the work by sculptor Denise Dutton shows Townsend Warner seated on a bench with one of her cats. The cat will be modelled on a well known local cat called Susie.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-29 |title=Sylvia Townsend Warner: Dorchester's first non-royal woman statue |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9ql773rrz1o |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Publications==
===Musicology===
* ''Tudor Church Music''. Edited by R. R. Terry, [E. H. Fellowes, S. T. Warner, A. Ramsbotham and P. C. Buck,] etc.

===Novels===
* ''[[Lolly Willowes]]'' (1926)
* ''Mr Fortune's Maggot'' (1927)
* ''The True Heart'' (1929)
* ''Summer Will Show'' (1936)
* ''After the Death of Don Juan'' (1938)
* ''[[The Corner That Held Them]]'' (1948)
* ''The Flint Anchor'' (1954) (vt ''The Barnards of Loseby'', 1974)

===Translations===
* ''[[Contre Sainte-Beuve|By Way of Sainte-Beuve]]'' (1958 Chatto and Windus, offset 1984 The Hogarth Press with introduction by [[Terence Kilmartin]]) by [[Marcel Proust]]
* ''Proust on Art and Literature 1896–1919'' (1958 Meridian Books, revised 1997 Da Capo Press with introduction by Terence Kilmartin)

===Non-fiction===
* ''T. H. White: A Biography'' (1967)

===Short stories===
* ''The Maze: A Story To Be Read Aloud'' (1928)
* ''Some World Far From Ours; and Stay, Corydon, Thou Swain'' (1929)
* ''Elinor Barley'' (1930)
* ''A Moral Ending and Other Stories'' (1931)
* ''The Salutation'' (1932)
* ''More Joy in Heaven and Other Stories'' (1935)
* ''24 Short Stories'', with [[Graham Greene]] and [[James Laver]] (1939)
* ''The Cat's Cradle Book'' (1940)
* ''The Phoenix'' (1940)
* ''A Garland of Straw and Other Stories'' (1943)
* ''The Museum of Cheats'' (1947)
* ''Winter in the Air and Other Stories'' (1955)
* ''A Spirit Rises'' (1962)
* ''A Stranger with a Bag and Other Stories'' (vt. ''Swans on an Autumn River) (1966)
* ''The Innocent and the Guilty'' (1971)
* ''[[Kingdoms of Elfin]]'' (1977)

===Posthumous===
* ''Scenes of Childhood'' (1981)
* ''One Thing Leading to Another and Other Stories'', edited by Susanna Pinney (1984)
* ''Selected Stories'' edited by Susanna Pinney and William Maxwell (1988)
* ''The Music at Long Verney'' (2001)

===Poetry===
* ''The Espalier'' (1925)
* ''Time Importuned'' (1928)
* ''Opus 7'' (1931)
* ''Whether a Dove or Seagull'' (1933) (jointly with Valentine Ackland)
* ''Boxwood'' (1957) (collaboration with wood engraver [[Reynolds Stone]])
* ''Collected Poems'' (1982)
* ''Selected Poems'' (Carcanet Press, 1985)
* ''New Collected Poems'' (Carcanet Press, 2008)
;See also
* Ackland, Valentine, ''Journey from Winter: Selected Poems'' (Carcanet Press 2008)
* Steinman, Michael, ''The Element of Lavishness: Letters of Sylvia Townsend Warner and [[William Keepers Maxwell Jr.|William Maxwell]]'' (Counterpoint 2001)

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* The Journal of the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society. UCL Press; {{ISSN|2398-0605}}. Open access journal [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/uclpress/stw;jsessionid=7av177d1ttvsc.alexandra available free online].
* [[Claire Harman (writer)|Harman, Claire]] (1989) ''Sylvia Townsend Warner: A Biography''. Chatto & Windus; {{ISBN|9780701129385}}
* Pinney, Susanna (1998) ''I'll Stand by You: Selected Letters of Sylvia Townsend Warner and Valentine Ackland'' with narrative by Sylvia Townsend Warner. North Pomfret, Vt.: Pimlico/Trafalgar Square; {{ISBN|9780712673716}}
* Mulford, Wendy (1988) ''This Narrow Place: Sylvia Townsend Warner and Valentine Ackland 1930–1951''; {{ISBN|978-0863582622}}

==External links==
{{Portal |Speculative fiction }}
{{wikisource|works=or}}
* {{StandardEbooks|Standard Ebooks URL=https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/sylvia-townsend-warner}}
*[http://www.townsendwarner.com The Sylvia Townsend Warner Society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080907142801/http://www.sylviatownsendwarner.com/stw_archive.html The Sylvia Townsend Warner Archive, Dorset Museum, UK]
*[https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/03/07/reviews/990307.07dinnagt.html Review of ''An Affair to Remember''], ''The New York Times'', 7 March 1999
* {{ISFDB name|7092}}
* {{Librivox author |id=18065}}
* {{LCAuth|n79059730|Sylvia Townsend Warner|75|ue}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Sylvia Townsend}}
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1978 deaths]]
[[Category:English short story writers]]
[[Category:English historical novelists]]
[[Category:English women historical novelists]]
[[Category:English fantasy writers]]
[[Category:British women musicologists]]
[[Category:British bisexual writers]]
[[Category:English women poets]]
[[Category:Bisexual women writers]]
[[Category:English anti-fascists]]
[[Category:English communists]]
[[Category:English translators]]
[[Category:French–English translators]]
[[Category:People from Harrow, London]]
[[Category:Writers from Dorset]]
[[Category:Place of death missing]]
[[Category:English LGBTQ poets]]
[[Category:English LGBTQ novelists]]
[[Category:English women short story writers]]
[[Category:English women science fiction and fantasy writers]]
[[Category:Communist women writers]]
[[Category:British women horror writers]]
[[Category:Communist Party of Great Britain members]]
[[Category:English socialist feminists]]
[[Category:20th-century English poets]]
[[Category:20th-century English novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century English women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century English translators]]
[[Category:20th-century English short story writers]]
[[Category:20th-century English musicologists]]
[[Category:20th-century British women musicians]]
[[Category:Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age]]
[[Category:Writers from the London Borough of Harrow]]
[[Category:20th-century English LGBTQ people]]

Newton Abbot

2025-06-14T21:30:41Z

86.26.136.198: /* Notable people */ Added notable living person with corroborating in-line reference.

{{Short description|Town in Teignbridge District, Devon, England}}
{{about|the town|the parliamentary constituency|Newton Abbot (UK Parliament constituency)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|official_name = Newton Abbot
|static_image_name = Newton abbot view.jpg
|static_image_caption = View over central Newton Abbot taken from Wolborough Hill, July 2005
| static_image_2 = Flag of Newton Abbot.svg
| static_image_2_caption = Flag
| static_image_2_width = 150
|coordinates = {{coord|50.529|-3.610|display=inline,title}}
|civil_parish= Newton Abbot
|population = 25,556
|population_ref = (2011)
|shire_district = [[Teignbridge]]
|shire_county = [[Devon]]
|region = South West England
|constituency_westminster = [[Newton Abbot (UK Parliament constituency)|Newton Abbot]]
|post_town = NEWTON ABBOT
|postcode_district = TQ12
|postcode_area = TQ
|dial_code = 01626
|os_grid_reference = SX860713
|label_position = left
}}
'''Newton Abbot''' is a [[market town]] and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] on the [[River Teign]] in the [[Teignbridge|Teignbridge District]] of [[Devon]], England. Its population was 24,029 in 2011, and was estimated at 26,655 in 2019.<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/admin/teignbridge/E04012122__newton_abbot/ City Population. Retrieved 20 December 2020.]</ref> It grew rapidly in the [[Victorian era]] as the home of the [[South Devon Railway Company|South Devon Railway]] locomotive works. This later became a major steam [[Motive power depot|engine shed]], retained to service [[British Railways]] diesel locomotives until 1981. It now houses the Brunel industrial estate. The town has a [[Newton Abbot Racecourse|race course]] nearby, the most westerly in England,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot Racecourse |url=http://www.horse-racing.co.uk/racecourse/newton-abbot.php |access-date=26 June 2015 |website=horse-racing.co.uk}}</ref> and a [[country park]], Decoy.<ref>[https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/sports-and-leisure/parks-and-open-areas/parks/decoy-country-park-newton-abbot/ Teignbridge site. Retrieved 23 September 2019.]</ref> It is twinned with [[Besigheim]] in [[Germany]] and [[Ay, Marne|Ay]] in [[France]].

==Toponymy==
Newton Abbot does not appear in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086. It is first documented in the late 12th century in Latin as ''Nova Villa'': "new farm". In 1201 it was recorded as ''Nieweton' abbatis'': "New settlement belonging to the abbot". The land was granted to [[Torre Abbey]] by William de Briwere in 1196.<ref>{{cite book|editor=[[Victor Watts|Watts, Victor]]|title=The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names|year=2004|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-16855-7|page=436}}</ref>

Robert Bussell acquired the area in the [[Highweek]] parish and [[Teignbridge Hundred]], which was then Newton Bushel.<ref name="H442"/> The twin towns worked together and their markets were eventually combined. Local noted antiquarian [[Cecil Torr]] states that the town continued to be known simply as Newton or Newton Bushel to the majority of people prior to the arrival of the railway, which named the station Newton Abbot in order to distinguish it from [[List of places called Newton in the United Kingdom|other towns called Newton]] on the railway network.<ref name=Torr>{{Cite book |last=Torr |first=Cecil |title=Small Talk at Wreyland: Volume II |year=1921 |pages=27|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028430266/page/n37/mode/2up?q=lustleigh}}</ref>

Even after the arrival of the railway, the mononym "Newton" remained in common use, with [[Richard Nicholls Worth]] noting in 1880 that "Newton is a modern development of the ancient towns of Newton Abbot and Newton Bushell, which the railway has made into an important centre".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nicholls Worth |first=Richard |url=https://archive.org/details/touristsguideto03unkngoog/page/n66/mode/2up |title=Tourist's guide to South Devon |publisher=[[Edward Stanford]] |year=1880 |location=London |pages=51}}</ref>

==History==
===Early history===
Traces of [[Neolithic]] inhabitants have been found at [[Berry's Wood]] Hill Fort near [[Bradley (house)|Bradley Manor]]. This was a contour [[hill fort]] that enclosed about {{convert|11|acre|ha}}.<ref>Beavis (1985), p. 19.</ref> [[Milber Down]] camp was built before the 1st century BC and later occupied briefly by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], whose coins have been found there.<ref name="B20">Beavis (1985), p. 20.</ref>

Highweek Hill has the remains of a Norman [[motte-and-bailey]] castle, known as Castle Dyke. A village grew up around the castle, first called Teignwick, and later [[Highweek]], implying a village on the high ground.<ref>Jones (1986), pp. 13–14.</ref> Another settlement developed on the low ground around the [[River Lemon]] and would become part of Wolborough Manor.

===The markets===
There has been a thriving market in Newton Abbot for over 750 years – the first market charter was granted in 1220.

The New Town of the Abbots (of [[Torre Abbey]]) was given the right some time between 1247 and 1251 to hold a weekly market on Wednesdays. By 1300 the two settlements were renamed as Newton Abbot (taking the low ground) and Newton Bushel (taking the high ground). On the strength of the market, it quickly became a thriving town and a good source of income for the Abbots.

Over the river, on the [[Highweek Village|Highweek]] side, another weekly market was created. This one was on Tuesdays; and because the Bushel family were the landowners this community became known as Newton Bushel.<ref name="H442">Hoskins (1954) p. 442.</ref> Over the next 200 years Newton Bushel ran more annual fairs, a number of mills were set up, and the leather and wool trades started. Newton Bushel was also a convenient place for travellers to stay. Torre Abbey was dissolved in 1539 and ownership of Wolborough was granted to John Gaverock, who built himself a new house at Forde.

The twin markets of Newton Abbot and Newton Bushel continued until they were merged in 1633 as a Wednesday weekly market under the control of Bradley Manor. By 1751 it had been joined by a smaller Saturday market and three annual fairs: a cattle fair on 24 June, a cheese and onion fair in September, and a cloth fair on 6 November. The markets continued to expand, and in 1826 a new market place was built. But over the next 50 years the buildings became dilapidated, and a new [[corn exchange]] (now the Alexandra Theatre) and market hall were completed in 1871.<ref name=NHLE>{{NHLE|desc=Alexandra Theatre and Market Hall to the rear|num= 1256893|access-date=16 June 2023}}</ref>

===Wool and leather===
In medieval times Devon was an important sheep-rearing county. Many towns had their own wool and cloth industries and Newton Abbot had woollen mills, [[fulling|fullers]], dyers, spinners, weavers and tailors. In particular, [[fellmonger]]ing (where wool is completely removed from the sheepskin) was well established in the town. In 1724 [[Daniel Defoe]] wrote that Newton Abbot had a thriving [[serge (fabric)|serge]] industry that sent goods to [[Holland]] via [[Exeter]]. The annual cloth fair was the town's busiest fair. Over the 19th century, Vicary's mills became an important employer in the town and by the 1920s was employing over 400 men. However, by 1972 business had declined and the works closed down.<ref>Jones (1986) pp. 40–44.</ref>

Associated with the woollen industry was the leather business. Hides left after the fell-mongering process were made into leather. Tanners, boot and shoemakers, glovers and saddlers were all in business in Newton Abbot. As with the wool industry, business flourished over 600 years until after the Second World War.<ref>Jones (1986) pp. 44–46.</ref>

===The Newfoundland trade===
In 1583 [[Humphrey Gilbert]], a local adventurer landed at [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]] in [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] and claimed the area as an English colony. The fisheries quickly developed. Between 1600 and 1850 there was a steady trade between Newton Abbot and the cod fisheries off Newfoundland. Every year men from the town would gather at the ''Dartmouth Inn'' or ''Newfoundland Inn'' in East Street in the hope of being hired for a season's work. In the autumn the dried cod was stored in depots and sometimes used as payment. There was a considerable economic spin-off from this trade. Fish hooks, knives, waterproof boots and rope were all made in the town. The Rope Walk in East Street just a few yards from the Cider Bar still exists, together with the names Newfoundland Way and St John's Street.

===Ball clay and the Stover Canal===
Just {{convert|2|mi|km}} north-west of Newton Abbot lie the large [[ball clay]] workings of the [[Bovey Basin]]. The main workings are on the eastern outcrop of the deposits at [[Kingsteignton]], which can lay claim to being the centre of Britain's ball-clay industry. The Bovey Basin took millions of years to fill from rivers that flowed out of [[Dartmoor]]. The sediments included clay derived from the decomposed [[granite]]. The natural deposition has resulted in clay that is purer and more refined than many others. Clay is used in a wide range of products such as [[bricks]], [[tyres]], [[porcelain]], [[medicines]] and [[toothpaste]].

Kingsteignton clay was being used to make pipes around 1680. By 1700, it was being shipped from [[Teignmouth]], and its utilisation by the famous potter [[Josiah Wedgwood]] bred success. The clay was extracted by simply digging out the lumps on courses; rather like peat cutting. The bulky clay was transported by [[packhorse]] to Hackney Quay at Kingsteignton, then loaded onto barges for shipment down the Teign Estuary, where it was transferred to small ships bound for Liverpool and other ports.

Towards the end of the 18th century, the ball-clay industry was steadily expanding. A local landowner, [[James Templer (canal builder)|James Templer]], built the [[Stover Canal]] in 1792 to help ship clay along the canal and the Teign Estuary from the [[Bovey Basin]] to the port of [[Teignmouth]]. Coal, manure and agricultural produce were also shipped along the canal. James Templer's father, also called James Templer, purchased the {{convert|80000|acre|km2|adj=on}} Stover Estate near Newton Abbot in 1765. Granite from [[Hay Tor]] was used to build Stover House which was completed by 1792. [[George Templer]], son of James Templer (the second) and brother of Rev. John Templer, rector of [[Teigngrace]], built the [[Haytor Granite Tramway]], which had rails cut from granite, connecting the granite quarries of [[Haytor]] to the canal. This was completed by 1820 and enabled large quantities of granite to be transported for major works like the new [[London Bridge#"New" (19th century) London Bridge|London Bridge]] which opened in 1825. However, George Templer overspent his resources and was forced to sell Stover House, Stover Canal, the Haytor Granite Tramway and most of the rest of the family's considerable estates to [[Edward St Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset]], in 1829. The canal was extended to cope with this, and the industry fared well until 1858 when they were out-competed by the more economic Cornish coastal quarries. The Stover canal reverted to shipping ball clay, but had ceased to do so by 1939.

The ball-clay industry is now highly mechanised and successful. Most of the clay is transported by road and transferred to ships at the nearby port of Teignmouth.

The Stover Canal Society was formed after a public meeting in February 1999, with the aim of preserving and restoring the canal. Railtrack, which owned most of the canal, transferred ownership in 2005 for the sum of £1 to Teignbridge District Council for leisure use by the community. Work then continued to restore it as an amenity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home page |url=http://www.stovercanal.co.uk/index.htm |access-date=1 June 2012 |publisher=Stover Canal Society}}</ref>

===The railway===

[[File:Newton Abbot railway station.jpg|right|thumb|Newton Abbot railway station]]

The South Devon railway reached Newton Abbot in 1846<ref name=H442 /> and changed it from simply a market town with associated trades (leather and wool) into an industrial base. The [[South Devon Railway Company]] opened [[Newton Abbot railway station|the station]] on 30 December 1846. A branch to Torquay was added on 18 December 1848, with [[Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway|one to Moretonhampstead]] on 26 June 1866, although the latter has since closed to passengers. [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] used the Teignmouth/Newton Abbot section to experiment with his [[Atmospheric railway#Brunel's "atmospheric caper"|atmospheric railway]]. The experiment failed, but the remains of Brunel's pumping house survive at Starcross and the old Dairy Crest milk processing factory in Totnes.

In 1876, the [[Great Western Railway]] bought up the railways and developed the repair and maintenance sheds into a substantial works. Extensive sidings were also built making a large marshalling yard. The present station was rebuilt to its current form in 1927 to designs by Chief GWR Architect [[P. E. Culverhouse]]. The large clock was a gift from the people of the town.

During the late 1980s, the number of passenger platforms was reduced from around nine down to five, and only three of these are still used for scheduled trains. The remaining platforms were shortened on the southern side and the number of tracks reduced to make way for a new station car park. The South Devon Railway Engineering works was decommissioned and replaced by Brunel Industrial Estate. Of the two buildings that survived into the 21st century, only one remains intact, as the old sheds burned down on 21 October 2018.

Many other industries were set up beside the railway station, including a timber yard, iron and brass foundries, and an engineering works. [[Newton Abbot power station]] was built adjacent to the line on the [[Moretonhampstead]] branch. The town's population increased from 1,623 in 1801 to 12,518 by 1901. Terraced streets were built to house the workers, and attractive villas sprang up around the town for the wealthier.

===Modern history===
Two [[Royal Navy]] personnel from Newton Abbot were among the first British casualties in World War I, being killed after their ship was torpedoed by a German [[U-boat]]. Over the course of the two world wars, more than 250 Newtonian men gave their lives for the British Empire. They are remembered on the town's war memorial. a further eleven Commonwealth soldiers are also buried in the town. The town was bombed from the air twice during [[World War II]], killing a total of 21 people. There was a severe flood on 27 December 1979, the latest in a long series, when the [[River Lemon]] burst its banks after prolonged rain.

Tucked into a corner of the racecourse, Newton Abbot's stock-car track flourished for nearly 30 years and attracted fans and drivers from all over the South of England. A short 300-metre oval track, it featured races for the cars of the BriSCA organization, as well as saloons and "bangers".

A new [[Newton Abbot Community Hospital|community hospital]] to replace the one in East Street was built at the end of Jetty Marsh Road and opened on 12 January 2009.<ref>[http://www.rydon.co.uk/what-we-do/rydon-in-the-south-west/case-studies/south-west/newton-abbot-community-hospital Contractor's site. Retrieved 23 September 2019.]</ref>

The Flag of Newton Abbot was adopted in 2009 by the town council. It depicts a stylised image of [[St Leonard's Tower, Newton Abbot|St Leonard's Tower]] in the centre of a modified [[flag of Devon]]. Henry Cole, of Newton Abbot Town Council, stated that the "green represents the moors, black for the granite and white for the clay" of the surrounding area.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot, Devon (England) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-e-nab.html |access-date=5 February 2020 |website=crwflags.com}}</ref> The cross of [[Saint Petroc|St Petroc]] is also used to represent a major crossroads in the town which converged on the clock tower. The arm of the cross represent the routes to [[Exeter]] and [[London]], [[Bovey Tracey]] and the [[Dartmoor|moors]], [[Totnes]] and [[Plymouth]], and [[Torquay]] and [[Brixham]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=vexilo |date=17 July 2013 |title=Devon |url=https://britishcountyflags.com/2013/07/17/devon-flag/ |access-date=5 February 2020 |website=British County Flags |language=en}}</ref>

In 2023, a survey by ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' named Newton Abbot as one of the ugliest towns in Britain.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 November 2023 |title=Two Sussex towns on list of prettiest and ugliest in Britain |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/23935193.lewes-rye-ranked-britainss-prettiest-towns/ |access-date=24 November 2023 |website=The Argus |language=en}}</ref>

==Governance==
There are three tiers of local government covering Newton Abbot, at [[civil parish|parish]], [[non-metropolitan district|district]] and [[non-metropolitan county|county]] level: Newton Abbot Town Council, [[Teignbridge District Council]] and [[Devon County Council]].

[[File:St Leonard's Church, Newton Abbot - geograph.org.uk - 4735370.jpg|thumb|Newton's Place, formerly St Leonard's Church: Town Council's headquarters since 2021.]]
The town council, which was previously based at the [[Old Town Hall, Newton Abbot|old town hall]] in Devon Square, is now based at Newton's Place at 43 Wolborough Street, which had been built in 1835 as St Leonard's Church (replacing the nearby [[St Leonard's Tower, Newton Abbot|medieval church of the same name]] which was demolished shortly afterwards apart from its tower).<ref>{{NHLE|num=1256721|desc=Church of St Leonard, Wolborough Street|grade=II|access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> The former church at 43 Wolborough Street was converted to a museum, community space and town council headquarters, with the first council meeting in the building being held in June 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 2 June 2021 |url=https://www.newtonabbot-tc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/2021-06-02.pdf |website=Newton Abbot Town Council |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> The building was formally opened on 1 April 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Canham |first1=Nigel |title=Town building is officially opened |url=https://www.dawlish-today.co.uk/news/town-building-is-officially-opened-605806 |access-date=1 August 2023 |work=Dawlish Today |date=9 April 2023}}</ref> Teignbridge District Council also has its offices in the town, at [[Forde House]].<ref>{{cite book|last=O'Hagan|first=Mary|title=A History of Forde House|year=1990|publisher=Teignbridge District Council|location=Newton Abbot|page=69}}</ref>

Newton Abbot was historically part of the parish of [[Wolborough]]. A [[Local board of health|local government district]] covering the parish was established in 1864, governed by the Wolborough Local Board.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kelly's Directory of Devon and Cornwall |date=1914 |location=London |page=432 |url=https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/303224/rec/6 |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> Such local boards were reconstituted as [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban district councils]] in 1894.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1894|year=1894|chapter=73}}</ref> Ahead of that change, the outgoing local board requested a change of name from Wolborough to Newton Abbot, recognising that Newton Abbot was the main settlement in the district, and so the Wolborough Local Board was replaced by Newton Abbot Urban District Council.<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1895 |location=London |page=cxxxii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFIwAQAAMAAJ |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> The urban district was enlarged in 1901 to take in the parish of [[Highweek]] (which included the town's suburb of Newton Bushel on the north bank of the River Lemon) and the [[Milber]] area east of the [[Aller Brook]], which had previously been in the parish of [[Haccombe with Combe]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Newton Abbot Urban District |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10106679 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> From 1901 to 1974 the Newton Abbot Urban District covered the three civil parishes of Wolborough, Highweek and Milber. As [[urban parish]]es the three parishes did not have their own parish councils, but were administered directly by Newton Abbot Urban District Council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devonshire (South Part): Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1972 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/241242118 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref>

Newton Abbot Urban District was abolished in 1974 with the area becoming part of the new district of Teignbridge. A [[successor parish]] called Newton Abbot was established covering the whole of the former urban district, with its council taking the name Newton Abbot Town Council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government (Successor Parishes) (No. 2) Order 1973|year=1973|number=1939|access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref>

Newton Abbot is the main town in the [[Newton Abbot (UK Parliament constituency)|Newton Abbot parliamentary constituency]]. The constituency was created in 2010, when it was won by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]], [[Anne-Marie Morris]]. However, Morris was subsequently unseated by the [[Liberal Democrat (UK)|Liberal Democrat]], [[Martin Wrigley]] at the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Newton Abbot - General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001381 |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Newton Abbot has two seats on [[Devon County Council]], for Newton Abbot North and Newton Abbot South.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot North division |url=http://new.devon.gov.uk/democracy/councillor/electoral-division/newton-abbot-north/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604144242/http://new.devon.gov.uk/democracy/councillor/electoral-division/newton-abbot-north/ |archive-date=4 June 2013 |publisher=Devon County Council}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot South division |url=http://new.devon.gov.uk/democracy/councillor/electoral-division/newton-abbot-south/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604195048/http://new.devon.gov.uk/democracy/councillor/electoral-division/newton-abbot-south/ |archive-date=4 June 2013 |publisher=Devon County Council}}</ref>

==Education==
[[Coombeshead Academy]] is a [[comprehensive school]] in Coombeshead Road. It is a [[trust school]] and a specialist media and arts college for some 1,442 pupils aged 11 to 18.

[[Newton Abbot College]], also a comprehensive school in Old Exeter Road. It came into being on 1 September 2008 as a renaming of Knowles Hill School.<ref name="Best ever results">[http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Students-make-history-GCSE-passes-roll/article-285098-detail/article.html "Students make history as GCSE passes roll in"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080824185526/http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Students-make-history-GCSE-passes-roll/article-285098-detail/article.html |date=24 August 2008}}, ''Herald Express'', 22 August 2008.</ref> It is a [[Specialist school|specialist]] [[Technology College]] for around 1,200 pupils aged 11 to 18.<ref name="Ofsted 2008">[http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/display/(id)/93261 "Knowles Hill School – Inspection Report"]{{dead link |date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}, [[Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills|Ofsted]], 27 February 2008.</ref>

[[South Devon UTC]] is a [[university technical college]] in Kingsteignton Road, established on 1 September 2015 for pupils aged 14 to 19.

Stover School - Private School.

The local primary schools include St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary, Highweek Community Primary and Nursery school, Decoy Primary, which has been awarded the Becta [[ICT Mark]], Eco and Healthy School awards,{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} as well as Bearnes Primary, Canada Hill Primary, Wolborough C of E Primary, Bradley Barton Primary, Haytor View Primary and All Saints Marsh CofE Academy.

==Areas==
The Newton Abbot [[civil parish]] has grown to include the areas of [[Highweek]] (to the north-west) and [[Wolborough]] (to the south). Other areas and suburbs include Abbotsbury, [[Aller Park, Devon|Aller Park]], Broadlands, [[Buckland, Devon|Buckland]], Knowles Hill, [[Milber]], Mile End and Newtake.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |access-date=4 July 2020 |publisher=[[Ordnance Survey]]}}</ref>

==Climate==
{{Weather box
|collapsed= y
|location = Newton Abbot (1959–1976 averages)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan high C = 9
|Feb high C = 9
|Mar high C = 11
|Apr high C = 13
|May high C = 16
|Jun high C = 19
|Jul high C = 21
|Aug high C = 21
|Sep high C = 18
|Oct high C = 15
|Nov high C = 12
|Dec high C = 10
|year high C =
|Jan low C = 4
|Feb low C = 4
|Mar low C = 5
|Apr low C = 6
|May low C = 8
|Jun low C = 11
|Jul low C = 13
|Aug low C = 13
|Sep low C = 11
|Oct low C = 9
|Nov low C = 6
|Dec low C = 5
|year low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 109.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 83.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 80.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 62.6
|May precipitation mm = 64.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 55.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 56.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 62.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 68.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 107.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 104.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 122.1
|year precipitation mm =
|Jan sun = 54.4
|Feb sun = 75.1
|Mar sun = 127.7
|Apr sun = 167.5
|May sun = 201.9
|Jun sun = 230.9
|Jul sun = 215.8
|Aug sun = 188.8
|Sep sun = 157.5
|Oct sun = 105.2
|Nov sun = 77.5
|Dec sun = 60.7
|year sun =
|date=January 2025}}

==Landmarks==
===Alexandra Theatre===
The [[Alexandra Theatre, Newton Abbot|Alexandra Theatre]] was originally built in 1871 as a [[corn exchange]] at the end of the market building. Before it was finished, it was decided instead to use it as a meeting hall for the community. It remained as such until in 1883, when a major upgrade of the building included the addition of a stage with dressing rooms below, further dressing rooms in extensions at the side of the main building and an orchestra pit. Many other alterations followed until it was converted into a two-screen cinema in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://database.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/1383-alexandra|title=Alexandra|publisher=Theatres Trust|access-date=16 June 2023}}</ref>

===St Leonard's Tower===
{{main|St Leonard's Tower, Newton Abbot}}
[[File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - The Tower, Newton Abbot, Devon, England, ca. 1895.jpg|thumb|right|[[Photochrom]] of St Leonard's Tower, 1895]]
The centre of the town features the ancient tower of St Leonard; it is all that remains of the medieval chapel of St Leonard, founded in 1220 and first referred to in 1350 in a document of the Bishop de Grandisson of [[Exeter]]. The main chapel was demolished in 1836 to ease traffic congestion.<ref>Jones (1986) p. 116.</ref> Adjacent to the tower is a plaque marking where the first declaration of the newly arrived [[William III of England|William III, Prince of Orange]] was read in 1688: <blockquote>The first declaration of William III, Prince of Orange, the glorious defender of the Protestant religion and the liberties of England, was read on this pedestal by the Rev. John Reynell, rector of this parish, 5th November, 1688.<ref>Jones (1986) p. 22.</ref></blockquote> Although William arrived in [[Brixham]] on 5 November, he did not reach Newton Abbot until 6 November, when he stayed overnight at Forde House as he made his way to London to take the English throne.

The tower can regularly be seen flying the Union Flag or the Flag of Newton Abbot (The Flag of Devon defaced by the silhouette of the tower).{{fact|date=January 2025}}

===Forde House===
{{main|Forde House}}
[[Forde House]] (now known as ''Old Forde House'') lies in the south-east corner of the town in the parish of [[Wolborough]]. The present house was built in 1610 by [[Sir Richard Reynell (Ford House, Devon)|Richard Reynell]] (who later became Sir Richard Reynell) and his wife Lucy.<ref name=H442 /> It was built with an E-shaped floor plan thought to be in honour of Queen [[Elizabeth I]], who had recently died. The grounds were originally extensive, including all of what is called Decoy (as wildfowl were decoyed there to extend the house's larder), a deer park known locally as ''Buckland'', which is now home to a housing estate, and the {{Proper name|iBounce}} trampoline park.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

In 1625, [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] stayed at the house overnight on his way to inspect the fleet at [[Plymouth]]. He returned a few days later for a further two nights. Forde House gave shelter to [[Oliver Cromwell]] and [[Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron|Colonel Fairfax]] while on their way to besiege [[Cavalier|Royalist]] Dartmouth in 1646. In 1648 the estate passed to the Courtenay family through the marriage of Margaret (only daughter of Jane Reynell and Sir William Waller) to Sir William Courtenay, lord of nearby [[Powderham Castle]]. [[William III of England|William of Orange]] stayed at the house in 1688 on the way to his coronation in London, having landed in Brixham.<ref name=H442 /> The house remained the main residence of a succession of Courtenays until 1762, when it was let to a string of occupiers.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

The Courtenay family sold the house in 1936 to Stephen Simpson, who sold it two years later to Mrs M. Sellick. Teignbridge District Council bought the house in 1978 and remains the current owners.<ref>O'Hagan (1990)</ref> It has been refurbished for use as office and conference space, and for weddings and other social events.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

===Bradley Manor===
[[File:Bradley Manor, Newton Abbot, Devon.jpg|thumb|The east front of Bradley Manor]]
At the opposite end of Newton Abbot is a [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]] property, [[Bradley (house)|Bradley Manor]]. This 15th-century (c. 1420) manor house in a secluded woodland setting has a notable [[great hall]] emblazoned with the royal [[coat of arms]] of [[Elizabeth I]].<ref>Cherry (1989) pp. 587–589.</ref> Nearby is Bakers Park.

The [[Great Western Railway]] named a 7800 class steam locomotive after the manor, but the engine was never based in Newton Abbot (shed code: 83A) and was withdrawn from mainline service in the 1965. It was restored in the 1980s and passed through Newton Abbot on special runs called ''The Torbay Express'' and ''The Mayflower''.

===Passmore Edwards Public Library===
{{main|Passmore Edwards Centre}}
[[File:The Passmore Edwards Public Library in Newton Abbot.JPG|thumb|Passmore Edwards Public Library]]
[[John Passmore Edwards]] originally wanted a hospital built for the town in memory of his mother, who was born there, but as the town already had a hospital, he decided on a public library, which opened in 1904. The building, designed by the Cornish architect [[Silvanus Trevail]], is among the most impressive in Newton Abbot.<ref>Cherry (1989) p. 591.</ref> It originally housed a Science, Art and Technical School, which the council added. The elaborate Renaissance style includes yellow [[terracotta]] mouldings over windows and doorways. Passmore Edwards donated £2,500, and the County Council and public donations paid for the rest. Renovated in 2010–2012, it was renamed the ''Passmore Edwards Centre'' after its benefactor and to reflect its future as a multi-purpose facility. It works closely with [[Coombeshead Academy]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot new community library |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/cultureheritage/libraries/yourlocallibrary/teignbridge_libraries/newton_abbot_library/newabb.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906145711/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/cultureheritage/libraries/yourlocallibrary/teignbridge_libraries/newton_abbot_library/newabb.htm |archive-date=6 September 2012 |access-date=18 October 2012}}</ref>

===Almshouses===
The several sets of [[almshouses]] in Newton Abbot include:
* Gilberd's in Exeter Road were endowed in 1538 by John Gilberd of [[Compton Castle]] to house lepers. The five houses reputedly had sloping floors to help in washing out the houses. Eight modern apartments with a common room and visitors bedroom now occupy the site, administered by the Feoffees of Highweek.
* In 1576, Robert Hayman set up several houses for the poor in East Street; these were rebuilt in 1840.<ref name="C593">Cherry (1989) p. 593.</ref>
* Reynell's almshouses, built in 1640 beside Torquay Road, housed four clergy widows ("the relicts of preaching ministers, left poor, without a house of their own"). They were rebuilt in 1845.<ref name=C593 />
* Mackrell's almshouses in Wolborough Street were built in 1874 by J. W. Rowell.<ref name=C593 /> Mackrell was a native of Newton Abbot who made his fortune as a chemist in Barnstaple. Mackrell also funded a home in the Forde Park area for the "fallen women of Newton Abbot", housing single mothers fallen on hard times.

===The workhouse===
The original Newton Abbot poorhouse was in East Street. The cellar of the ''Devon Arms'' was used as the [[oakum]] picking room, where paupers were given the unpleasant job of untwisting old rope to provide oakum, used to seal the seams of wooden boats. Newton Bushel had its own poorhouse, not far from present day Newton Abbot Leisure Centre, previously known as ''Dyron's''.

The [[Poor Law Amendment Act 1834|1834 Poor Law Act]] required changes and incorporation that led, in 1839, to a [[Old Newton Abbot Hospital|new workhouse]] being built in East Street for paupers from surrounding areas. In time, the workhouse became more of a hospital for the sick, infirm and aged poor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot |url=http://www.workhouses.org.uk/NewtonAbbot/ |access-date=10 January 2020 |publisher=Workhouses}}</ref>

===Tucker's Maltings===
[[File:Tucker's Maltings, Newton Abbot.jpg|thumb|Tucker's Maltings]]
Close to the railway station is the former Tucker's Maltings, long the only traditional [[malthouse]] in the UK open to the public. The malt house produced malt for over 30 breweries and enough to brew {{convert|15000000|imppt|m3}} of beer ''per annum''. Although closing as a malthouse in 2018, the maltings is now home to a number of businesses, including The Maltings Taphouse, a craft beer bar and cultural venue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Finch |first=Hannah |date=31 October 2018 |title=Tuckers Maltings: Devon's last malt house closes after 118 years |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/business/tuckers-maltings-devons-last-malt-2167950 |access-date=14 February 2020 |publisher=DevonLive}}</ref>

===Cider bar===
[[File:Ye Olde Cider Bar, Newton Abbot, Devon, England.jpg|thumb|left|Ye Olde Cider Bar]]
Said to be one of only two remaining [[cider house]]s in the United Kingdom,<ref>{{Cite web |title=madasafish |url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~gunning/scrumpy/ciderbar.html |website=users.globalnet.co.uk}}</ref> Ye Olde Cider Bar in East Street sells only [[cider]], [[perry]], [[Fruit wine|country wines]] and soft drinks. Its interior and simple wooden furniture remain relatively unchanged, but some old bar customs, such as limiting women and holidaymakers to half-pint measures and covering the floor with sawdust, have ceased.

===Newton Abbot Town & GWR Museum===
After a 2019 relocation, the museum is now in the Newton's Place community centre in Newfoundland Way. It displays the history of Newton Abbot and of the Great Western Railway.

===Newton Abbot War Memorial===
[[File:War Memorial, Newton Abbot - geograph.org.uk - 562558.jpg|alt=War memorial in Newton Abbot|thumb|Newton Abbot War Memorial]]
In 1922, Newton Abbot Urban District Council instructed its borough surveyor, Coleridge Dingley White, to design a town memorial reflecting the town's importance and the contribution of its young men to the war effort<ref>{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot War Memorials |url=http://www.devonheritage.org/Places/Newton%20Abbot/NewtonAbbotWarMemorials.htm |access-date=11 December 2018 |website=devonheritage.org}}</ref> The unveiling and dedication took place on Sunday 23 July 1922.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The War Memorial {{!}} Exhibitions {{!}} Newton Abbot Town & GWR Museum |url=https://www.museum-newtonabbot.org.uk/war-memorial |access-date=11 December 2018 |website=museum-newtonabbot.org.uk|date=16 December 2015 }}</ref>

==Transport==

===Railway===

[[File:Newton Abbot train station.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of Newton Abbot station]]

[[Newton Abbot railway station]] stands at the east end of Queen Street. It provides both local and long-distance train services between the South West, South Wales, London, the Midlands, the North East and Scotland.

The main line service to/from [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]] is operated by [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] and runs at least hourly for much of the day. Half-hourly local trains run from Exmouth and Exeter to Paignton.

[[CrossCountry]] services operate through [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham]] to [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester]], the north-east of England ({{rws|Leeds}} & {{stnlnk|Newcastle}}) and Scotland ({{rws|Glasgow Central}}, {{rws|Dundee}} & {{rws|Aberdeen}}).

===Bus services===
The main bus operator is [[Stagecoach South West]] who run a network of regular services from Newton Abbot to places such as Exeter, Torquay, Paignton and Teignmouth. Local independent operator, Country Bus also run a significant number of services from the Town.

===Roads===
Newton Abbot has a connection to the [[A380 road|A380 dual carriageway]], which leads to the [[M5 motorway]] via the [[A38 road|A38]].

Other A roads connected to the town are:
* [[A381 road|A381]] from [[Teignmouth]] to [[Salcombe]], through Newton Abbot
* [[A382 road|A382]] starting at Newton Abbot, and heading through [[Bovey Tracey]] to [[Whiddon Down]]
* [[A383 road (England)|A383]] from Newton Abbot through Bickington where it joins the A38 southbound

==Media==
Local TV coverage is provided by [[BBC South West]] and [[ITV West Country]]. Television signals are received from the [[Beacon Hill transmitting station|Beacon Hill]] and the local relay transmitters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Newton_Abbot|title= Freeview Light on the Newton Abbot (Devon, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=21 December 2023}}</ref>

Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Devon]] on 104.3 FM, [[Heart West]] on 96.4, [[The Breeze (South Devon)|Greatest Hits Radio Devon]] on 105.5 FM and [[Radio Exe]] on 107.3 FM.

The town is served by the local newspaper, ''[[Mid-Devon Advertiser]]'' which publishes on Thursdays.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-sw/mid-devon-advertiser/|title=Mid Devon Advertiser|date=4 May 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=21 December 2023}}</ref>

==Sport and leisure==
Newton Abbot has two [[non-League football]] clubs: [[Buckland Athletic F.C.]], which plays at Homers Heath, and [[Newton Abbot Spurs A.F.C.]], which plays at the Recreation Ground. The headquarters of [[Devon County Football Association]] are in the town.

Newton Abbot's South Devon Cricket Club was established in 1851 and also plays at the Recreation Ground.

The town has a long-standing [[rugby union]] club, [[Newton Abbot RFC]] (established 1873), which plays home games at Rackerhayes in nearby [[Kingsteignton]].

Two [[Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom|greyhound racing]] tracks existed; the [[Newton Abbot Racecourse#Greyhound racing|Newton Abbot Greyhound Track]] lasted from 1974 to 2005 and a short-lived track was laid on the Recreation Ground, where Newton Abbot Spurs plays today. The racing was independent (unaffiliated to the sports governing body, the [[National Greyhound Racing Club]]) and so both were known as flapping tracks, a name given to independent tracks.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barnes |first=Julia |title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 419 |publisher=Ringpress Books |year=1988 |isbn=0-948955-15-5}}</ref> Distances there were 250, 450 and 460 yards and racing lasted about five years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Newton Abbot Rec |url=https://greyhoundracingtimes.co.uk/2019/02/21/newton-abbot-rec/ |work=Greyhound Racing Times}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2016}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*[[John Angel (sculptor)|John Angel]], sculptor, born here in 1881. He designed the [[Exeter War Memorial]] and emigrated to America, where he did much ecclesiastical carving.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2011 |title=John Angel |url=http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1206480763 |access-date=18 December 2016 |website=[[Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951]] |publisher=[[University of Glasgow]] History of Art and HATII, online database}}</ref>
*[[Samuel Baker|Sir Samuel White Baker]], explorer, big-game hunter, writer and [[Abolitionism in the United Kingdom|abolitionist]], bought the Sandford Orleigh estate in 1874 and died there in 1893.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Unsworth |first=Harry |title=A New Look at Old Newton Abbot |publisher=Mike Bateson Publishing |year=1993 |isbn=0-9521689-0-1 |location=Coffinswell, Devon |page=79}}</ref>
*[[Norah Baring]], movie actress, studied at Newton Abbot Art School.<ref>{{cite news |title= Days when Newton Abbot star shone on the silver screen |url= https://www.middevonadvertiser.co.uk/opinion/days-when-newton-abbot-star-shone-on-the-silver-screen-622862 |access-date=8 December 2024 |work=Mid Devon Advertiser |date=28 June 2023}}</ref>
*[[Don Bird]], professional footballer, was born here in 1908.
*[[Len Coldwell]], cricketer, was born here in 1933.
*[[Athelstan Cornish-Bowden|Athelstan Hall Cornish-Bowden]] (1871–1942), land surveyor, was born and lived the early years of his life in Newton Abbot.
*[[William Knox D'Arcy]], a founder of the petroleum industry in Persia, was born here in 1849.
*[[Anna Harriett Drury]] (1824–1912), novelist, poet and writer of boys' stories, lived here for 46 years and died here.
*[[Hiley Edwards]], a cricketer who played for and captained Devon, was born here in 1951.
*Colonel [[Percy Fawcett]], geographer, British Army officer, cartographer, archaeologist and explorer of South America, was educated at Newton Abbot Proprietary College between the late 1870's and early 1880's.
*[[Frank Harry]], [[first-class cricket]]er, was born here in 1876.
*[[Robert Hayman]], poet, and governor of Newfoundland, was born in Wolborough, now part of Newton Abbot, in 1575.
*[[Oliver Heaviside]], the physicist, lived here from 1897 to 1909.
*[[David Knopfler]], the co-founder of the rock band [[Dire Straits]] lives in Wolborough.<ref>{{cite web|title= Developers told to stop work at controversial site
|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g2ed7gdxdo |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
*[[Jon Lee (actor)]], the singer and actor received his early education here.
*[[John Lethbridge]] invented a diving salvage machine in 1715.
*[[Frank Matcham]], a theatrical architect, was born here in 1854.<ref name="ODNB">Mackintosh, Iain. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37745?docPos=1 "Matcham, Frank"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 {{subscription required}}</ref>
*[[Edith Mayne]], freestyle swimmer, was born here in 1905.
*Paul Mount,<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 February 2009 |title=Obituary: Paul Mount |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/feb/12/paul-mount-obituary}}</ref> modernist sculptor, was born here in 1922.
*[[Rupert Neve]], audio electronics engineer and entrepreneur, was born here in 1926
*[[John Baptist Lucius Noel]], mountaineer and film-maker best known for his film of the 1924 Mount Everest expedition, was born here in 1890.
*Sir [[Arthur Quiller-Couch]], writer and literary critic, was educated at Newton Abbot Proprietary College between the late 1870's and 1882.
*[[Robert Cyril Layton Perkins]] (1866–1955), entomologist, retired here in 1912.
*[[Sergio Pizzorno]], guitarist and songwriter with band [[Kasabian]], was born here in 1980.
*[[Anthea Redfern]], television hostess, was born here in 1948.
*[[Bertram Fletcher Robinson]], writer, editor and sportsman, was educated at Newton Abbot Proprietary College between 1882 and 1890.<ref>{{cite web|title=Publication of the Hound of the Baskervilles|url=http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/publication-hound-baskervilles|website=History Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Earliest Wodehouse satires discovered|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jul/26/pg-wodehouse-political-satires |website=The Guardian}}</ref>
*[[Leslie Rundle|General Sir Leslie Rundle]], a British Army general, was born here in 1856.
*[[Lewis Tessier]], merchant and political figure in [[Colony of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]], was born here in 1820.
*[[David St John Thomas]] (1929–2014), writer and publisher, ran publishing house [[David & Charles]] here from 1960s.<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas, David St John|title=Good Books Come from Devon — the David & Charles twenty-first birthday book|year=1981|publisher=[[David & Charles]]|location=Newton Abbot|isbn=0-7153-8139-3|pages=1, 12–13|chapter=Why we’re here}}</ref>
*[[Fred Thompson (writer)|Fred Thompson]], writer and [[libretto|librettist]] was born in London in 1884, but raised here.
*[[Peter Truscott, Baron Truscott]], [[peerage|peer]], petroleum and mining consultant, and writer, was born here in 1959.
*[[David Vine]], TV sports presenter, was born here in 1935.
*[[Samuel Walkey]], author of a number of children’s books, lived in Keyberry Park from 1906 to 1921.
*[[Geoffrey Wareham]] (1929–2022), journalist, born here.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/04/10/geoffrey-wareham-journalist-posed-question-james-callaghan-led/|title=Geoffrey Wareham, journalist who posed the question to James Callaghan that led to the headline ‘Crisis? What crisis?’ – obituary|first=Telegraph|last=Obituaries|date=10 April 2022|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>
*[[Townsend Warner|The Reverend George Townsend Warner]], cricketer and [[headmaster]] of Newton Abbot Proprietary College between 1875 and 1895.
*[[Ollie Watkins]], [[Aston Villa]] and [[England national football team]] footballer, lived here between 1995 and 2017.
*[[John Wilcox (cricketer)|John Wilcox]], cricketer, was born here in 1940.
*[[Ivy Williams]], the first woman to be called to the English bar, was born here in 1877.
}}

==Freedom of the Town==
The following people and military units have received the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the Town]] of Newton Abbot.

{{Incomplete list|date=March 2023}}

===Military Units===
* [[HMS Triumph (S93)|HMS Triumph]], [[Royal Navy|RN]]: 1 April 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Freedom of town parade for submarine HMS Triumph |url=https://www.teignmouth-today.co.uk/news/freedom-of-town-parade-for-submarine-hms-triumph-603164 |website=The Teignmouth Post and Gazette |date=27 March 2023 |access-date=27 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Puritan's Pit]]
*[[A380 road]]
*[[A381 road]]
*[[A382 road]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{Cite book |last=Beavis |first=Derek |title=Newton Abbot, The Story of the Town's Past |publisher=Barracuda Books |year=1985 |isbn=0-86023-236-0 |location=Buckingham}}
*{{Cite book |last1=Cherry |first1=Bridget |title=[[Pevsner Architectural Guides#Buildings of England|The Buildings of England]]: Devon |last2=Pevsner, Nikolaus |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |year=1989 |isbn=0-14-071050-7 |edition=second |pages=584–595 |author-link2=Nikolaus Pevsner}}
*{{Cite book |last=Hoskins |first=W. G. |title=A New Survey of England – Devon |publisher=Collins |year=1954 |location=London |pages=441–443 |author-link=William George Hoskins}}
*{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Roger |title=A Book of Newton Abbot |publisher=Ex Libris Press |year=1986 |isbn=0-948578-06-8 |location=Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire}}
*{{Cite book |last=O'Hagan |first=Mary |title=A History of Forde House |publisher=Butler & Tanner Ltd |year=1990 |location=Frome, Somerset}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}

{{Devon}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Newton Abbot| ]]
[[Category:Market towns in Devon]]
[[Category:Railway towns in England]]
[[Category:Towns in Devon]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Devon]]
[[Category:Teignbridge]]
[[Category:Deaneries of the Church of England]]

Leusdon

2025-06-14T17:13:18Z

86.26.136.198: Corrected the name of the parish church referred to within this article and added a in-line corroborating reference as per WPG.

{{Short description|Village in Devon, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{coord|50|32|48|N|3|49|42|W|display=title}}
[[File:St John's Church Leusdon - geograph.org.uk - 888491.jpg|thumb|St John the Baptist Church in Leusdon<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/8845/ |title=St John the Baptist Church, Leusdon, Devon|website= www.achurchnearyou.com |access-date=14 June 2025}}</ref>]]
'''Leusdon''' is a parish in the southern part of [[Dartmoor]] in the county of [[Devon]]. It is situated about one [[kilometer]] to the north of the village of [[Poundsgate]].

The village church is St John the Baptist, which was built in 1863.<ref name="Earle2014">{{cite book|author=John Earle|title=Walking on Dartmoor: National Park and surrounding areas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p5zEUSTE8nwC&pg=PA50|date=16 December 2014|publisher=Cicerone Press Limited|isbn=978-1-84965-511-8|pages=50–51}}</ref><ref name="Crossing1967">{{cite book|author=William Crossing|title=Crossing's Hundred years on Dartmoor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4TRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA67|year=1967|publisher=David & Charles|pages=67–}}</ref> The Irish-born parliamentarian, writer, and land reformer, Sir [[Robert Richard Torrens]] is buried within the graveyard of St Johns the Baptist Church together with his wife.<ref>{{cite AuDB |first=Douglas J.|last= Whalan |author-link= |title=Torrens, Sir Robert Richard (1814[sic]–1884)|volume=6 |edition= |year=1976 |id2=torrens-sir-robert-richard-4739|access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref>

Located nearby St John the Baptist Church is [[Leusdon Common]], which is a [[site of special scientific interest]], and is part of the [[Widecombe in the Moor]] parish.<ref name="Geology of Devon - Leusdon Common">{{cite web|title=Geology of Devon - Leusdon Common|url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/geo-leusdon-common.pdf|publisher=Devon County Council|accessdate=27 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="Leusdon Common Natural England">{{cite web|title=Leusdon Common |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005496.pdf |publisher=Natural England |accessdate=27 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071300/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005496.pdf |archivedate= 4 March 2016 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
* {{CoorOS}}

==External links==
* [http://www.achurchnearyou.com/leusdon-st-john-the-baptist/ St John the Baptist, Leusdon]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Dartmoor]]
[[Category:Villages in Devon]]

{{Devon-geo-stub}}

Ipplepen

2025-06-14T16:18:17Z

86.26.136.198: /* Notable residents */ Added a reference to a biography about this former resident, his family and their connections to the village of Ipplepen.

{{Short description|Village in Devon, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| official_name = Ipplepen
| static_image = St Andrew, Ipplepen - geograph.org.uk - 2001326.jpg
| static_image_caption = St Andrew's Parish Church, which is a [[listed building|Grade I listed building]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101334135-church-of-st-andrew-ipplepen|title=Church of St Andrew, Ipplepen, Devon|website=Britishlistedbuildings.co.uk|access-date=1 March 2022}}</ref>
| static_image_width = 200px
| population = 2522
| coordinates = {{coord|50.489|-3.642|display=inline,title}}
| shire_district = [[Teignbridge]]
| shire_county = [[Devon]]
| region = South West England
| post_town = NEWTON ABBOT
| postcode_area = TQ
| postcode_district = TQ12
| dial_code = 01803
| os_grid_reference = SX8353766776
| map_type = Devon
| constituency_westminster = [[Newton Abbot (UK Parliament constituency)|Newton Abbot]]
}}

'''Ipplepen''' is a village and [[civil parish]] located within the [[Teignbridge]] district of the county of [[Devon]] in south-west [[England]]. It is the site of [[Ipplepen Priory]] and there is an [[electoral ward]] with the same name. The population of Ipplepen village and Ipplepen civil parish at the [[United Kingdom Census 2021|2021 census]] was 2,149<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/devon/E63006888__ipplepen/ City Population. Retrieved 8 December 2024.]</ref> and 2,522<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/admin/teignbridge/E04003215__ipplepen/ City Population. Retrieved 8 December 2024.]</ref> respectively.

==Location==
Ipplepen is situated about {{convert|6|km|mi|disp=flip}} to the southwest of the market town of [[Newton Abbot]], {{convert|9|km|mi|disp=flip}} from the southern edge of [[Dartmoor]] and about {{convert|11|km|mi|disp=flip}} to the northwest of [[Torquay]]. Other nearby villages include [[Torbryan]], [[Broadhempston]], [[Denbury]], [[Marldon]] and [[Abbotskerswell]].

==Amenities==
Ipplepen now has only one [[public house]], the Wellington, situated close to the heart of the village on the main road. The Plough Inn, adjacent to the [[Association of Conservative Clubs|Conservative Club]], closed in January 2009 and was then put up for sale. The village has a [[primary school]], park, [[Bowls|bowling]] club,<ref>{{cite web|title=Ipplepen Bowling Club Official Club Website|url=https://www.ipplepenbowlingclub.co.uk/ |website= Ipplepen Bowling Club}}</ref> village hall, [[post office]], general store, two churches and a medical centre. The local football club features two senior sides and seven youth teams.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ipplepen Athletic Football Club Official Club Website |url=https://www.ipplepenathletic.co.uk/ |website= Team Expert Websites}}</ref> The village library closed temporarily in 2008, while a new library building was being built.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Village-library-battle-moves-stage/article-293617-detail/article.html|title=Village library battle moves to next stage|work=Torquay Herald Express|access-date=10 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505080656/http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Village-library-battle-moves-stage/article-293617-detail/article.html|archive-date=5 May 2013}}</ref> The main transport link is the [[A381 road]] to Newton Abbot and [[Totnes]].

==Population==
The population of Ipplepen during 1801 and 1901 was 821 and 813 respectively. By the time of the 1991 [[Census in the United Kingdom]], the population of "Ipplepen with [[Torbryan]]" had increased to 2446. The average age was 42 years and 68.9% were reported as being in "good health".

==Archaeology==
Archaeological excavations in Ipplepen have found [[Roman currency|Roman coins]], a portion of a [[Roman roads|Roman road]], a Roman-era butcher's shop and various broken ceramics of Mediterranean and [[Roman Gaul|Gallic]] origin,<ref>Specifically, the archaeologists found [[Samian ware]].</ref> which once contained wine, olive oil and [[garum]] (fish sauce).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ipplepen: New Discoveries on the Edge of the Roman Empire |publisher=Torquay Museum |url=http://www.torquaymuseum.org/explore/changing-exhibitions/current-exhibition/ipplepen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916174702/http://www.torquaymuseum.org/explore/changing-exhibitions/current-exhibition/ipplepen |archive-date=16 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ipplepen Iron Age Settlement – Ancient Village or Settlement in England in Devon |publisher=The Megalithic Portal |url=https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=34750 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923212628/http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=34750 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Roman oil and wine pottery found at Ipplepen dig site |date=20 June 2017 |newspaper=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-40330840 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Morris |first=Stephen |date=16 September 2019 |title=New finds beef up case for redrawing map of Roman empire |newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/16/remains-of-ancient-butchers-beef-up-case-for-redrawing-map-of-roman-empire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916124622/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/16/remains-of-ancient-butchers-beef-up-case-for-redrawing-map-of-roman-empire |archive-date=16 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> During 2015, an important [[Roman Britain|Roman cemetery]] was uncovered by a team from the [[University of Exeter]]. Tests on one skeleton revealed that activity continued at the site for 350 years after the end of the Roman occupation of Britain (c. 410 AD). Archaeologists said that "the discoveries were both nationally and regionally important."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-31313465|title=Roman cemetery: Fifteen skeletons found at Ipplepen dig|work=BBC News|access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref> The site was originally discovered by [[metal detector]]ists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archaeology.org/news/3000-150210-devon-ipplepen-cemetery|title=Roman Roadside Cemetery Unearthed at Ipplepen – Archaeology Magazine|author=Jessica E. Saraceni|website=Archaeology.org|access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref>

==Notable residents==
[[File:Bertram Fletcher Robinson's grave.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Headstone of [[Bertram Fletcher Robinson]] at St Andrew's Parish Church]]
Notable residents of the past and present include:
* Rev [[John Hewett (priest)|John Hewett]] (1830–1911), was a formal [[rural dean]] of Ipplepen.<ref name="AC">{{cite book |last1=Venn |first1=John Archibald |title=Alumni cantabrigienses; a biographical list of all known students, graduates and holders of office at the University of Cambridge, from the earliest times to 1900 |date=1954 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |page=348 |url=https://archive.org/details/p2alumnicantabri03univuoft/page/348/mode/2up |access-date=6 August 2022}}</ref>
* Sir [[Robin Knox-Johnston|William Robert Patrick Knox-Johnston]] (born 1939) is a British sailor. In 1969, he became the first person to perform a single-handed non-stop [[circumnavigation]] of the [[globe]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Sailing legend crosses the line |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6623703.stm |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
* Sir [[Alfred Langler]] (1865–1928), journalist and editor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090668b.htm|title=Biography – Sir Alfred Langler – Australian Dictionary of Biography|website=Anu.edu.au|access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref>
* [[Jon Lee (actor)|Jon Lee]] (born 1982), actor and former vocalist with pop group [[S Club]], lived in Ipplepen from age 7.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parkinson |first1=Judy |title=Mr McIntyre was one of those teachers you could have a laugh with |url=https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/mr-mcintyre-was-one-those-teachers-you-could-have-laugh |website=tes.com |publisher=Tes Global Ltd |access-date=8 April 2023}}</ref>
* [[Bertram Fletcher Robinson]] (1870–1907), journalist, sportsman,<ref>{{cite news |title=True spirit of the game |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWGLNB&req_dat=1054640702C8DBC0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F12E7734859EF5FB0 |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=Western Morning News |via=Newsbank |date=13 March 2010}}</ref> editor & author.<ref>{{cite web|title=Publication of the Hound of the Baskervilles|url=http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/publication-hound-baskervilles|website=History Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Earliest Wodehouse satires discovered|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jul/26/pg-wodehouse-political-satires |website=The Guardian}}</ref> He is buried within the graveyard of St Andrew's Parish Church next to his parents.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brian Pugh |first=Paul Spiring |title=Bertram Fletcher Robinson: A Footnote to the Hound of the Baskervilles|date=September 2008 |publisher=MX Publishing|year=2008 |isbn=978-1-9043-1240-6}}</ref>
* [[David St John Thomas]] (1929–2014), writer and publisher, first ran the [[publishing]] house of [[David & Charles]] from his house at Ipplepen, before moving to [[Newton Abbot railway station]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas, David St John|title=Good Books Come from Devon — the David & Charles twenty-first birthday book|year=1981|publisher=[[David & Charles]]|location=Newton Abbot|isbn=0-7153-8139-3|pages=1, 12–13|chapter=Why we're here}}</ref>
* [[William John Wills]] (1834–1861), explorer of Australia, died in the [[Burke and Wills expedition]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ipplepenlocalhistory.org.uk/september-magazine-article-2/ |title=''September 2019 Newsletter'' |publisher=Ipplepen Local History Club }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ipplepen}}
* [http://www.ipplepenparishcouncil.gov.uk/ Ipplepen Parish Council].
* [https://ipplepen.info/ Ipplepen.Info].
* [http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Ipplepen/ Ipplepen at GenUKI].

{{Devon}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Devon]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Devon]]
[[Category:Augustinian monasteries in England]]
[[Category:Populated places in Devon]]

Ashburton, Devon

2025-06-13T21:07:24Z

86.26.136.198: /* Notable people */ added honorific title.

{{Short description|Town in Devon, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
|static_image_name=West Street , Ashburton.jpg
|static_image_caption=West Street, Ashburton
|country= England
|region= South West England
|shire_county= [[Devon]]
|shire_district= [[Teignbridge]]
|civil_parish= Ashburton
|official_name= Ashburton
| population = 4,170
|os_grid_reference= SX756698
|coordinates = {{coord|50|30|55|N|3|45|18|W|display=inline,title}}
|post_town= NEWTON ABBOT
|postcode_area= TQ
|postcode_district= TQ13
|dial_code= 01364
|constituency_westminster= [[Central Devon (UK Parliament constituency)|Central Devon]]
}}
'''Ashburton''' is a town on the [[Cardinal direction|south-southeastern]] edge of [[Dartmoor]] in [[Devon]], England, adjacent to the [[A38 road|A38]]. The town is 20 miles (32 km) northeast of [[Plymouth]] and 17 miles (27 km) southwest of [[Exeter]].

It was formerly important as a [[stannary]] town (a centre for the administration of [[tin mining]]), and remains the largest town within the national park. Ashburton has two pubs within the centre of town and six restaurants/cafés. The town is also part of the [[electoral ward]] named ''Ashburton and [[Buckfastleigh]]'', the population of which at the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]] was 7,718.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/ashburton-and-buckfastleigh-e05003591#sthash.oirUwhoL.dpbs|title=Ward population 2011|access-date=17 February 2015|archive-date=17 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217221408/http://www.ukcensusdata.com/ashburton-and-buckfastleigh-e05003591#sthash.oirUwhoL.dpbs|url-status=live}}</ref>

== History ==
The town's name derives from the [[Old English]] ''æsc-burna-tun'' meaning 'farm/settlement with a stream frequented by ash trees'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Devon/Ashburton|title=Key to English Place-names|website=kepn.nottingham.ac.uk|access-date=19 July 2021|archive-date=1 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701004338/http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Devon/Ashburton|url-status=live}}</ref>

The name is recorded in the [[Domesday Book]] (1086) as ''Essebretone''. Ashburton was then the main town of the Parish of Ashburton, in [[Teignbridge Hundred]]. During the [[English Civil War]], Ashburton was a temporary refuge for Royalist troops fleeing after their defeat by [[Thomas Fairfax|General Fairfax]] at nearby [[Bovey Tracey]].

The town was the terminus of the [[Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway]] that opened on 1 May 1872. [[Ashburton railway station]] closed to passengers in November 1958 although goods traffic on the line continued until 7 September 1962. Links to [[Buckfastleigh]] and [[Totnes]] are maintained by [[Country Bus]] route 88 which also serves [[Newton Abbot]].

Ashburton used to be famous for a beverage known as Ashburton Pop, possibly a [[Methode Champenoise|type of champagne]], the recipe of which was lost with the brewer in 1765.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=El5e-gNDT5cC&pg=RA12-PA356&dq=%22ashburton+pop%22 "The Noted John Cooke of Exeter"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223234512/https://books.google.com/books?id=El5e-gNDT5cC&pg=RA12-PA356&dq=%22ashburton+pop%22 |date=23 December 2016 }}, ''The Every-day Book and Table Book; or, Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs, and Events, Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Days, in Past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Months, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac, Including Accounts of the Weather, Rules for Health and Conduct, Remarkable and Important Anecdotes, Facts, and Notices, in Chronology, Antiquities, Topography, Biography, Natural History, Art, Science and General Literature; Derived from the Most Authentic Sources, and Valuable Original Communication, with Poetical Elucidations, for Daily Use and Diversion. Vol III.'', ed. William Hone, (London: 1838) p 356. Retrieved on 2008-11-21</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120719032107/http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/172/3/50-a "''Ashburton Pop'' corks"], ''Notes and Queries'' 1937 172: 50</ref>

Ashburton Carnival is one of the oldest, possibly the oldest, surviving in Devon. Written records date it back to 1891, but it is believed to have been started in the mid-1880s to raise funds for a new hospital.

Ashburton Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1910. The club continued into the 1920s.<ref>[http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/south-west/devon/979-dev-ashburton-golf-club-devon “Ashburton Golf Club”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906042824/http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/south-west/devon/979-dev-ashburton-golf-club-devon |date=6 September 2015 }}, "Golf’s Missing Links".</ref>

[[Ashmoor Hockey Club]] was formed in 2003 and plays at [[South Dartmoor Community College]].

Ashburton Cookery School & Chefs Academy, located to the north of the town, was founded in 1992.

== Politics ==
Ashburton was the first place to elect a candidate of the [[Official Monster Raving Loony Party]] to public office. The candidate was [[Howling Laud Hope|Alan Hope]], a local publican, who was elected unopposed to Ashburton Town Council in 1989. He subsequently became deputy mayor and later [[mayor]] of Ashburton.

The town is one of a few to still annually appoint a [[portreeve]] or 'port warden'. Others are [[Laugharne]], [[Beccles]], [[Callington, Cornwall|Callington]] (where the name is given to the council chairman), and [[Yeovil]].

==Education==
[[South Dartmoor Community College]], a large secondary school for pupils aged 11-18, is located in Ashburton.

== Sites of interest ==
[[File:Ashburton Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1073214.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ashburton Town Hall]]]]
The [[St Andrew's Church, Ashburton|parish church of St Andrew]] is a Grade One Building and a fine building of the 15th century with a tall tower and two aisles. The 15th-century church tower includes sculptures by Herbert Edmund Read (1885–1951), who also carved the oak [[reredos]]; this is not the art historian [[Herbert Read]]. One window has stained glass designed by [[Charles Eamer Kempe|C. E. Kempe]]. The porch is partly [[Norman architecture|Norman]].<ref>Pevsner, N. (1952) ''South Devon'', Penguin Books; pp. 38–39</ref>

St Lawrence Chapel is a Grade II* Listed Building in St Lawrence Lane in the centre of the town. Originally a [[chantry chapel]] and then a grammar school for over 600 years, St Lawrence Chapel is now an important heritage, cultural and community centre, managed by the Guild of St Lawrence.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Chapel of St Lawrence|num=1207789|access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref>

The town's old Methodist Church (Grade II listed) at 15 West St was built in 1835.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Ashburton Methodist Church|num=1282869|access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref> In 2015 the Methodist congregation moved to the nearby St Andrew's Church Hall. Their previous building was sold by public auction on 19 July 2017, when it was bought by Ashburton Arts Ltd (a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee) using funds donated or loaned by members of the community. The building now houses Ashburton Arts Centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ashburtonarts.org.uk/|title=Welcome to Ashburton Arts|access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref>

St Gudula's Well and Cross in Old Totnes Road is probably named after St [[Gudwal|Gulval]], also honoured at the village of [[Gulval]] in Cornwall.<ref>{{NHLE|desc= St Gudula's Well, including steps and retaining wall|num=1201014 |access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref>

[[Ashburton Town Hall]] was originally built as a market hall in 1850.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall, North Street|num=1201012 |access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref>

==Climate==
{{Weather box
| location = Ashburton, 1981–2010 normals
| collapsed =
| metric first = y
| single line = y
| Jan high C = 9
| Feb high C = 9
| Mar high C = 11
| Apr high C = 13
| May high C = 16
| Jun high C = 19
| Jul high C = 21
| Aug high C = 21
| Sep high C = 18
| Oct high C = 15
| Nov high C = 12
| Dec high C = 10
| year high C =
| Jan low C = 4
| Feb low C = 4
| Mar low C = 5
| Apr low C = 6
| May low C = 8
| Jun low C = 11
| Jul low C = 13
| Aug low C = 13
| Sep low C = 11
| Oct low C = 9
| Nov low C = 6
| Dec low C = 5
| year low C =
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 126.4
| Feb precipitation mm = 96.2
| Mar precipitation mm = 93.0
| Apr precipitation mm = 73.5
| May precipitation mm = 75.7
| Jun precipitation mm = 65.0
| Jul precipitation mm = 68.0
| Aug precipitation mm = 72.2
| Sep precipitation mm = 80.7
| Oct precipitation mm = 123.0
| Nov precipitation mm = 121.4
| Dec precipitation mm = 139.7
| year precipitation mm =

| source 1 = [[Chelsa Climate]]<ref name="Chelsa Climate Diagrams">{{cite web |url=https://chelsa-climate.org/climate-diagrams/ |title=Climate diagrams – Chelsa Climate |access-date=2024-12-18}}</ref>
}}

==Notable people==
* [[William Howard Allen]] (1790–1822), United States naval officer, interned for 18 months in Ashburton
* [[Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton]] (1774–1848), politician and financier
* [[William Bickford (1774–1834)|William Bickford]] (1774–1834), inventor of the [[safety fuse]] used in the mining industry
* [[Sir Henry Carew, 7th Baronet]] (1779–1830), Member of Parliament for Ashburton
* [[Richard Carlile]] (1790–1843), political agitator
* [[Athel Cornish-Bowden]] (born 1943), biochemist, born in Ashburton
* [[Edward Dowson (cricketer, born 1880)]], died in Ashburton in 1933
* [[John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton]] (1731–1783), lawyer and politician, born in Ashburton
* Sir [[Harry Eve]] (1856–1940), barrister, judge and politician, represented Ashburton in Parliament
* [[Cecil Mallaby Firth]] (1878–1931), Egyptologist, baptised in Ashburton
* [[William Gifford]] (1756–1826), critic, editor and poet
* [[Christopher Hutton]] (1893–1965) soldier, airman, journalist and inventor, retired to Ashburton
* [[John Ireland (Anglican priest)]] (1761–1842), born in Ashburton and taught in the grammar school
* [[Charles Eamer Kempe]] (1837–1907), designer of the stained glass windows in St. Andrew's Church
* [[Barrie Matthews]] (born 1943), cricketer, born in Ashburton
* [[Jim McNichol]] (born 1958) professional footballer, operated the Exeter Inn in Ashburton
* [[Sir Robert Palk, 1st Baronet]] (1717–1798), born in Ashburton, MP for Ashburton
* [[Richard Preston (MP)]] (1768–1850), legal author and politician, born in Ashburton and member of parliament for Ashburton
* [[Stevie Smith]] (1902–1971), poet and novelist, died in Ashburton
* [[Laurence Sulivan]] (1713–1786), Member of Parliament for Ashburton
* [[John Swete]] (1752–1821), clergyman, landowner, artist, antiquary, historian and topographer, born in Ashburton
* [[Thomas Glanville Taylor]] (1804–1848), astronomer, born and educated in Ashburton
* Sir [[Robert Richard Torrens]] (1812–1884), parliamentarian, writer and land reformer, lived in Ashburton
* Sir [[Charles Tucker (British Army officer)]] (1838–1935), born in Ashburton
* [[Ollie Watkins]] (born 1995) is an England International professional footballer and he was educated at [[South Dartmoor Community College]]
* [[William John Wills]] (1834–1861), explorer, attended St Andrew's Grammar School in Ashburton

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Ashburton, Devon|Ashburton}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080522125218/http://www.devon.gov.uk/localstudies/100047/1.html Devon Local Studies - Ashburton community page]
* {{OpenDomesday|SX7679|ashburton|Ashburton}}
* {{wikivoyage inline|Ashburton}}

{{Devon}}
{{Settlements of Dartmoor}}
{{Devon parishes}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Ashburton, Devon| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Devon]]
[[Category:Dartmoor]]
[[Category:Market towns in Devon]]
[[Category:Teignbridge]]

Devon

2025-05-31T21:49:57Z

86.26.136.198: /* Notable Devonians */ WPG: relocated reference to a more appropriate in-line position.

{{Short description|County of England}}
{{Redirect|Devonshire|other uses|Devon (disambiguation)|and|Devonshire (disambiguation)}}
{{Pp-move|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox English county
| official_name = Devon
| image_main = {{multiple images
|border = infobox
|perrow = 1 2
|total_width = 250px
|image1 = Combe Martin Panorama (7338286364).jpg
|image2 = Relax-e-vous - geograph.org.uk - 1656557.jpg
|image3 = Dartmoor ponies by the B3212 - geograph.org.uk - 4546147.jpg
}}
| image_caption = '''Clockwise from top''': the Devon coast at [[Combe Martin]]; [[Dartmoor ponies|ponies]] on [[Dartmoor]]; and [[Smeaton's Tower]], [[Plymouth Hoe]]
| flag_image = Flag of Devon.svg
| locator_map = Devon UK locator map 2010.svg|
| map_caption = Devon within England
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q23156|region:GB-DEV_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}
| region = [[South West England|South West]]
| established_date = [[Historic counties of England|Ancient]]
| lord_lieutenant_office = Lord Lieutenant of Devon
| lord_lieutenant_name = [[David Fursdon]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-lieutenant-for-devon-david-fursdon |title=Lord-Lieutenant for Devon: David Fursdon – Press releases |website=GOV.UK |date=26 March 2015 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308200245/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-lieutenant-for-devon-david-fursdon |archive-date=8 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| Patron Saint = Saint Boniface
| high_sheriff_office = High Sheriff of Devon
| high_sheriff_name = Richard Youngman<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87d3g3kd71o |date=12 April 2022 |title=New High Sheriff of Devon sworn in |website=BBC News |access-date=12 April 2022 |archive-date=12 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412123929/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87d3g3kd71o |url-status=live }}</ref> (2022–23)
| area_total_km2 = 6707
| area_total_rank = 4th
| ethnicity = {{unbulleted list
| 94.9% [[White British]]{{refn|group=note|Data is collected by local authority areas (Devon, Plymouth, Torbay respectively). Total population of Devon is 1,133,742 (746,399 + 256,384 + 130,959). Total population of White British persons is 1,071,015 (708,590 + 238,263 + 124,162). Percentage of White British persons is 94.467%.<ref name="ons_gov_uk">{{cite web |title=2011 Census: Ethnic group, local authorities in England and Wales |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/2011censuskeystatisticsforlocalauthoritiesinenglandandwales/r21ewrttableks201ewladv1_tcm77-290595.xls |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=27 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511103138/https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=%2Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity%2Fpopulationandmigration%2Fpopulationestimates%2Fdatasets%2F2011censuskeystatisticsforlocalauthoritiesinenglandandwales%2Fr21ewrttableks201ewladv1_tcm77-290595.xls |archive-date=11 May 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| 0.4% Irish{{refn|group=note|Data is collected by local authority areas (Devon, Plymouth, Torbay respectively). Total population of Devon is 1,133,742 (746,399 + 256,384 + 130,959). Percentage of ethnically Irish persons is 0.4%.<ref name="ons_gov_uk" />}}
}}
| county_council = [[Devon County Council]]
| unitary_council1 = [[Plymouth City Council]]
| unitary_council2 = [[Torbay Council]]
| admin_hq = [[Exeter]]
| area_council_km2 = 6564
| area_council_rank = 3rd
| iso_code = GB-DEV
| ons_code = 18
| gss_code = E10000008
| nuts_code = UKK43
| districts_map = [[File:Devon numbered districts.svg|200px]]
| districts_key = {{Colorsample|#FEFE77}} Unitary {{Colorsample|#FEC1E9}} County council area
| districts_list = # [[North Devon]]
# [[Torridge District|Torridge]]
# [[Mid Devon]]
# [[East Devon]]
# [[Exeter]]
# [[West Devon]]
# [[Teignbridge]]
# [[Plymouth]]
# [[South Hams]]
# [[Torbay]]
| MPs = [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in Devon|List of MPs]]
| police = {{nowrap|[[Devon and Cornwall Police]]}}
| website = {{URL|devon.gov.uk}}
}}

'''Devon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɛ|v|ə|n}} {{respell|DEV|-ən}}; historically also known as '''Devonshire''' {{IPAc-en|-|ʃ|ɪər|,_|-|ʃ|ər}} {{respell|-sheer}}, {{respell|-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]].

The county has an area of {{cvt|2590|mi2}} and a population of 1,194,166. The largest settlements after Plymouth (264,695) are the city of Exeter (130,709) and the [[Seaside resort|seaside resorts]] of [[Torquay]] and [[Paignton]], which have a combined population of 115,410.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Custom report - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=E34004813 |access-date=30 June 2023 |website=www.nomisweb.co.uk |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630171144/https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=E34004813 |url-status=live }}</ref> They all are located along the south coast, which is the most populous part of the county; [[Barnstaple]] (31,275) and [[Tiverton, Devon|Tiverton]] (22,291) are the largest towns in the north and centre respectively. For local government purposes Devon comprises a [[non-metropolitan county]], with eight districts, and the [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] areas of [[Plymouth City Council|Plymouth]] and [[Torbay Council|Torbay]]. [[Devon County Council]] and [[Torbay Council]] collaborate through a [[combined county authority]].

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 [[River Taw|Taw]], [[River Dart|Dart]], and [[River Exe|Exe]]. The longest river in the county is the [[River Tamar|Tamar]], which forms most of the border with Cornwall and rises in 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 of the United Kingdom|national parks]], and the county also contains, in whole or in part, five [[National Landscape|national landscapes]].

In the [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]], [[Roman Britain|Roman]] and the [[Sub-Roman Britain|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.

==History==
{{Main|History of Devon}}

===Toponymy===
The name ''Devon'' derives from the name of the [[Brythons]] who inhabited the southwestern peninsula of Britain at the time of the [[Roman conquest of Britain]] known as the [[Dumnonii]], thought to mean 'deep valley dwellers' from [[Proto-Celtic language|Proto-Celtic]] {{lang|cel-x-proto|*dubnos}} 'deep'. In the [[Brittonic languages]], Devon is known as {{langx|cy|Dyfnaint}}, {{langx|br|Devnent}} and {{langx|kw|Dewnens}}, each meaning 'deep valleys'. (For an account of Celtic ''[[Dumnonia]]'', see the separate article.) Among the most common Devon placenames is ''-combe'' which derives from Brittonic {{lang|cel|cwm}} meaning 'valley' usually prefixed by the name of the possessor.{{fact|date=March 2023}}

[[William Camden]], in his 1607 edition of ''Britannia'', described Devon as being one part of an older, wider country that once included [[Cornwall]]:
{{Blockquote|THAT region which, according to the Geographers, is the first of all Britaine, and, growing straiter still and narrower, shooteth out farthest into the West, [...] was in antient time inhabited by those Britans whom Solinus called Dumnonii, Ptolomee Damnonii [...] For their habitation all over this Countrey is somewhat low and in valleys, which manner of dwelling is called in the British tongue Dan-munith, in which sense also the Province next adjoyning in like respect is at this day named by the Britans Duffneit, that is to say, Low valleys. [...] But the Country of this nation is at this day divided into two parts, knowen by later names of Cornwall and Denshire, [...]|William Camden, ''Britannia''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/cornwalleng.html |title=William Camden, Britannia (1607) with an English translation by Philemon Holland – Danmonii |publisher=The University of Birmingham |access-date=30 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316070243/http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/cornwalleng.html |archive-date=16 March 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>}}

The term ''Devon'' is normally used for everyday purposes (e.g., "Devon County Council"), but ''Devonshire'' has continued to be used in the names of the "[[Devonshire and Dorset Regiment]]" (until 2007) and "[[The Devonshire Association]]". One erroneous theory is that the ''shire'' suffix is due to a mistake in the making of the original letters patent for the [[Duke of Devonshire#Earls of Devonshire|Duke of Devonshire]], resident in [[Derbyshire]]. There are references to both {{lang|ang|Defnas}} and {{lang|ang|Defenasċīre}} in [[Anglo-Saxon]] texts from before 1000 CE (the former is a name for the "people of Devon" and the latter would mean 'Shire of the Devonians'),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://asc.jebbo.co.uk/a/a-L.html |title=Manuscript A: The Parker Chronicle |access-date=17 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726221228/http://asc.jebbo.co.uk/a/a-L.html |archive-date=26 July 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> which translates to modern English as ''Devonshire''. The term Devonshire may have originated around the 8th century, when it changed from {{lang|la|Dumnonia}} ([[Latin]]) to {{lang|ang|Defenasċīr}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davies |first=Norman |title=The Isles: A History |url=https://archive.org/details/isleshistory00davi/page/n240 |url-access=limited |page=207 |year=2000 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=0-333-69283-7}}</ref>

===Human occupation===
[[File:Drizzlecombe stones 6.JPG|thumb|upright|left|[[Menhir]] at [[Drizzlecombe]]]]
[[Kents Cavern]] in [[Torquay]] had produced human remains from 30 to 40,000 years ago. [[Dartmoor]] is thought to have been occupied by [[Mesolithic]] [[hunter-gatherer]] peoples from about 6000 BC. The Romans held the area under military occupation for around 350 years. Later, the area began to experience Saxon incursions from the east around 600 AD, firstly as small bands of settlers along the coasts of [[Lyme Bay]] and southern estuaries and later as more organised bands pushing in from the east. Devon became a frontier between [[Britons (Celtic people)|Brittonic]] and [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] Wessex, and it was largely absorbed into Wessex by the mid ninth century.

A genetic study carried out by the [[University of Oxford]] and [[University College London]] discovered separate genetic groups in Cornwall and Devon. Not only were there differences on either side of the River Tamar—-with a division almost exactly following the modern county boundary,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2015-03-19-who-do-you-think-you-really-are-genetic-map-british-isles |title=Who do you think you really are? A genetic map of the British Isles – University of Oxford |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217145104/http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2015-03-19-who-do-you-think-you-really-are-genetic-map-british-isles |archive-date=17 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but also between Devon and the rest of Southern England. Devon's population also exhibited similarities with modern northern France, including [[Brittany]]. This suggests the Anglo-Saxon migration into Devon was limited, rather than a mass movement of people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2015/WTP058941.htm |title=Who do you think you really are? The first fine-scale genetic map of the British Isles |publisher=wellcome.ac.uk |access-date=19 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321213121/http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2015/WTP058941.htm |archive-date=21 March 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=jobs |url=http://www.nature.com/news/uk-mapped-out-by-genetic-ancestry-1.17136 |title=UK mapped out by genetic ancestry : Nature News & Comment |journal=Nature |date=18 March 2015 |doi=10.1038/nature.2015.17136 |s2cid=88369661 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110165750/http://www.nature.com/news/uk-mapped-out-by-genetic-ancestry-1.17136 |archive-date=10 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The border with Cornwall was set by King [[Æthelstan]] on the east bank of the [[River Tamar]] in 936 AD. Danish raids also occurred sporadically along many coastal parts of Devon between around 800AD and just before the time of the Norman conquest, including the silver mint at ''Hlidaforda'' [[Lydford]] in 997 and Taintona (a settlement on the [[River Teign|Teign]] estuary) in 1001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lydford.co.uk/stockholm-museum.htm |title=Lydford Silver Pennies In The Stockholm Coin Museum |website=Lydford.co.uk |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305063037/http://www.lydford.co.uk/stockholm-museum.htm |archive-date=5 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Devon was the home of a number of [[anticlericalism|anticlerical]] movements in the [[Later Middle Ages]]. For example, the [[Order of Brothelyngham]]—a fake [[monastic order]] of 1348
— regularly rode through Exeter, kidnapping both religious men and laymen, and extorting money from them as ransom.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Abbots and Priors of Late Medieval and Reformation England |last=Heale |first=M. |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-19870-253-5 |location=Oxford |page=260}}</ref>

Devon has also featured in most of the civil conflicts in England since the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman conquest]], including the [[Wars of the Roses]], [[Perkin Warbeck]]'s rising in 1497, the [[Prayer Book Rebellion]] of 1549, and the [[English Civil War]]. The arrival of [[William III of England|William of Orange]] to launch the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 took place at [[Brixham]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ackroyd |first1=Peter |title=Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution |date=2014 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-1-4668-5599-1 |page=465 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kbVzAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA465 |language=en}}</ref>

Devon has produced [[tin]], copper and other metals from ancient times. Devon's tin miners enjoyed a substantial degree of independence through [[Stannary Convocation of Devon|Devon's Stannary Convocation]], which dates back to the 12th century. The last recorded sitting was in 1748.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://users.senet.com.au/~dewnans/Devon_Stannary_History.html |title=Devon's Mining History and Stannary parliament |publisher=users.senet.com.au |access-date=29 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511181455/http://users.senet.com.au/~dewnans/Devon_Stannary_History.html |archive-date=11 May 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Geography and geology==
{{See also|List of hills of Devon}}
[[File:Heath.jpg|thumb|[[Heath (habitat)|Heathland]] at [[Woodbury Common, Devon|Woodbury Common]] in south east Devon]]
[[File:Devon Cliffs.jpg|thumb|Cliffs in Devon]]
[[File:Ilfracombe.jpg|thumb|[[Ilfracombe]], on the coast of [[North Devon]]]]

Devon straddles [[South West Peninsula|a peninsula]] and so, uniquely among English counties, has two separate coastlines: on the Bristol Channel and [[Celtic Sea]] in the north, and on the English Channel in the south.<ref>Dewey, Henry (1948) ''British Regional Geology: South West England'', 2nd ed. London: H.M.S.O.</ref> The South West Coast Path runs along the entire length of both, around 65% of which is named as [[Heritage Coast]]. Before the changes to English counties in 1974, Devon was the [[Historic counties of England#List of counties|third largest county]] by area and the largest of the counties not divided into county-like divisions (only Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were larger and both were sub-divided into ridings or parts, respectively).<ref>''Whitaker's Almanack'', 1972; p. 631</ref> Since 1974 the county is ranked fourth by area (due to the creation of Cumbria) [[List of ceremonial counties of England|amongst ceremonial counties]] and is the [[List of two-tier counties of England|third largest non-metropolitan county]]. The island of [[Lundy]] and the reef of [[Eddystone Rocks|Eddystone]] are also in Devon. The county has more mileage of road than any other county in England.

Inland, the Dartmoor [[National park]] lies wholly in Devon, and the Exmoor National Park lies in both Devon and Somerset. Apart from these areas of high moorland the county has attractive rolling rural scenery and villages with [[thatch]]ed [[Cob (building)|cob]] cottages. All these features make Devon a popular [[tourism|holiday]] destination.

In [[South Devon]] the landscape consists of rolling hills dotted with small towns, such as [[Dartmouth, England|Dartmouth]], [[Ivybridge]], [[Kingsbridge]], [[Salcombe]], and [[Totnes]]. The towns of [[Torquay]] and [[Paignton]] are the principal seaside resorts on the south coast. East Devon has the first seaside resort to be developed in the county, [[Exmouth, Devon|Exmouth]] and the more upmarket Georgian town of [[Sidmouth]], headquarters of the East Devon District Council. Exmouth marks the western end of the Jurassic Coast [[World Heritage Site]]. Another notable feature is the [[Exeter to Plymouth Line|coastal railway line]] between Newton Abbot and the Exe Estuary: the red sandstone cliffs and sea views are very dramatic and in the resorts railway line and beaches are very near.

North Devon is very rural with few major towns except [[Barnstaple]], [[Great Torrington]], [[Bideford]] and [[Ilfracombe]]. Devon's Exmoor coast has the highest cliffs in southern Britain, culminating in the [[Hangman cliffs|Great Hangman]], a {{convert|318|m|ft|abbr=on}} "hog's-back" hill with a {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}} cliff-face, located near Combe Martin Bay.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/learning_about/moor_facts.htm |title=NATIONAL PARK FACTS |access-date=1 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724224326/http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/learning_about/moor_facts.htm |archive-date=24 July 2008}}</ref> Its sister cliff is the {{convert|218|m|ft|abbr=on}} Little Hangman, which marks the western edge of coastal Exmoor. One of the features of the North Devon coast is that [[Bideford Bay]] and the [[Hartland Point]] peninsula are both west-facing, Atlantic facing coastlines; so that a combination of an off-shore (east) wind and an Atlantic swell produce excellent surfing conditions. The beaches of Bideford Bay ([[Woolacombe]], [[Saunton]], [[Westward Ho!]] and [[Croyde]]), along with parts of North Cornwall and South Wales, are the main centres of surfing in Britain.

===Geology===
{{See also|Geology of Dartmoor National Park|Geology of Exmoor National Park}}
[[File:Geologic map Wales & SW England EN.svg|thumb|Geological map of Wales & Southwest England]]

A geological dividing line cuts across Devon roughly along the line of the [[Bristol to Exeter line]] and the [[M5 motorway]] east of Tiverton and Exeter. It is a part of the [[Tees–Exe line]] broadly dividing Britain into a southeastern lowland zone typified by gently dipping [[sedimentary rock]]s and a northwestern upland zone typified by [[igneous rock]]s and folded sedimentary and [[metamorphic rock]]s.

The principal geological components of Devon are i) the [[Devonian]] [[stratum|strata]] of north Devon and south west Devon (and extending into Cornwall); ii) the [[Culm Measures]] (north western Devon also extending into north Cornwall); and iii) the granite [[intrusion]] of Dartmoor in central Devon, part of the [[Cornubian batholith]] forming the 'spine' of the southwestern peninsula. There are [[clastic rock|blocks]] of Silurian and Ordovician rocks within Devonian strata on the south Devon coast but otherwise no pre-Devonian rocks on the Devon mainland. The metamorphic rocks of Eddystone are of presumed Precambrian age.<ref>Edmonds, E. A., et al. (1975) ''South-West England''; based on previous editions by H. Dewey ([[British Geological Survey]] UK Regional Geology Guide series no. 17, 4th ed.) London: HMSO {{ISBN|0-11-880713-7}}</ref>

The oldest rocks which can be dated are those of the Devonian period which are approximately 395–359 million years old. Sandstones and shales were deposited in North and South Devon beneath tropical seas. In shallower waters, limestone beds were laid down in the area now near Torquay and Plymouth.<ref>{{cite book |title=Devon's Geology: An Introduction |last=Hesketh |first=Robert |publisher=Bossiney Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-899-383-89-4}}</ref>
This geological period was named after Devon by [[Roderick Murchison]] and [[Adam Sedgwick]] in the 1840s and is the only British county whose name is used worldwide as the basis for a geological time period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devon Geology Guide – Devonian Slates, Sandstones and Volcanics |last=Laming |first=Deryck |author2=Roche, David |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/geo-devonianslatessandstonesandvolcanics.pdf |access-date=14 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110021248/http://www.devon.gov.uk/geo-devonianslatessandstonesandvolcanics.pdf |archive-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

Devon's second major rock system<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/geology/geology-guide.htm |title=Devon's Rocks – A Geological Guide |publisher=Devon County Council |access-date=18 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212321/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/geology/geology-guide.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> is the Culm Measures, a geological formation of the [[Carboniferous]] period that occurs principally in Devon and Cornwall. The measures are so called either from the occasional presence of a soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as ''culm'', or from the contortions commonly found in the beds.<ref>{{cite book |last=Edmonds |first=E. A. |author2=McKeown, M. C. |author3=Williams, M. |others=Dewey, H. |title=South-West England |publisher=HMSO/British Geological Survey |location=London |year=1975 |edition=4th |series=British Geology |page=34 |chapter=Carboniferous Rocks |isbn=0-11-880713-7}}</ref> This formation stretches from Bideford to [[Bude]] in Cornwall, and contributes to a gentler, greener, more rounded landscape. It is also found on the western, north and eastern borders of Dartmoor.

The sedimentary rocks in more eastern parts of the county include [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] sandstones (giving rise to east Devon's well known fertile red soils); [[Bunter (geology)|Bunter pebble beds]] around Budleigh Salterton and Woodbury Common and [[Jurassic]] rocks in the easternmost parts of Devon. Smaller outcrops of younger rocks also exist, such as Cretaceous [[chalk]] cliffs at Beer Head and gravels on Haldon, plus [[Eocene]] and [[Oligocene]] [[ball clay]] and [[lignite]] deposits in the Bovey Basin, formed around 50 million years ago under tropical forest conditions.

===Climate===
{{See also|Dartmoor#Climate|climate of south-west England}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2010}}

Devon generally has a cool oceanic climate, heavily influenced by the [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]]. In winter, snow is relatively uncommon away from high land, although there are few exceptions. The county has mild summers with occasional warm spells and cool rainy periods. Winters are generally cool and the county often experiences some of the mildest winters in the world for its high latitude, with average daily maximum temperatures in January at {{convert|8|C}}. Rainfall varies significantly across the county, ranging from over {{convert|2000|mm|in|abbr=on}} on parts of Dartmoor, to around {{convert|750|mm|in|abbr=on}} in the [[rain shadow]] along the coast in southeastern Devon and around Exeter. Sunshine amounts also vary widely: the moors are generally cloudy, but the SE coast from Salcombe to Exmouth is one of the sunniest parts of the UK (a generally cloudy region). With westerly or south-westerly winds and high pressure the area around Torbay and Teignmouth will often be warm, with long sunny spells due to shelter by high ground ([[Foehn wind]]).

{{Weather box
| location= Devon
| metric first= Yes
| single line= Yes
| Jan high C= 8
| Feb high C= 8
| Mar high C= 10
| Apr high C= 13
| May high C= 16
| Jun high C= 19
| Jul high C= 21
| Aug high C= 21
| Sep high C= 19
| Oct high C= 15
| Nov high C= 12
| Dec high C= 9
| year high C= 13.5
| Jan low C= 4
| Feb low C= 3
| Mar low C= 5
| Apr low C= 6
| May low C= 8
| Jun low C= 11
| Jul low C= 13
| Aug low C= 13
| Sep low C= 12
| Oct low C= 9
| Nov low C= 7
| Dec low C= 5
| year low C= 8
| date= August 2010
| source=
}}

{{wide image|Devon fields stitch.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|Fields in south Devon after a snowfall}}

===Ecology===
[[File:Pnies5.jpg|thumb|Ponies grazing on Exmoor near [[Brendon]], [[North Devon]]]]

The variety of habitats means that there is a wide range of wildlife (see [[Dartmoor wildlife]], for example). A popular challenge among [[bird-watching|birders]] is to find over 100 species in the county in a day.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} The county's wildlife is protected by several wildlife charities such as the [[Devon Wildlife Trust]], which looks after 40 nature reserves. The Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society (founded in 1928 and known since 2005 as "Devon Birds") is a county bird society dedicated to the study and conservation of wild birds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devonbirds.org/about/the_society/introduction |title=The Society – Introduction |work=Devon Birds |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221213314/http://www.devonbirds.org/about/the_society/introduction |archive-date=21 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[RSPB]] has reserves in the county, and [[Natural England]] is responsible for over 200 Devon [[Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] and [[National nature reserves in England|National Nature Reserves]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteList.aspx?countyCode=11 |title=Designated sites view (Devon) |publisher=Natural England |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220135603/https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteList.aspx?countyCode=11 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> such as [[Slapton Ley]]. The [[Devon Bat Group]] was founded in 1984 to help conserve bats. Wildlife found in this area extend to a plethora of different kinds of insects, butterflies and moths; an interesting butterfly to take look at is the [[Carterocephalus palaemon|chequered skipper]].

Devon is a national hotspot for several species that are uncommon in Britain, including the [[cirl bunting]]; [[greater horseshoe bat]]; [[Bechstein's bat]] and [[Jersey tiger moth]]. It is also the only place in mainland Britain where the sand crocus (''[[Romulea columnae]]'') can be found – at Dawlish Warren, and is home to all six British native land reptile species, partly as a result of some reintroductions. Another recent reintroduction is the [[Eurasian beaver]], primarily on the river Otter. Other rare species recorded in Devon include seahorses and the sea daffodil.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0021053453 |title=Hippocampus Rafinesque, 1810 |work=NBN Atlas |access-date=25 September 2021 |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408003228/https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0021053453 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0100002286 |title=Pancratium maritimum L. |work=NBN Atlas |access-date=25 September 2021 |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408003229/https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0100002286 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The botany of the county is very diverse and includes some rare species not found elsewhere in the British Isles other than Cornwall. Devon is divided into two [[Watsonian vice-counties]]: north and south, the boundary being an irregular line approximately across the higher part of Dartmoor and then along the canal eastwards. Botanical reports begin in the 17th century and there is a ''Flora Devoniensis'' by Jones and Kingston in 1829.<ref>Jones, John Pike & Kingston, J. F. (1829) ''Flora Devoniensis''. 2 pts, in 1 vol. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green</ref> A general account appeared in ''[[Victoria County History#Dormant counties|The Victoria History of the County of Devon]]'' (1906), and a ''Flora of Devon'' was published in 1939 by [[William Keble Martin|Keble Martin]] and Fraser.<ref>[[Martin, W. Keble]] & Fraser, G. T. (eds.) (1939) Flora of Devon. Arbroath</ref> An ''Atlas of the Devon Flora'' by Ivimey-Cook appeared in 1984, and ''A New Flora of Devon'', based on field work undertaken between 2005 and 2014, was published in 2016.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=R. |last2=Hodgson |first2=B. |last3=Ison |first3=J. |title=A New Flora of Devon |year=2016 |publisher=The Devonshire Association |location=Exeter |page=1 |isbn=978-1-5272-0525-3}}</ref> Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article1785059.ece |title=Britain warms to the taste for home-grown olives |author=Paul Simons |work=The Times |location=UK |access-date=20 September 2007 |date=14 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706181106/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article1785059.ece |archive-date=6 July 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In January 2024, plans were announced to plant over 100,000 trees in northern Devon to support [[Celtic rainforest|Celtic rainforests]], which are cherished yet at risk ecosystems in the UK. The project aims to create 50 hectares of new rainforest across three sites, planting trees near existing rainforest areas along the coast and inland. Among the tree species to be planted is the rare [[Karpatiosorbus devoniensis|Devon whitebeam]], known for its unique reproduction method and once-popular fruit. Led by the [[National Trust]] and with the assistance of volunteers and community groups, the initiative will focus on locations in [[Exmoor]], [[Woolacombe]], [[Hartland, Devon|Hartland]], and [[Arlington Court]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=29 January 2024 |title=More than 100,000 trees to be planted in Devon to boost Celtic rainforest |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/29/more-than-100000-trees-to-be-planted-in-devon-to-boost-celtic-rainforest |access-date=29 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=29 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129061306/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/29/more-than-100000-trees-to-be-planted-in-devon-to-boost-celtic-rainforest |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Politics and administration==
{{See also|2021 Devon County Council election|Local Government Act 2010}}
[[File:Clock tower, County Hall, Exeter.jpg|thumb|County Hall, Exeter. Headquarters for Devon County Council.]]

The administrative centre and capital of Devon is the city of Exeter. The largest city in Devon, Plymouth, and the conurbation of [[Torbay]] (which includes the largest town in Devon and capital of Torbay, Torquay, as well as Paignton and Brixham) have been [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authorities]] since 1998, separate from the remainder of Devon which is administered by [[Devon County Council]] for the purposes of local government.

Devon County Council is controlled by the Conservatives, and the political representation of its 60 councillors are: 38 [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], 10 [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], six [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]], three [[Independent politician|Independent]]s, two [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green]] and one South Devon Alliance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Lewis |date=2023-03-09 |title=Councillor quits over 'shocking state' of Devon roads |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/councillor-quits-tories-over-shocking-8225690 |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Devon Live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Merritt |first=Anita |date=2024-01-12 |title=Ex lord mayor blames 'gaslighting and bullying' for shock exit |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/former-exeter-mayor-blames-gaslighting-9028754 |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=Devon Live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Councils Map {{!}} LocalCouncils.co.uk |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=devon |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=www.localcouncils.co.uk}}</ref>

At the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], Devon returned six Liberal Democrats, four Conservatives and three Labour MPs to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-05 |title='Disastrous night' for Conservatives in Devon, former MP says |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce98jryemv7o |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Hundreds===
Historically Devon was divided into 32 [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundreds]]:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Hundreds.html |title=Devon Hundreds |publisher=Newcastle University |date=23 June 2013 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427064112/http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Hundreds.html |archive-date=27 April 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Axminster Hundred|Axminster]], [[Bampton Hundred|Bampton]], [[Black Torrington Hundred|Black Torrington]], [[Braunton Hundred|Braunton]], [[Cliston Hundred|Cliston]], [[Coleridge Hundred|Coleridge]], [[Colyton Hundred|Colyton]], [[Crediton Hundred|Crediton]], [[East Budleigh Hundred|East Budleigh]], [[Ermington Hundred|Ermington]], [[Exminster Hundred|Exminster]], [[Fremington Hundred|Fremington]], [[Halberton Hundred|Halberton]], [[Hartland Hundred|Hartland]], [[Hayridge Hundred|Hayridge]], [[Haytor Hundred|Haytor]], [[Hemyock Hundred|Hemyock]], [[Lifton Hundred|Lifton]], [[North Tawton and Winkleigh Hundred|North Tawton and Winkleigh]], [[Ottery Hundred|Ottery]], [[Plympton Hundred|Plympton]], [[Roborough Hundred|Roborough]], [[Shebbear Hundred|Shebbear]], [[Shirwell Hundred|Shirwell]], [[South Molton Hundred|South Molton]], [[Stanborough Hundred|Stanborough]], [[Tavistock Hundred|Tavistock]], [[Teignbridge Hundred|Teignbridge]], [[Tiverton Hundred|Tiverton]], [[West Budleigh Hundred|West Budleigh]], [[Witheridge Hundred|Witheridge]], and [[Wonford Hundred|Wonford]].

===Combined County Authority===
{{Main|Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority}}
[[Devon County Council]] and [[Torbay Council]] are constituent members of the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority, which has devolved powers over transport, housing, skills, and support for business.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-09 |title=Devolution FAQs - Devon and Torbay Devolution Deal |url=https://www.devontorbaydeal.org.uk/devolution-faqs/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The authority consists of 12 members: six constituent members with full voting rights, four non-constituent members who do not have voting powers unless extended to them by the constituent members, and two associate members who cannot vote. Devon County Council and Torbay Council each choose half of the constituent members. Two of the non-constituent members are selected collectively by the district councils of Devon to represent their interests, and one is reserved for the [[Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner]]. The remaining non-constituent member and the two associate members are elected by the constituent members of the authority.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=3 May 2024 |title=Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority – Final Proposal |url=https://www.torbay.gov.uk/DemocraticServices/documents/s149535/Appendix%20B%20-%20Final%20proposal%20for%20DT%20CCA.pdf |access-date=4 May 2024 |website=Torbay Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Signed legislation brings Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority into being |url=https://www.devonairradio.com/news/devon-news/signed-legislation-brings-devon-and-torbay-combined-county-authority-into-being/ |website=DevonAir Radio |access-date=11 February 2025 |language=en |date=12 February 2025}}</ref>

==Cities, towns and villages==
{{Main|List of places in Devon|List of towns and cities in Devon by population}}
[[File:devon.brixham.750pix.jpg|thumb|left|The inner harbour, [[Brixham]], south Devon, at low tide]]

The main settlements in Devon are the cities of Plymouth, a historic port now administratively independent, Exeter, the [[county town]], and [[Torbay]], the county's tourist centre. Devon's coast is lined with tourist resorts, many of which grew rapidly with the arrival of the railways in the 19th century. Examples include Dawlish, [[Exmouth, Devon|Exmouth]] and Sidmouth on the south coast, and [[Ilfracombe]] and [[Lynmouth]] on the north. The Torbay conurbation of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham on the south coast is now administratively independent of the county. Rural [[market town]]s in the county include Barnstaple, Bideford, [[Honiton]], [[Newton Abbot]], [[Okehampton]], [[Tavistock, Devon|Tavistock]], Totnes and [[Tiverton, Devon|Tiverton]].

The boundary with Cornwall has not always been on the River Tamar as at present: until the late 19th century a few parishes in the Torpoint area were in Devon and five parishes now in north-east Cornwall were in Devon until 1974 (however, for ecclesiastical purposes these were nevertheless in the [[Archdeacon of Cornwall|Archdeaconry of Cornwall]] and in 1876 became part of the [[Diocese of Truro]]).

==Religion==
===Ancient and medieval history===
The region of Devon was the dominion of the pre-Roman Dumnonii [[List of Celtic tribes|Celtic tribe]], known as the "Deep Valley Dwellers". The region to the west of Exeter was less Romanised than the rest of Roman Britain since it was considered a remote part of the province. After the formal Roman withdrawal from Britain in AD 410, one of the leading Dumnonii families attempted to create a dynasty and rule over Devon as the new Kings of Dumnonii.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.britannia.com/history/devon/devon.html |title=Britannia History: Overview of Devon |website=britannia.com |access-date=4 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203034354/http://www.britannia.com/history/devon/devon.html |archive-date=3 February 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Celtic polytheism|Celtic paganism]] and [[Religion in ancient Rome|Roman practice]]s were the first known religions in Devon, although in the mid-fourth century AD, Christianity was introduced to Devon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/fs28_-_anglo_saxon_devon.pdf |title=Devon Libraries: Sources for Anglo-Saxon Devon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202000320/http://www.devon.gov.uk/fs28_-_anglo_saxon_devon.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} In the [[Sub-Roman Britain|Sub-Roman period]] the church in the [[British Isles]] was characterised by some differences in practice from the [[Latin Church|Latin Christianity]] of the continent of Europe and is known as [[Celtic Christianity]];<ref>Bowen, E. G. (1977) ''Saints, Seaways and Settlements in the Celtic Lands''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press {{ISBN|0-900768-30-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-60/patrick-and-celtic-christianity-did-you-know.html |title=St. Patrick and Celtic Christianity: Did You Know? |work=Christian History {{!}} Learn the History of Christianity & the Church |access-date=4 July 2017 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612083814/http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-60/patrick-and-celtic-christianity-did-you-know.html |archive-date=12 June 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/articles/monasticism-the-heart-of-celtic-christianity/ |title=Monasticism – The Heart of Celtic Christianity – Northumbria Community |work=Northumbria Community |access-date=4 July 2017 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117005904/http://www.northumbriacommunity.org/articles/monasticism-the-heart-of-celtic-christianity/ |archive-date=17 January 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> however it was always in communion with the wider [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]]. Many [[list of Cornish saints|Cornish saints]] are commemorated also in Devon in legends, churches and place-names. [[Western Christianity]] came to Devon when it was over a long period incorporated into the [[Wessex|kingdom of Wessex]] and the jurisdiction of the bishop of Wessex. [[Saint Petroc]] is said to have passed through Devon, where ancient dedications to him are even more numerous than in Cornwall: a probable seventeen (plus [[Timberscombe]] just over the border in Somerset), compared to Cornwall's five. The position of churches bearing his name, including one within the old Roman walls of Exeter, are nearly always near the coast, as in those days travelling was done mainly by sea. The Devonian villages of [[Petrockstowe]] and [[Newton St Petroc]] are also named after Saint Petroc and the [[flag of Devon]] is dedicated to him.

The history of Christianity in the South West of England remains to some degree obscure. Parts of the historic county of Devon formed part of the diocese of Wessex, while nothing is known of the church organisation of the Celtic areas. About 703 Devon and Cornwall were included in the separate diocese of Sherborne and in 900 this was again divided into two, the Devon bishop having from 905 his seat at Tawton (now [[Bishop's Tawton]]) and from 912 at [[Crediton]], birthplace of St Boniface. [[Lyfing, Abbot of Tavistock|Lyfing]] became [[Bishop of Crediton]] in 1027 and shortly afterwards became [[Bishop of Cornwall]].

The two dioceses of Crediton and Cornwall, covering Devon and Cornwall, were united under [[Edward the Confessor]] by Lyfing's successor [[Leofric, Bishop of Exeter|Bishop Leofric]], hitherto Bishop of Crediton, who became first Bishop of Exeter under Edward the Confessor, which was established as his cathedral city in 1050. At first, the abbey church of St Mary and St Peter, founded by Athelstan in 932 and rebuilt in 1019, served as the cathedral.

Devon came under the political influence of several different nobles during the Middle Ages, especially the Courtenays [[Earl of Devon]]. During the Wars of the Roses, important magnates included the Earl of Devon, [[William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville]], and [[Humphrey Stafford, 1st Earl of Devon|Humphrey Stafford, earl of Devon]] whose wider influence stretched from Cornwall to Wiltshire. After 1485, one of the county's influential figures included Henry VII's courtier [[Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stansfield-Cudworth |first=R. E. |title=Political Elites in South-West England, 1450–1500: Politics, Governance, and the Wars of the Roses |publisher=[[Edwin Mellen Press]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-77344-714-1 |location=[[Lewiston, New York|Lewiston]], New York |pages=165–73, 206–13, 321–29}}</ref>

===Later history===
In 1549, the [[Prayer Book Rebellion]] caused the deaths of thousands of people from Devon and Cornwall. During the [[English Reformation]], churches in Devon officially became affiliated with the [[Church of England]]. From the late sixteenth century onwards, zealous Protestantism – or 'puritanism' – became increasingly well-entrenched in some parts of Devon, while other districts of the county remained much more conservative. These divisions would become starkly apparent during the English Civil War of 1642–46, when the county split apart along religious and cultural lines.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Stoyle |first1=Mark |date=1994 |title=Loyalty and Locality: Popular Allegiance in Devon During the English Civil War |location=Exeter, UK |publisher=University of Exeter Press |isbn=978-0-85989-428-9 |page=passim |language=en}}</ref> The [[Methodism]] of [[John Wesley]] proved to be very popular with the working classes in Devon in the 19th century. Methodist chapels became important social centres, with male voice choirs and other church-affiliated groups playing a central role in the social lives of working class Devonians. Methodism still plays a large part in the religious life of Devon today, although the county has shared in the post-World War II decline in British religious feeling.

The [[Diocese of Exeter]] remains the Anglican diocese including the whole of Devon. The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth]] was established in the mid 19th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/ |title=Home |website=Plymouth-diocese.org.uk |date=15 February 2015 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021130930/http://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/ |archive-date=21 October 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Symbols==
===Coat of arms===
[[File:Coat of Arms of Devon County Council.svg|alt=|thumb|The coat of arms of Devon County Council]]

There was no established [[coat of arms]] for the county until 1926: the arms of the City of Exeter were often used to represent Devon, for instance in the badge of the [[Devonshire Regiment]]. During the forming of a county council by the [[Local Government Act 1888]] adoption of a common seal was required. The seal contained three shields depicting the arms of Exeter along with those of the first chairman and vice-chairman of the council ([[Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton|Lord Clinton]] and the [[Earl of Morley]]).<ref>Fox-Davies, A. C. (1915) ''The Book of Public Arms'', 2nd edition, London</ref>

On 11 October 1926, the county council received a grant of arms from the [[College of Arms]]. The main part of the shield displays a red crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of [[Richard, Earl of Cornwall|Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall]]. The ''chief'' or upper portion of the shield depicts an ancient ship on wavers, for Devon's seafaring traditions. The Latin motto adopted was ''Auxilio Divino'' (by Divine aid), that of Sir [[Francis Drake]]. The 1926 grant was of arms alone. On 6 March 1962 a further grant of crest and supporters was obtained. The crest is the head of a [[Dartmoor Pony]] rising from a "Naval Crown". This distinctive form of crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is associated with the [[Royal Navy]]. The supporters are a [[North Devon cattle|Devon bull]] and a sea lion.<ref>W. C. Scott-Giles, ''Civic Heraldry of England and Wales'', 2nd edition, London, 1953</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracycommunities/county_councillors/historic/brief_history.htm |title=A brief history of Devon's coat of arms (Devon County Council) |publisher=Devon.gov.uk |access-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511234359/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracycommunities/county_councillors/historic/brief_history.htm |archive-date=11 May 2011}}</ref>

Devon County Council adopted a "ship silhouette" logo after the 1974 reorganisation, adapted from the ship emblem on the coat of arms, but following the loss in 1998 of Plymouth and Torbay re-adopted the coat of arms. In April 2006 the council unveiled a new logo which was to be used in most everyday applications, though the coat of arms will continue to be used for "various civic purposes".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/4851278.stm |title=Council's designs cause logo row |work=BBC News |date=27 March 2006 |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512153333/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/4851278.stm |archive-date=12 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracycommunities/decision_making/cma/cma_document.htm?cmadoc=minutes_spr_20060403.html |title=Policy and Resources Overview Scrutiny Committee Minutes, 3 April 2006 |publisher=Devon.gov.uk |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511234349/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracycommunities/decision_making/cma/cma_document.htm?cmadoc=minutes_spr_20060403.html |archive-date=11 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Flag===
{{Main|Flag of Devon}}
[[File:Flag of Devon.svg|thumb|The flag of the historic county of Devon]]

Devon also has its own flag which has been dedicated to Saint Petroc, a local [[saint]] with dedications throughout Devon and neighbouring counties. The flag was adopted in 2003 after a competition run by [[BBC Radio Devon]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/community_life/features/devon_flag.shtml |title=Flag celebrates Devon's heritage |publisher=BBC |date=18 July 2003 |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425161755/http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/community_life/features/devon_flag.shtml |archive-date=25 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The winning design was created by website contributor Ryan Sealey, and won 49% of the votes cast. The colours of the flag are those popularly identified with Devon, for example, the colours of the [[University of Exeter]], the [[rugby union]] team, and the Green and White flag flown by the first [[Viscount Exmouth]] at the [[Bombardment of Algiers (1816)|Bombardment of Algiers]] (now on view at the Teign Valley Museum), as well as one of the county's [[Association football|football]] teams, [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]. On 17 October 2006, the flag was hoisted for the first time outside County Hall in Exeter to mark Local Democracy Week, receiving official recognition from the county council.<ref>[http://www.devon.gov.uk/press_devonflagpr Devon County Council Press Release, 16 October 2006] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014214602/http://www.devon.gov.uk/press_devonflagpr |date=14 October 2008 }}</ref> In 2019 [[Devon County Council]] with the support of both the Anglican and Catholic churches in Exeter and Plymouth, officially recognised Saint Boniface as the Patron Saint of Devon.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quick |first1=Alan |title=St Boniface of Crediton to become Patron Saint of Devon |url=https://www.creditoncourier.co.uk/article.cfm?id=138406&headline=St%20Boniface%20of%20Crediton%20to%20become%20Patron%20Saint%20of%20Devon&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019 |access-date=9 November 2020 |work=Crediton Country Courier |date=24 May 2019 |language=en |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109214516/https://www.creditoncourier.co.uk/article.cfm?id=138406&headline=St%20Boniface%20of%20Crediton%20to%20become%20Patron%20Saint%20of%20Devon&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Place names and customs==
[[File:westwardho.beach.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|The beach at [[Westward Ho!]], North Devon, looking north towards the shared [[estuary]] of the rivers [[River Taw|Taw]] and [[River Torridge|Torridge]]]]

Devon's toponyms include many with the endings "coombe/combe" and "tor". Both 'coombe' (valley or hollow, cf. Welsh ''cwm'', Cornish ''komm'') and 'tor' (Old Welsh {{lang|owl|twrr}} and Scots Gaelic ''tòrr'' from Latin ''turris''; 'tower' used for granite formations) are rare [[List of English words of Welsh origin|Celtic loanwords in English]] and their frequency is greatest in Devon which shares a boundary with historically [[Brittonic languages|Brittonic]] speaking Cornwall. Ruined medieval settlements of [[Dartmoor longhouse]]s indicate that dispersed rural settlement (OE ''tun'', now often -ton) was very similar to that found in Cornish 'tre-' settlements, however these are generally described with the local placename {{lang|ang|-(a)cott}}, from the Old English for homestead, cf. [[cottage]]. Saxon endings in -worthy (from Anglo-Saxon {{lang|ang|worthig}}) indicate larger settlements. Several 'Bere's indicate Anglo-Saxon wood groves, as 'leighs' indicate clearings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/DevonMisc/Nomenclature.html |title=Origins of Devon Place-Names |publisher=Newcastle University |date=2 November 2014 |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114083054/http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/DevonMisc/Nomenclature.html |archive-date=14 November 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Devon has a variety of festivals and traditional practices, including the traditional orchard-visiting [[Wassail]] in [[Whimple]] every 17 January, and the carrying of flaming tar barrels in [[Ottery St. Mary]], where people who have lived in Ottery for long enough are called upon to celebrate [[Guy Fawkes Night|Bonfire Night]] by running through the village (and the gathered crowds) with flaming barrels on their backs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/discovering/legends/ottery_tar_barrels.shtml |title=Ottery Tar Barrels |publisher=BBC |access-date=14 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519081002/http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/discovering/legends/ottery_tar_barrels.shtml |archive-date=19 May 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Berry Pomeroy]] still celebrates [[Queene's Day]] for [[Elizabeth I]].

==Economy and industry==
{{Main|Economy of Devon}}

Devon's total economic output in 2019 was over £26 billion, larger than either Manchester, or Edinburgh.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/datasets/nominalregionalgrossvalueaddedbalancedperheadandincomecomponents |title=Regional gross value added (balanced) per head and income components – Office for National Statistics |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-date=5 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605110645/https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/datasets/nominalregionalgrossvalueaddedbalancedperheadandincomecomponents |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2021 report states that "health, retail and tourism account for 43.1% of employment. Agriculture, education, manufacturing, construction and real estate employment are also over-represented in Devon compared with nationally".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.devon.gov.uk/strategic-plan/the-best-place/investing-in-devons-economic-recovery/#:~:text=The%20economy%20of%20Devon%20is,in%20Devon%20compared%20with%20nationally |title=Strategic Plan 2021-2025 |date=15 June 2021 |work=Devon County Council |access-date=26 December 2023 |quote= |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131174030/https://www.devon.gov.uk/strategic-plan/the-best-place/investing-in-devons-economic-recovery/#:~:text=The%20economy%20of%20Devon%20is,in%20Devon%20compared%20with%20nationally |url-status=live }}</ref>

Like neighbouring Cornwall to the west, historically Devon has been disadvantaged economically compared to other parts of [[Southern England]], owing to the decline of a number of core industries, notably fishing, mining, and farming, but it is now significantly more diverse. Agriculture has been an important industry in Devon since the 19th century. The [[2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth crisis|2001 UK foot and mouth crisis]] harmed the farming community severely.<ref>''In Devon, the county council estimated that 1,200 jobs would be lost in agriculture and ancillary rural industries'' – [https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo010425/debtext/10425-17.htm#column_357 ''Hansard'', 25 April 2001] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404043956/https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmhansrd/vo010425/debtext/10425-17.htm#column_357 |date=4 April 2017 }}</ref> Since then some parts of the agricultural industry have begun to diversify and recover, with a strong local food sector and many artisan producers. Nonetheless, in 2015 the dairy industry was still suffering from the low prices offered for wholesale milk by major dairies and especially large supermarket chains.

The pandemic negatively affected the economy during 2020 and early 2021; an August 2021 report states that "the immediate economic impacts of COVID-19 for the County as a whole [was] as severe as any in living memory".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/documents/s36779/Devon%20Economy%20Briefing%20summary%20August%202021.pdf |title=Economy Service Briefing |date=15 August 2021 |work=Devon County Council |access-date=26 December 2023 |quote= |archive-date=26 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326090147/https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/documents/s36779/Devon%20Economy%20Briefing%20summary%20August%202021.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:torquay.devon.750pix.jpg|thumb|left|Part of the seafront of [[Torquay]], south Devon, at high tide]]

in 2014 to 2016, the attractive lifestyle of the area was drawing in new industries which are not heavily dependent upon geographical location;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.investdevon.co.uk/ |title=Devon Delivers |publisher=Invest Devon |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223012937/https://www.investdevon.co.uk/ |archive-date=23 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northdevon.gov.uk/ndc_northern_devon_economic_strategy.pdf |title=NORTHERN DEVON Economic Strategy 2014 – 2020 |access-date=12 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216023315/http://www.northdevon.gov.uk/ndc_northern_devon_economic_strategy.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2014}}</ref> Dartmoor, for instance, has recently seen a significant rise in the percentage of its inhabitants involved in the digital and financial services sectors. The [[Met Office]], the UK's national and international weather service, moved to Exeter in 2003. Plymouth hosts the head office and first ever store of [[The Range (retailer)|The Range]], the only major national retail chain headquartered in Devon.

Since the rise of seaside resorts with the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, Devon's economy has been heavily reliant on tourism. The county's economy followed the declining trend of British seaside resorts since the mid-20th century, but with some recent revival and regeneration of its resorts, particularly focused around camping; sports such as surfing, cycling, sailing and heritage. This revival has been aided by the designation of much of Devon's countryside and coastline as the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks, and the Jurassic Coast and Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Sites. In 2019 the county's visitor spend was almost £2.5 billion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/tourism_trends_2005.pdf |title=tourism trends 2005.pdf |access-date=18 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326065518/http://www.devon.gov.uk/tourism_trends_2005.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2009}}</ref> More successful visitor attractions are particularly concentrated on food and drink, including sea-view restaurants in North-West Devon (such as one example belonging to [[Damien Hurst]]), walking the [[South West Coast Path]], cycling on the [[Devon Coast to Coast Cycle Route]] and other cycle routes such as the [[Tarka Trail]] and the Stover Trail; watersports; surfing; indoor and outdoor folk music festivals across the county and sailing in the {{convert|5|mi|adj=on}} hill-surrounded inlet ([[ria]]) at Salcombe.

Incomes vary significantly and the average is bolstered by a high proportion of affluent retired people. Incomes in much of the South Hams and in villages surrounding Exeter and Plymouth are close to, or above the national average, but there are also areas of severe deprivation, with earnings in some places among the lowest in the UK.

The table also shows the population change in the ten years to the 2011 census by subdivision. It also shows the proportion of residents in each district reliant upon lowest income and/or joblessness benefits, the national average proportion of which was 4.5% as at August 2012, the year for which latest datasets have been published. It can be seen that the most populous district of Devon is East Devon but only if excluding [[Torbay]] which has marginally more residents and Plymouth which has approximately double the number of residents of either of these. West Devon has the fewest residents, having 63,839 at the time of the census.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ ''Population from census to census. Claimants of [[Jobseeker's Allowance]] (JSA) or Income Support ([[Department for Work and Pensions|DWP]])''<ref name=ons>[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Key Statistics: Population; Quick Statistics: Economic indicators] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030211201309/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/ |date=11 February 2003 }}. ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] and [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]]) Retrieved 27 February 2015.</ref>
|-
!Unit||JSA or Inc. Supp. claimants (August 2012) % of 2011 population||JSA and Income Support claimants (August 2001) % of 2001 population||Population (April 2011)||Population (April 2001)
|-
| '''Devon''' || 2.7% || 6.6% || 746,399 || 704,493
|- align=center
|colspan="4"|''Ranked by district''
|-
| Exeter || 3.5% || 7.5% || 117,773 || 111,076
|-
| Torridge || 3.3% || 7.7% || 63,839 || 58,965
|-
| North Devon || 2.8% || 7.8% || 93,667 || 87,508
|-
| Teignbridge || 2.6% || 6.7% || 124,220 || 120,958
|-
| Mid Devon || 2.6% || 6.0% || 77,750 || 69,774
|-
| West Devon || 2.5% || 5.9% || 53,553 || 48,843
|-
| South Hams || 2.1% || 6.0% || 83,140 || 81,849
|-
| East Devon || 1.9% || 5.4% || 132,457 || 125,520
|- align=center
|colspan="4"|''In historic Devon''
|-
| Torbay || 5.3% || 11.0% || 130,959 || 129,706
|-
| Plymouth || 5.1% || 9.5% || 256,384 || 240,720
|}

==Transport==
===Bus===
There is a network of buses across Devon, the largest operator in Devon is [[Stagecoach South West]], having operated 93% of services in the county in 2021.<ref name="EPPS">{{cite web |title=Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme |url=https://devoncc.sharepoint.com/sites/PublicDocs/Transport/Travel/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FPublicDocs%2FTransport%2FTravel%2FBSIP%20%2D%20Published%20Documents%2FDevon%20CC%20%2D%20Enhanced%20Partnership%20Plan%20%26%20Scheme%20v%2E6%2020%2E3%2E24%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites |publisher=[[Devon County Council]] |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> Smaller operators include Dartline, Country Bus and [[Plymouth Citybus]].

[[Devon County Council]] oversees and co-ordinates bus transport through [[DevonBus]], an [[Bus Services Act 2017|Enhanced Partnership]] covering the county, with the purpose of improving the network and creating a unified brand for buses in the county.<ref name="TravelDevon enhanced">{{cite web |title=DevonBus Enhanced Partnership |url=https://www.traveldevon.info/bus/bsip/devonbus-enhanced-partnership/ |website=TravelDevon |publisher=[[Devon County Council]] |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>

===Rail===
The key train operator for Devon is [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]], which operates numerous regional, local and suburban services, as well as inter-city services north to [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] and south to [[Plymouth railway station|Plymouth]] and [[Penzance railway station|Penzance]]. Other inter-city services are operated by [[CrossCountry]] north to [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester Piccadilly]], [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh Waverley]], [[Glasgow Central railway station|Glasgow Central]], [[Dundee railway station|Dundee]], [[Aberdeen railway station|Aberdeen]] and south to Plymouth and Penzance; and by [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]], operating hourly services between [[London Waterloo railway station|London Waterloo]] and [[Exeter St Davids railway station|Exeter St Davids]], via the [[West of England Main Line]]. All Devon services are diesel-hauled, since there are no electrified lines in the county.

[[Okehampton station]] in Devon was closed in 1972 to passenger traffic as a result of the [[Beeching cuts]], but regained regular passenger services run by GWR to Exeter in November 2021, funded by the UK Government's Restoring your Railway programme.

There are proposals to reopen the line from [[Tavistock railway station|Tavistock]] to [[Bere Alston railway station|Bere Alston]] for a through service to Plymouth.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Harris |first=Nigel |title=Taking trains back to Tavistock |journal=Rail |issue=590 |pages=40–45 |publisher=Bauer |year=2008}}</ref> The possibility of reopening the line between Tavistock and Okehampton, to provide an alternative route between Exeter and Plymouth, has also been suggested following damage to the railway's [[South Devon Railway sea wall|sea wall at Dawlish]] in 2014, which caused widespread disruption to trains between Exeter and Penzance. However, a study by Network Rail determined that maintaining the existing railway line would offer the best value for money<ref>{{cite web |title=West of Exeter Route Resilience Study |publisher=Network Rail |year=2014 |url=https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/West-of-Exeter-Route-Resilience-Study-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603173013/https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/West-of-Exeter-Route-Resilience-Study-1.pdf |archive-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> and work to strengthen the line at [[Dawlish]] began in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dawlish Sea Wall |url=https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/south-west-rail-resilience-programme/dawlish-sea-wall/ |access-date=3 June 2020 |website=Network Rail |language=en-GB |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726151828/https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/south-west-rail-resilience-programme/dawlish-sea-wall/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Devon Metro====
{{Main|Devon Metro}}
Devon County Council has proposed a 'Devon Metro' scheme to improve rail services in the county and offer a realistic alternative to car travel. This includes the opening of [[Cranbrook railway station (Devon)|Cranbrook station]] in December 2015, plus four new stations to be constructed (including [[Edginswell railway station|Edginswell]]) as a priority.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_metro_briefing.pdf |access-date=25 April 2015 |url-status=dead |title=Devon Metro – fulfilling the potential of rail |publisher=Devon City Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214602/http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon_metro_briefing.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> Several elements of the scheme have, or are in the process of being delivered including the building of [[Marsh Barton railway station|Marsh Barton station]] on the edge of Exeter<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.devonnewscentre.info/work-starts-on-marsh-barton-rail-station/ |title=Work starts on Marsh Barton rail station – News |publisher=Devon City Council |date=15 April 2021 |access-date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925144657/https://www.devonnewscentre.info/work-starts-on-marsh-barton-rail-station/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which was opened in July 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parker-Bray |first=Michael |date=2023-07-04 |title=Marsh Barton station now open |url=https://dcrp.org.uk/marsh-barton-station-now-open/ |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership |language=en-GB}}</ref> and a regular half hourly local rail service now extended from the [[Avocet Line]] across Exeter to include the [[Riviera Line]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/plan-journey/timetables/2021/september-timetable-updates/d1-1309-a4-web-v1.pdf?la=en/ |title=D1 Train Times |publisher=Great Western Railway |access-date=28 February 2022 |archive-date=9 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209160410/https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/plan-journey/timetables/2021/september-timetable-updates/d1-1309-a4-web-v1.pdf?la=en/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Air===
[[Exeter Airport]] is the only passenger airport in Devon and in 2019 was used by over one million people. Until 2020, [[Flybe (1979-2020)|Flybe]] had its headquarters at the airport. Destinations include various locations within the UK ([[London City Airport|London City]], Manchester, [[Belfast]], Edinburgh, etc.), as well as locations in [[Cyprus]], Italy, Netherlands, [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]], Portugal, Spain, France, [[Malta]], Switzerland and Turkey.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/flights-holidays/ |title=Flights & Holidays |website=Exeter Airport |language=en-GB |access-date=10 September 2019 |archive-date=24 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424104904/https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/flights-holidays/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Education==
{{Main|List of schools in Devon}}

Devon has a mostly [[comprehensive education]] system. There are 37 state and 23 independent secondary schools. There are three tertiary ([[Further education|FE]]) colleges and an [[agricultural college]] ([[Bicton College]], near [[Budleigh Salterton]]). Torbay has eight state (with three grammar schools) and three independent secondary schools, and Plymouth has 17 state (with three grammar schools – two female and one male) and one independent school, [[Plymouth College]]. East Devon and Teignbridge have the largest school populations, with West Devon the smallest (with only two schools). Only one school in Exeter, Mid Devon, Torridge and North Devon have a [[sixth form]] – the schools in other districts mostly have sixth forms, with all schools in West Devon and East Devon having a sixth form.

Three universities are located in Devon, the [[University of Exeter]] (split between the [[Streatham Campus]] and [[St Luke's Campus]], both in Exeter, and a campus in Cornwall); in Plymouth the [[University of Plymouth]] in Britain is present, along with the [[University of St Mark & St John]] to the city's north. The universities of Exeter and Plymouth have together formed the [[Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry]] which has bases in Exeter and Plymouth. There is also [[Schumacher College]].

==Cuisine==
{{Main|Cuisine of Devon}}

The county has given its name to a number of culinary specialities. The Devonshire [[cream tea]], involving [[Scone (bread)|scones]], [[jam]] and [[clotted cream]], is thought to have originated in Devon (though claims have also been made for neighbouring counties); in other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, it is known as a "Devonshire tea".<ref>Mason, Laura; Brown, Catherine (1999) From Bath Chaps to Bara Brith. Totnes: Prospect Books</ref><ref>Pettigrew, Jane (2004) Afternoon Tea. Andover: Jarrold</ref><ref>Fitzgibbon, Theodora (1972) A Taste of England: the West Country. London: J. M. Dent</ref> It has also been claimed that the [[pasty]] originated in Devon rather than Cornwall, with the first record of the pasty coming from Plymouth in 1509.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/6144460.stm BBC News, "Devon invented the Cornish pasty", 13 November 2006] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504203005/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/6144460.stm |date=4 May 2020 }}. Retrieved 27 January 2020</ref>

In October 2008, Devon was awarded Fairtrade County status by the [[Fairtrade Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bulmer |first=Joseph |date=20 October 2008 |title=Devon achieves Fairtrade status |url=https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/devon-achieves-fairtrade-status/ |access-date=13 April 2023 |website=North Devon Gazette |language=en |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413203126/https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/devon-achieves-fairtrade-status/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fairtrade |url=https://www.devon.gov.uk/fairtrade/ |access-date=13 April 2023 |website=Devon County Council |date=20 January 2017 |language=en-GB |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413203126/https://www.devon.gov.uk/fairtrade/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Sport==
{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2019}}

Devon has been home to a number of customs, such as its own form of [[Devon wrestling]], similar in some ways to [[Cornish wrestling]]. As recently as the 19th century, a crowd of over 17,000 at Devonport, near Plymouth, attended a match between the champions of Devon and Cornwall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://creditonhistory.org.uk/history-society/read-our-online-articles/wrestling.aspx |title=Devon Wrestling |publisher=Crediton Museum |access-date=9 May 2023 |archive-date=26 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926141128/http://creditonhistory.org.uk/history-society/read-our-online-articles/wrestling.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Another Devon sport was [[Cornish hurling|outhurling]] which was played in some regions until the 20th century (e.g. 1922, at [[Great Torrington]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://football-origins.com/13-celtic-art-ball-games-of-the-ancient-celts/ |title=Out Hurling |date=20 June 2013 |publisher=Football origins |access-date=9 May 2023 |archive-date=9 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509110420/https://football-origins.com/13-celtic-art-ball-games-of-the-ancient-celts/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other ancient customs which survive include Dartmoor step dancing, and "[[Crying The Neck]]".

Devon has three professional football teams, based in each of its most populous towns and cities. As of 2023, [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.]] competes in the [[EFL Championship]], [[Exeter City F.C.]] in the [[EFL League One]], whilst [[Torquay United F.C.]] compete in the [[National League (division)|National League]]. Plymouth's highest Football League finish was fourth in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], which was achieved twice, in 1932 and 1953. Torquay and Exeter have never progressed beyond the third tier of the league; Torquay finished second on [[goal average]] in the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division (S)]] behind Sir [[Alf Ramsey]]'s [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]] in 1957. Exeter's highest position has been eighth in the Third Division (S). The county's biggest non-league clubs are [[Plymouth Parkway F.C.]] and [[Tiverton Town F.C.]] which compete in the [[Southern Football League Premier Division]], and [[Bideford A.F.C.]], [[Exmouth Town F.C.]] and [[Tavistock A.F.C.]] which are in the [[Southern Football League Division One South and West]].

[[Rugby Union]] is popular in Devon with over forty clubs under the banner of the [[Devon Rugby Football Union]], many with various teams at senior, youth and junior levels. One club – [[Exeter Chiefs]] – play in the [[English Premiership (rugby union)|Aviva Premiership]], winning the title in 2017 for the first time in their history after beating [[Wasps RFC]] in the final 23–20. [[Plymouth Albion R.F.C.|Plymouth Albion]] who are, {{as of|2023|lc=y}}, in the [[National League 1]] (The third tier of English Professional Rugby Union).

There are five [[rugby league]] teams in Devon: [[Plymouth R.L.F.C|Plymouth Titans]], [[Exeter Centurions]], and [[Torquay|Devon Sharks]] from Torquay, North Devon Raiders from Barnstaple, and [[East Devon Eagles]] from [[Exmouth]]. They all play in the [[Rugby League Conference]].

[[Plymouth City Patriots]] represent Devon in the [[British Basketball League]]. Formed in 2021, they replaced the former professional club, [[Plymouth Raiders]], after the latter team were withdrawn from competition due to venue issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-raiders-replaced-bbl-new-5763248 |title=Plymouth Raiders replaced in BBL by new basketball team Plymouth Patriots |work=[[Plymouth Herald]] |date=9 August 2021 |access-date=25 March 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128154030/https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-raiders-replaced-bbl-new-5763248 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Motorcycle speedway]] is also supported in the county, with both the [[Exeter Falcons]] and [[Plymouth Gladiators]] succeeding in the National Leagues in recent years.

The [[University of Exeter Hockey Club]] enter teams in both the [[Men's England Hockey League|Men's]] and [[Women's England Hockey League]]s.

Horse Racing is also popular in the county, with two [[National Hunt]] racecourses (Exeter and Newton Abbot), and numerous [[point to point (steeplechase)|point to point]] courses. There are also many successful professional racehorse trainers based in Devon.

The county is represented in [[cricket]] by [[Devon County Cricket Club]], who play at a [[Minor counties of English and Welsh cricket|Minor counties]] level.

==Notable Devonians==
{{Main|Notable people from Devon}}

Devon is known for its [[sailor|mariner]]s, such as Sir [[Francis Drake]], Sir [[Humphrey Gilbert]], Sir [[Richard Grenville (Elizabethan sailor)|Richard Grenville]], Sir [[Walter Raleigh]], and Sir [[Francis Chichester]]. [[Henry Every]], described as the most notorious pirate of the late 17th century, was probably born in the village of [[Newton Ferrers]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Pirates of the Americas |url=https://archive.org/details/piratesamericasv00marl |url-access=limited |last=Marley |first=David F. |year=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, CA |isbn=978-1-59884-201-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/piratesamericasv00marl/page/n609 589]}}</ref> [[John Oxenham]] (1536–1580) was a lieutenant of Drake but considered a pirate by the Spanish. [[Thomas Morton (colonist)|Thomas Morton]] (1576–1647) was an avid Elizabethan outdoorsman probably born in Devon who became an attorney for The Council For New England, and built the New England fur-trading-plantation called Ma-Re Mount or Merrymount around a West Country-style Maypole, much to the displeasure of Pilgrim and Puritan colonists. Morton wrote a 1637 book ''New English Canaan'' about his experiences, partly in verse, and may have thereby become America's first poet to write in English.<ref>''New English Canaan or New Canaan. Containing an abstract of New England, composed in three bookes. The first booke setting forth the originall of the natives, their manners and customes, together with their tractable nature and love towards the English. The second booke setting forth the naturall indowments of the country, and what staple commodities it yealdeth. The third booke setting forth, what people are planted there, their prosperity, what remarkable accidents have happened since the first planting of it, together with their tenents and practise of their church''. Written by Thomas Morton of Cliffords Inne gent, upon tenne yeares knowledge and experiment of the country. Amsterdam: Jacob Stam</ref> Another famous mariner and Devonian was [[Robert Falcon Scott]], the leader of the unfortunate [[Terra Nova Expedition]] to reach the geographical South Pole.<ref>H. G. R. King, 'Scott, Robert Falcon (1868–1912)', ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, January 2011 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35994 accessed 21 June 2011]</ref> The poet [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]], the crime writers [[Agatha Christie]] and [[Bertram Fletcher Robinson]], the Irish writer [[William Trevor]], and the poet [[Ted Hughes]] lived in Devon. The painter and founder of the [[Royal Academy]], [[Sir Joshua Reynolds]], was born in Devon. [[Chris Dawson (businessman)|Chris Dawson]], the billionaire owner of retailer The Range was born in Devon, where his business retains its head office in [[Plymouth]].

The actor [[Matthew Goode]] was raised in Devon, and [[Bradley James]], also an actor, was born there. The singer [[Joss Stone]] was brought up in Devon and frontman [[Chris Martin]] from the British rock group [[Coldplay]] was born there. [[Matt Bellamy]], [[Dominic Howard]] and [[Chris Wolstenholme]] from the English group [[Muse (band)|Muse]] all grew up in Devon and formed the band there. Dave Hill of rock band [[Slade]] was born in [[Flete House]] which is in the South Hams district of Devon. Singer-songwriter [[Ben Howard]] grew up in Totnes, a small town in Devon. Another famous Devonian is the model and actress [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]], who was born in [[Plymouth]] and raised in [[Tavistock]]. The singer and songwriter [[Rebecca Newman]] was born and raised in Exmouth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/8216-Rising-star-8217-returns-Exmouth-support/story-17157815-detail/story.html |title='Rising star' returns to Exmouth to support RNLI |date=23 October 2012 |access-date=13 November 2016}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Roger Deakins]], called "the pre-eminent [[cinematographer]] of our time", was born and lives in Devon.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Cinematographer Roger Deakins Takes Visceral Approach To His Craft |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/features/cinematographer-roger-deakins-takes-visceral-approach-to-his-craft-1201593464/ |magazine=Variety |date=4 October 2017 |access-date=20 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211164026/http://variety.com/2015/film/features/cinematographer-roger-deakins-takes-visceral-approach-to-his-craft-1201593464/ |archive-date=11 December 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Ollie Watkins]] is an English professional [[association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]] for {{English football updater|AstonVil}} club [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] and the [[England national football team#Players|England national football team]]. He was born on 30 December 1995<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/player/_/id/198825/ollie-watkins |title=Ollie Watkins: Overview |publisher=ESPN |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref> in [[Torbay Hospital]] in Torquay, Devon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.torbayweekly.co.uk/news/home/1551610/south-devon-s-star-footballer-ollie-watkins-fires-england-into-euro-24-final.html |title= South Devon's star footballer Ollie Watkins fires England into Euro 24 final |date=10 July 2024|website=Torbay Today |access-date=13 July 2024}}</ref> Watkins grew up in nearby Newton Abbot and attended [[South Dartmoor Community College]] in [[Ashburton, Devon|Ashburton]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.torbayweekly.co.uk/from-the-playing-fields-of-south-devon-to-england-and-the-world-cup---star-footballer-ollie-does-mum--and-family-proud-/ |title=From the playing fields of South Devon to England and the World Cup – star footballer Ollie does mum and family proud|website=Torbay Weekly |publisher=Clear Sky Publishing |date=25 March 2021 |access-date=8 April 2023}}</ref> Similarly, the former [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]], [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] and England national team professional footballer [[Trevor Francis]] was raised in Devon.<ref name="Telegraph obit">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/07/24/trevor-francis-birmingham-european-cup-nottingham-forest/ |title=Trevor Francis, Nottingham Forest and England striker who became Britain's first £1 million player – obituary |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=24 July 2023 |access-date=20 November 2023}}</ref> He was born and schooled in Plymouth and was the first English footballer to cost £1 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Briggs |first=Simon |date=9 February 2009 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/nottingham-forest/4560618/The-day-Trevor-Francis-broke-footballs-1m-mark.html |title=The day Trevor Francis broke football's £1m mark |work=The Telegraph |access-date=29 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306063323/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/nottingham-forest/4560618/The-day-Trevor-Francis-broke-footballs-1m-mark.html |archive-date=6 March 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Swimmer [[Sharron Davies]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/newsreleases?newsid=128760 |title=New centre to honour Plymouth Olympian Sharron Davies |publisher=Plymouth City Council |date=14 March 2007 |access-date=31 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070330201315/http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/newsreleases?newsid=128760 |archive-date=30 March 2007}}</ref> and diver [[Tom Daley]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Olympic-hero-Tom-Daley-goes-school/story-11240535-detail/story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913014859/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Olympic-hero-Tom-Daley-goes-school/story-11240535-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 September 2012 |title=tom daley olympic hero goes back to school, Eggbuckland Community College in Plymouth, Devon |publisher=This is Bristol |date=3 September 2008 |access-date=14 February 2012}}</ref> were born in Plymouth. The Olympic runner [[Jo Pavey]] was born in Honiton. [[Peter Cook]] the satirist, writer and comedian was born in Torquay, Devon. [[Leicester Tigers]] and [[British and Irish Lions]] Rugby player [[Julian White]] was born and raised in Devon and now farms a herd of pedigree South Devon beef cattle. The dog breeder [[John "Jack" Russell]] was also from Devon. [[Jane McGrath]], who married Australian cricketer [[Glenn McGrath]] was born in Paignton, her long battle with and subsequent death from breast cancer inspired the formation of the [[McGrath Foundation]], which is one of Australia's leading charities.

Devon has also been represented in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] by notable [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs) such as [[Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor|Nancy Astor]], [[Gwyneth Dunwoody]], [[Michael Foot]] and [[David Owen]] and the Prime Ministers [[Lord John Russell]] and [[Lord Palmerston]].

<gallery widths="170px" heights="200px">
File:Agatha Christie.png|[[Agatha Christie]], best selling crime novelist
File:Chris Martin + Guitar, 2011 (1, cropped).jpg|[[Chris Martin]], lead singer of [[Coldplay]]
File:Roger Deakins Feb-2011 02 (cropped).jpg|[[Roger Deakins]], cinematographer
File:Manchester United v Aston Villa, 25 September 2021 (17) (cropped).jpg|[[Ollie Watkins]], footballer
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[:Category:Rivers of Devon]]
* [[Circular linhay]]
* [[Custos Rotulorum of Devon]] – Keepers of the Rolls
* [[Devon Sinfonia]]
* [[Duchy of Cornwall]]
* [[Healthcare in Devon]]
* [[High Sheriff of Devon|List of High Sheriffs of Devon]]
* [[List of hills of Devon]]
* [[Lord Lieutenant of Devon|List of Lord Lieutenants of Devon]]
* [[List of monastic houses in Devon]]
* [[Devon (UK Parliament constituency)|List of MPs for Devon constituency]]
* [[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon]]
* [[North Devon Coast]]
* [[Tamar Valley AONB]]
* [[West Country English]]
{{div col end}}

==Explanatory notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last1=Oliver |first1=George |author-link=George Oliver (historian) |title=Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis: being a collection of records and instruments illustrating the ancient conventual, collegiate, and eleemosynary foundations, in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, with historical notices, and a supplement, comprising a list of the dedications of churches in the Diocese, an amended edition of the taxation of Pope Nicholas, and an abstract of the Chantry Rolls (with supplement and index) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6U_AQAAMAAJ |date=1846–1889 |location=Exeter |publisher=P. A. Hannaford |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |author-link=Nikolaus Pevsner |date=1952 |title=North Devon |series=Buildings of England |location=London |publisher=Penguin Books |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |author-link=Nikolaus Pevsner |date=1952 |title=South Devon |series=Buildings of England |location=London |publisher=Penguin Books |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Stabb |first1=John |date=1908–1916 |title=Some Old Devon Churches: Their Rood Screens, Pulpits, Fonts, Etc. |location=London |publisher=Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. |language=en}} [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101067698538&seq=1 Vol. I], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101067698546&seq=1 Vol. II], and [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433065874566&seq=1 Vol. III].
* {{Cite book |last1=Stansfield-Cudworth |first1=R. E. |date=2009 |title=Political Elites in South-West England, 1450–1500: Politics, Governance, and the Wars of the Roses |location=[[Lewiston, New York|Lewiston]], New York |publisher=[[Edwin Mellen Press]] |isbn=978-0-77344-714-1 |language=en}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Stansfield-Cudworth |first=R.E. |year=2013 |title=The Duchy of Cornwall and the Wars of the Roses: Patronage, Politics, and Power, 1453–1502 |journal=Cornish Studies |series=2nd Series |volume=21 |pages=104–50 |doi=10.1386/corn.21.1.104_1 |doi-broken-date=21 November 2024 |language=en}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Devon}}
{{EB9 Poster|Devonshire}}

* [http://www.devon.gov.uk Devon County Council]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/ BBC Devon] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815141014/http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/ |date=15 August 2009 }}
* [http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/DEV/ Genuki Devon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030401173044/http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/DEV/ |date=1 April 2003 }} Historical, geographical and genealogical information
* [http://www.devonassoc.org.uk The Devonshire Association], a Devon-centric equivalent of the [[British Association]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140924042248/http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/results.aspx?index=0&mainQuery=&searchType=all&form=basic&theme=&county=DEVON&district=&placeName= Images of Devon] at the [[English Heritage Archive]]

{{Adjacent communities
|title = '''Neighbouring counties'''
|Centre = Devon
|North = ''[[Bristol Channel]]''
|Northeast = [[Somerset]]
|East = [[Dorset]]
|Southeast = ''[[English Channel]]''
|South = ''[[English Channel]]''
|Southwest = [[Cornwall]]<br />''[[English Channel]]''
|West = [[Cornwall]]
|Northwest = ''[[Bristol Channel]]''
}}
{{Geology of England |state=expanded}}
{{SW England}}
{{England counties}}
{{Devon}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Devon| ]]
[[Category:Ceremonial counties of England]]
[[Category:Counties in South West England]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in antiquity]]
[[Category:Geological type localities]]
[[Category:Non-metropolitan counties]]
[[Category:West Country]]

Dartmoor

2025-05-21T20:01:20Z

86.26.136.198: /* In myths and popular culture */ Minor edit: added a "deep link" to the relevant section of internal reference.

{{Short description|National park in South West England}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Dartmoor National Park
| iucn_category = V
| iucn_ref =

| photo = View to Sharpitor from Meavy.JPG
| photo_caption = View down the River Meavy towards Leather Tor and Sharpitor

| map =
| map_image = Dartmoor National Park UK location map.svg
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| relief =

| location = [[United Kingdom]] ([[South West England]])
| nearest_city =
| nearest_town =
| coordinates = {{coord|50|34|N|4|0|W|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref =

| length =
| length_mi =
| length_km =
| width =
| width_mi =
| width_km =
| area_km2 = 954
| area_ref =
| elevation =
| elevation_avg =
| elevation_min =
| elevation_max =
| dimensions =
| designation =

| authorized =
| created =
| designated =
| established = 1951
| named_for =
| visitation_num = 10.98m
| visitation_year =
| visitation_ref =
| governing_body = Dartmoor National Park Authority
| administrator =
| operator =
| owner =

| website = {{URL|https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/}}
| embedded =
}}
{{National parks in the UK|sidebar=yes}}
'''Dartmoor''' is an [[highland (geography)|upland]] area in southern [[Devon]], [[South West England]]. The [[moorland]] and surrounding land has been protected by [[National parks of England and Wales|National Park]] status since 1951. '''Dartmoor National Park''' covers {{convert|954|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="DF">{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/learningabout/lab-printableresources/lab-factsheetshome/lab-generalfactsheet.htm
|title=General Information Factsheet
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=12 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908090232/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/learningabout/lab-printableresources/lab-factsheetshome/lab-generalfactsheet.htm
|archive-date=8 September 2008}}</ref>

The [[granite]] that forms the uplands dates from the [[Carboniferous]] Period of geological history. The landscape consists of moorland capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as [[tor (rock formation)|tor]]s, providing habitats for wildlife. The highest point is [[High Willhays]], {{convert|621|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above sea level. The entire area is rich in antiquities and archaeological [[artifact (archaeology)|artefacts]].

Dartmoor National Park is managed by the [[Dartmoor National Park Authority]], whose 22 members are drawn from [[Devon County Council]], local [[Districts of England|district councils]] and Government. The [[Dartmoor Commoners' Council]] exists to create and enforce regulations regarding commoners' rights.

[[Dartmoor Training Area|Parts of Dartmoor]] have been used as military [[firing range]]s for over 200 years. The public is granted extensive land access rights on Dartmoor (including restricted access to the firing ranges) and it is a popular tourist destination.

==Physical geography==
===Geology===
[[File:Cornubian batholith.png|thumb|upright=1.8|Map showing the main granite outcrops of the [[Cornubian batholith]] in southwest England and the gravity anomaly associated with it]]

{{Main|Geology of Dartmoor National Park}}
Dartmoor includes the largest area of [[granite]] in Britain, with about {{convert|625|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} at the surface, though most of it is under superficial [[peat]] deposits. The granite (or more specifically [[adamellite]]) was intruded at depth as a [[pluton]] into the surrounding sedimentary rocks during the [[Carboniferous]] period, probably about 309 million years ago.<ref>Durrance & Laming 1982, pp.86, 101</ref> It is generally accepted that the present surface is not far below the original top of the pluton; evidence for this includes partly digested [[shale]] [[xenolith]]s, contamination of the granite and the existence of two patches of altered [[sedimentary rock]] on top of the granite.<ref>Durrance & Laming 1982, p. 88</ref>
A considerable [[gravity anomaly]] is associated with the Dartmoor pluton as with [[gravity anomalies of Britain and Ireland|other such plutons]].<ref>British Geological Survey 1997, ''Gravity Anomaly Map of Britain, Ireland and Adjacent Areas'', Smith & Edwards 1:500k</ref> Measurement of the anomaly has helped to determine the likely shape and extent of the rock mass at depth.

===Tors===
[[File:Saddle tor to Hey tor pano.jpg|thumb|left|Panorama of some better known Dartmoor [[Tor (rock formation)|tors]] in snow]]
[[File:High Willhays.jpg|thumb|left|[[High Willhays]] with Yes Tor behind]]

Dartmoor is known for its [[Tor (rock formation)|tor]]s – hills topped with outcrops of bedrock, which in [[granite]] country such as this are usually rounded boulder-like formations. More than 160 of the hills of Dartmoor have the word ''tor'' in their name but quite a number do not.<ref name="DF"/> However, this does not appear to relate to whether or not there is an outcrop of rock on their summit. The tors are the focus of an annual event known as the [[Ten Tors Challenge]], when around 2,400 people aged between 14 and 19 walk for distances of 56, 72 or 88 km (35, 45 or 55 mi) between ten tors on many differing routes.

The highest points on Dartmoor are on the northern moor: [[High Willhays]], {{convert|621|m|ft|abbr=on}}, ({{gbmapping|SX 580892}}) and [[Yes Tor]], {{convert|619|m|ft|abbr=on}}, ({{gbmapping|SX 581901}}). The highest points on the southern moor are [[Ryder's Hill]], {{convert|515|m|ft|abbr=on}}, ({{gbmapping|SX 660690}}), Snowdon {{convert|495|m|ft|abbr=on}}, ({{gbmapping|SX 668684}}), and an unnamed point, {{convert|493|m|ft|abbr=on}} at ({{gbmapping|SX 603645}}), between Langcombe Hill and Shell Top. The best-known tor on Dartmoor is [[Haytor]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bradt|first1=Hilary|last2=Booth|first2=Janice|title=South Devon & Dartmoor|date=2014|publisher=Bradt|location=Chalfont St Peter|isbn=9781841625522|page=222}}</ref> (called Hey Tor by William Crossing), {{convert|457|m|ft|abbr=on}}, ({{gbmapping|SX 757771}}). For a more complete list see [[List of Dartmoor tors and hills]].

===Rivers===
[[File:ErmeIvybridge.jpg|thumb|left|[[River Erme]] at [[Ivybridge]]]]

The high ground of Dartmoor forms the [[drainage basin|catchment area]] for many of Devon's rivers. As well as shaping the landscape, these have traditionally provided a source of power for moor industries such as [[Dartmoor tin-mining|tin mining]] and quarrying.

The moor takes its name from the [[River Dart]], which starts as the [[East Dart River|East Dart]] and [[West Dart River|West Dart]] and then becomes a single river at [[Dartmeet]]. It leaves the moor at [[Buckfastleigh]], flowing through [[Totnes]] below where it opens up into a long [[ria]], reaching the sea at [[Dartmouth, Devon|Dartmouth]]. Other rivers flowing from Dartmoor include the [[River Teign|Teign]], the [[River Taw|Taw]], the [[River Tavy|Tavy]], the [[River Avon, Devon|Avon]], and the [[River Lyd, Devon|Lyd]].

Some of the rivers in Dartmoor have been dammed to create [[Dartmoor reservoirs|reservoirs for drinking water]], including the River Avon<ref>{{Cite web |title=Avon Dam, Devon|url=https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/avon-dam |access-date=22 April 2022 |website=South West Lakes Trust|date=20 December 2018 }}</ref> and the South Teign River (Fernworthy Reservoir).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://teign-catchment.co.uk/from-source-to-chagford/|title=Source Area|last=Gearing|first=David|work=The Teign Catchment|access-date=24 April 2022}}</ref>

===Bogs===
Much more rain falls on Dartmoor than in the surrounding lowlands. As much of the national park is covered in thick layers of [[peat]] (decaying vegetation), the rain is usually absorbed quickly and distributed slowly, so the moor is rarely dry. In areas where water accumulates, dangerous [[bog]]s or mires can result. Some of these, topped with bright green moss, are known to locals as "feather beds" or "quakers", because they can shift (or 'quake') beneath a person's feet. Quakers result from sphagnum moss growing over the water that accumulates in the hollows in the granite.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ian |last=Mercer |chapter=Bogs and Mires of Dartmoor |editor-last1=Hunt |editor-first1=P. J. |editor-last2=Wills |editor-first2=G. L. |date=1977 |title=Devon Wetlands |location=Exeter |publisher=Devon County Council |page=16 |isbn=0-903849-19-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/bogs_moor.htm
|title=The Bogs & Mires of Dartmoor
|publisher=Legendary Dartmoor
|access-date=12 July 2009
|last=Sandles
|first=Tim
|archive-date=1 November 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101133944/https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/bogs_moor.htm
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Crossing |first=W. |title=Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor |date=1912 |publisher=Western Morning News Co. Ltd.}}</ref>

[[File:Aune head mire3.jpg|thumb|left|[[Aune Mire]], the source of the [[River Avon, Devon|River Avon]]]]
The vegetation of the bogs depends on the type and location. [[Blanket bog]], which forms on the highest land where the rainfall exceeds {{convert|2000|mm|in}} a year, consists mainly of cotton-grass (''[[Eriophorum]]'' species), sedges (''[[Carex]]'' and ''[[Rhynchospora]]''), ''[[Narthecium ossifragum|Bog Asphodel]]'' and ''[[Common Tormentil]]'', with ''[[Sphagnum]]'' thriving in the wettest patches. The valley bogs have lush growth of [[Juncaceae|rushes]], with sphagnum, [[Erica tetralix|cross-leaved heath]], [[Drosera|sundews]] and several other species.<ref>{{cite book
| last=Brunsden
| first=Denys
| author2=Gerrard, John
| editor=Crispin Gill
| title=Dartmoor. A New Study
| chapter=The Physical Environment of Dartmoor
| publisher=David and Charles
| year=1970
| location=Newton Abbot
| pages=[https://archive.org/details/dartmoornewstudy0000gill/page/40 40–42]
| isbn=0-7153-5041-2
| chapter-url-access=registration
| chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/dartmoornewstudy0000gill/page/40
}}</ref>

Some of the bogs on Dartmoor have achieved notoriety. [[Fox Tor|Fox Tor Mires]] was supposedly the inspiration for Great Grimpen Mire in Conan Doyle's novel ''[[The Hound of the Baskervilles]]'',<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/grim_mire.htm
|title=Dartmoor's Notorious Fox Tor Mires
|publisher=Legendary Dartmoor
|access-date=7 July 2009
|last=Sandles
|first=Tim
|archive-date=23 March 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323024547/http://legendarydartmoor.co.uk/grim_mire.htm
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> although there is a waymarked footpath across it. [[Sabine Baring-Gould]], in his ''Book of Dartmoor'' (1900) related the story of a man who was making his way through Aune Mire at the head of the [[River Avon, Devon|River Avon]] when he came upon a top-hat brim down on the surface of the mire. He kicked it, whereupon a voice called out: "What be you a-doin' to my 'at?" The man replied, "Be there now a chap under'n?" "Ees, I reckon," was the reply, "and a hoss under me likewise."

<ref>Milton 2006, p. 2</ref>

===Astronomy===
[[File:Aurora Borealis visible over Dartmoor 02.jpg|alt=A picture of the sky with red at the top, which fades to green at the bottom, with some streaking grey vertical lines.|thumb|upright|[[Aurora borealis]] visible from near [[Bridford]] during the [[May 2024 solar storms]]]]
Dartmoor is popular with local astronomers because it is remote from many sources of [[light pollution]]. However, in recent years, [[Light-emitting diode|LED]] [[street light]]s have caused more light pollution to be spread onto Dartmoor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sidgreaves |first=Martin |date=2020-07-24 |title=Under a Dartmoor Night Sky |url=https://dartmoorwalker.co.uk/2020/07/under-a-dartmoor-night-sky/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=Dartmoor Walker |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Climate==
Along with the rest of [[South West England]], Dartmoor has a [[temperate|temperate climate]], which is generally wetter and milder than locations at similar height in the rest of England.{{dubious|date=December 2023}} At [[Princetown]], near the centre of the moor at a height of {{convert|453|m|ft}}, January and February are the coldest months with mean minimum temperatures around {{convert|1|C|F|0}}. July and August are the warmest months with mean daily maxima not reaching {{convert|18|C}}. Compared with [[Teignmouth]], which is on the coast about {{convert|22|mi|km}} to the east, the average maximum and minimum temperatures are {{convert|3.0|C-change}} and {{convert|2.6|C-change}} lower respectively, and [[frost (temperature)|frost]] is at least five times as frequent.<ref name="W30">Webb 2006, p. 30</ref> On the highest ground, in the north of the moor, the [[growing season]] is less than 175 days – this contrasts with some 300 days along most of the south coast of the county.<ref name="W30" />

[[Precipitation (meteorology)|Rainfall]] tends to be associated with Atlantic [[low-pressure area|depressions]] or with convection. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower clouds and a large proportion of rainfall comes from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. The wettest months are November and December and on the highest parts of the moor the average annual total rainfall is over {{convert|2000|mm|in}}. This compares with less than {{convert|800|mm|in}} in the lower land to the east around the [[Exe Estuary]], which is in the [[rain shadow]] of the moor. Due to the influence of the [[Gulf Stream]] snowfall is not common, though due to its high altitude it is more vulnerable to snowfall than surrounding regions.<ref name="W31">Webb 2006, p. 31</ref>

Between 1961 and 1990 [[Met Office]] data shows that there was an average of 20 days when snow fell on the moor, and over 40 days a year with hail, which is as high as anywhere else in the country. This results when cold [[air stream|polar maritime air]] that has travelled over a large expanse of warmer ocean is forced to rise over high country.<ref name="W31" />

When average temperatures at Princetown between 1961 and 2000 are compared, the average annual temperature in the decade 1990–2000 was up by {{convert|0.2|C-change|1}} and the late winter temperature increased by {{convert|0.5|C-change|1}}.<ref name="W32">Webb 2006, pp. 32–33</ref>


== Wildlife ==
Because of Dartmoor's height and granite geology, it experiences strong winds and has acidic soils. In consequence it has been subject to very little [[intensive farming]], and all these factors combine to form the basis of the important ecosystems found here. The landscape is one of granite with [[peat bog]]s overlying it. While the [[Moorland|moors]] topped with granite tors are the most iconic part of Dartmoor's landscape, only about half of Dartmoor is actually moorland. Equally important for wildlife are the [[blanket bog]]s, upland heaths and the oak woodlands, which are all of global importance.<ref name="plantlife">{{cite web|url= https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/nature-reserves-important-plant-areas/important-plant-areas/dartmoor|title=Dartmoor IPA| website=Plantlife| access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref> Dartmoor is a [[Special Area of Conservation]] (SAC) with four habitats (''Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix''; ''European dry heaths''; ''Blanket bog''s and ''Old sessile oak woods with Ilex and Blechnum in the British Isles'') being listed as primary reasons for the selection of Dartmoor as a SAC. In addition the area has a population of the [[southern damselfly]], which is also a primary reason for its selection along with populations of [[Salmo salar|Atlantic salmon]] and [[Lutra lutra|otter]] being qualifying reasons.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/protectedsites/sacselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK0012929| title= Dartmoor – Special Area of Conservation | website = Joint Nature Conservation Committee|access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref>
[[File:Wisht.jpg|thumb|Inside Wistman's Wood in summer]]
[[Wistman's Wood]] is one of the old sessile oak woods that contribute to the listing of Dartmoor as a SAC and is possibly a surviving fragment from the earliest [[Neolithic]] woodland clearances. It is home to exceptional epiphytic mosses, liverworts and lichens. Nearly 50 species of moss and liverwort are found in the wood along with 120 types of [[lichen]], including Smith's horsehair lichen, speckled sea-storm lichen and pendulous wing-moss. Over 60 species of lichens grow on the exposed surfaces of the granite tors, including granite-speck rim-lichen, purple rock lichen, [[Acarospora fuscata|brown cobblestone lichen]] and goldspot lichen and many rare lichen grow on rocks exposed by mining that are rich in [[heavy metals]]. On the upland heaths heather ([[Calluna|ling]]) and [[bell heather]] are common along with [[western gorse]]. In dry grassy areas [[tormentil]], [[heath bedstraw]] and [[heath milkwort]] are all common. [[Cross-leaved heath]] and [[purple moor grass]] grow in wetter spots and in the boggy areas many different species of [[sphagnum]] and other mosses can be found, along with [[liverwort]]s, [[Hare's-tail Cotton-grass]], [[round-leaved sundew]] and [[bog asphodel]], and in the valley bottoms, many different [[sedge]]s, [[bogbean]] and [[pale butterwort]] all grow.<ref name="plantlife" />

A large variety of bird species can be found on Dartmoor including ones that have declined elsewhere in the UK, such as [[Eurasian skylark|skylark]] and [[common snipe]]; some are even rare nationally, such as the [[ring ouzel]] and the [[Common cuckoo|cuckoo]]. There are internationally important populations of [[meadow pipit]] and [[European stonechat|stonechat]]. Woodland birds include a number of migrant species, like the [[European pied flycatcher|pied flycatcher]], the [[wood warbler]] or the [[common redstart]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/wildlife-and-heritage/wildlife/birds| title=Birds| website = Dartmoor National Park| access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref> Mammals found here include otters, hazel dormice and nearly all of the UK's 16 bat species. Three rare species: the [[barbastelle]], and the [[greater horseshoe bat|greater]] and [[lesser horseshoe bat]]s are of particular importance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/wildlife-and-heritage/wildlife/mammals| title=Mammals| website = Dartmoor National Park|access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref> The upper reaches of the rivers are spawning grounds for Salmon and [[trout]]; [[Palmate newt]]s, frogs and toads breed in the numerous small pools. Two shrimp species can be found on Dartmoor: [[fairy shrimp]] that can be found in temporary pools, and, in underground streams, very rare cave shrimp. The world's largest land slug, the [[Limax cinereoniger|Ash black]], is also found. Reptiles include [[common lizard]]s and [[Vipera berus|adders]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/wildlife-and-heritage/wildlife/other-animals| title=Other animals| website = Dartmoor National Park|access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref> The farmland in the wet valleys around the edge of the moors is the most important habitat for insects, including: the [[marsh fritillary]] butterfly, southern damselfly, [[Hemaris tityus|narrow-bordered bee hawkmoth]] and [[Eristalis cryptarum|bog hoverfly]]. Areas of [[bracken]] are home to the [[high brown fritillary]] and [[pearl-bordered fritillary]]. Insects found in the heathlands include the [[emperor moth]], [[green hairstreak]] and the [[bilberry bumblebee]]. The old oak woodlands have a distinctive group of insects including the [[blue ground beetle]] and [[Ectoedemia heckfordi|Heckford's pygmy moth]], a species found nowhere else in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/wildlife-and-heritage/wildlife/insects| title=Insects| website = Dartmoor National Park|access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref>

== Restoration and climate change mitigation ==
The '''South West Peatland Project''' aims to restore around 300 hectares of Dartmoor's [[peatland]] through collaboration with [[Dartmoor National Park Authority|Dartmoor National Park]]. Preserving these peatlands will help mitigate climate change through sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South West Peatland Restoration – Devon Climate Emergency |url=https://devonclimateemergency.org.uk/taking-action-old/south-west-peatland-restoration/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=devonclimateemergency.org.uk}}</ref> More generally, Dartmoor aims to be [[carbon negative]] by 2045.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Climate Action {{!}} Dartmoor |url=https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-work/climate-change |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=www.dartmoor.gov.uk}}</ref>

==History==

===Pre-history===
The majority of the [[prehistoric]] remains on Dartmoor date back to the late [[Neolithic]] and early [[Bronze Age]]. Indeed, Dartmoor contains the largest concentration of Bronze Age remains in the United Kingdom, which suggests that this was when a larger population moved onto the hills of Dartmoor. The large systems of Bronze Age fields, divided by [[reave]]s, cover an area of over {{convert|10000|ha|mi2}} of the lower moors.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/lookingafter/laf-culturalheritage/laf-archaeology/laf-prehistoricdartmoor.htm
|title=Prehistoric Dartmoor
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=2 September 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201085932/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/lookingafter/laf-culturalheritage/laf-archaeology/laf-prehistoricdartmoor.htm
|archive-date=1 December 2009}}</ref>

The climate at the time was warmer than today, and much of today's moorland was covered with trees. The prehistoric settlers began clearing the forest, and established the first farming communities. Fire was the main method of clearing land, creating [[pasture]] and [[swidden]] types of fire-fallow farmland. Areas less suited for farming tended to be burned for livestock grazing. Over the centuries these Neolithic practices greatly expanded the upland moors, and contributed to the acidification of the soil and the accumulation of [[peat]] and [[bog]]s.<ref>Role of anthropogenic fire and in creating moors, and moor-burning in sustaining them, described in Pyne, Stephen J. (1997) ''Vestal Fire: an Environmental History, Told through Fire, of Europe and Europe's Encounter with the World''. University of Washington Press, Seattle, pp. 348–369. {{ISBN|0-295-97596-2}}</ref>

After a few thousand years, the mild climate deteriorated. This left these areas uninhabited, and, consequently, relatively undisturbed to the present day. The highly acidic soil has ensured that no organic remains have survived, but the durability of the granite has meant that the remains of buildings, enclosures and monuments have survived well, as have flint tools. A number of remains were "restored" by enthusiastic [[Victorian era|Victorians]] and, in some cases, they have placed their own interpretation on how an area may have looked.

===Standing stones===
[[File:Beardown man dartmoor.jpg|thumb|upright|Beardown Man, Dartmoor]]

Numerous prehistoric [[menhir]]s (more usually referred to locally as [[standing stone]]s or longstones), [[stone circle]]s, [[Dartmoor kistvaens|kistvaen]]s, [[cairn]]s and [[stone row]]s are to be found on the moor. The most significant sites include:
* Upper Erme stone row is the longest on Dartmoor and in fact in the world at {{convert|3300|m|ft|abbr=on}}
* Beardown Man, near Devil's Tor – isolated standing stone {{convert|3.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} high, said to have another {{convert|1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} below ground. {{gbmapping|SX596796}}
* Challacombe, near the prehistoric settlement of [[Grimspound]] — triple stone row. {{gbmapping|SX689807}}
* [[Drizzlecombe]], east of [[Sheepstor]] village – stone rows, standing stones, kistvaens and cairns. {{gbmapping|SX591669}}
* [[Grey Wethers]], near [[Postbridge, Devon|Postbridge]] — double circle, aligned almost exactly north south. {{gbmapping|SX638831}}
* Laughter Tor, near [[Two Bridges, Devon|Two Bridges]] — standing stone {{convert|2.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}} high and two double stone rows, one {{convert|164|m|ft|abbr=on}} long. {{gbmapping|SX652753}}
* [[Merrivale, Devon|Merrivale]], between [[Princetown]] and [[Tavistock, Devon|Tavistock]] — includes a double stone row {{convert|182|m|ft|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|1.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} wide, aligned almost exactly east–west, stone circles and a kistvaen. {{gbmapping|SX554747}}
* [[Scorhill]] (pronounced 'Scorill'), west of [[Chagford]] — circle, {{convert|26.8|m|ft|abbr=on}} in circumference, and stone rows. {{gbmapping|SX654873}}
* [[Shovel Down]], north of [[Dartmoor reservoirs|Fernworthy reservoir]] — double stone row approximately {{convert|120|m|ft|abbr=on}} long. {{gbmapping|SX660859}}
* [[Yellowmead Down]], a quadruple concentric stone circle and stone rows.

===Hut circles and kistvaens===
There are also an estimated 5,000 [[hut circle]]s still surviving although many have been raided over the centuries by the builders of the traditional dry stone walls. These are the remnants of [[Bronze Age]] houses. The smallest are around {{convert|1.8|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in diameter, and the largest may be up to five times this size.

Some have L-shaped porches to protect against wind and rain; some particularly good examples are to be found at [[Grimspound]]. It is believed that they would have had a conical roof, supported by timbers and covered in turf or thatch.

There are also numerous [[Dartmoor kistvaens|kistvaens]], Neolithic stone box-like tombs.

===The historical period===
[[File:Crazywell cross 1.JPG|thumb|Ancient [[stone cross]] close to [[Crazywell Pool]]]]

The climate became wetter and cooler over the course of a thousand years from around 1000 BC, resulting in much of high Dartmoor being largely abandoned by its early inhabitants. The earliest surviving farms, still in operation today, are known as the [[Ancient Tenements]]. Most of these date back to the 14th century, and some even earlier.

It was not until the [[early Mediaeval]] period that the weather again became warmer, and settlers moved back onto the moors. Like their ancient predecessors, they used the natural granite to build their homes, preferring a style known as the [[Dartmoor longhouse|longhouse]]; some of theses are still inhabited today, although they have been clearly adapted{{clarify|date=December 2023}} over the centuries. Many are now used as farm buildings, while others have been abandoned and fallen into ruin.

Some way into the moor stands the town of [[Princetown, England|Princetown]], the site of [[Dartmoor (HM Prison)|Dartmoor Prison]], which was originally built by Isbell Rowe & Company, Plymouth, for [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] from the [[Napoleonic Wars]] and the [[War of 1812]]. The prison has a reputation for being escape-proof, due to both the buildings themselves and its physical location.

The Dartmoor landscape is scattered with the marks left by the many generations who have lived and worked there over the centuries – such as the remains of the [[Dartmoor tin-mining]] industry, and farmhouses long since abandoned. See [[Industrial archaeology of Dartmoor]].

==Ownership and access==
[[File:Wild camping on Dartmoor.jpg|thumb|The right to wild camp on Dartmoor has been upheld and reinstated, following the Court of Appeal's ruling in mid-2023.]]

Over half of Dartmoor National Park (57.3%) is private land; the [[Forest of Dartmoor]] being the major part of this, owned by the [[Duke of Cornwall]]. The [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] owns 14% (see below), 3.8% is owned by water companies (see [[Dartmoor reservoirs]]), 3.7% by the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]], 1.8% by the [[Forestry Commission]] and 1.4% by Dartmoor's [[national park authority]]. About 37% of Dartmoor is [[common land]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dartmoor Commons |url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/print/lab-comm.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227004835/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/print/lab-comm.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008 |access-date=19 March 2008 |publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority}}</ref>

Dartmoor differs from some other [[National parks of England and Wales|National Parks in England and Wales]], in that since the [[Dartmoor Commons Act 1985]]<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/localact1985/pdf/ukla_19850037_en.pdf Dartmoor Commons Act 1985] on the OPSI website</ref> much of it has been designated as [[access land]], which, although it remains privately owned, has no restrictions on where walkers can roam. In addition to this access land, there are about {{convert|730|km|-1|abbr=on}} of [[Rights of way in England and Wales|public rights of way]] on Dartmoor, and many kilometres of permitted footpaths and bridleways where the owners allow access.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Rights of Way |url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/vi-prow |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911075542/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/vi-prow |archive-date=11 September 2009 |access-date=14 July 2009 |publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority}}</ref>

Because of the 1985 Act, Dartmoor was largely unaffected by the [[Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000]], which established similar rights in other rural parts of the country, until 2006, when the 2000 Act opened up much of the remaining restricted land to walkers.

===Camping===
In January 2023, in a High Court judgment in a case brought by landowner [[Alexander Darwall]], the right of the public to wild camp on Dartmoor was lost. [[Julian Flaux]], the Chancellor of the High Court, ruled: "...section 10(1) of the 1985 Act does not confer on the public any right to pitch tents or otherwise make camp overnight on Dartmoor Commons. Any such camping requires the consent of the landowner."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Horton |first=Helena |date=13 January 2023 |title=Right to wild camp in England lost in Dartmoor court case |work=Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/13/dartmoor-estate-landowner-alexander-darwall-court-case-right-to-camp |access-date=13 January 2023}}</ref> A protest against the new restrictions, led by local storyteller Martin Shaw, was held in January 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ellingham |first=Miles |date=January 27, 2023 |title=A wild day on Dartmoor — joining the ramblers' rebellion |work=[[FT.com]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/90c54da3-4bb2-41c5-bf66-4e47f44fd1c5}}</ref> The High Court's decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal on 31 July 2023 allowing wild camping on Dartmoor.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mathers |first1=Matt |last2=Gregory |first2=Andy |title=Dartmoor wild camping ban lifted as campaigners win battle against wealthy landowners |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dartmoor-camping-ban-court-of-appeal-b2377223.html |website=www.theindependent.co.uk |publisher=The Independent |access-date=5 August 2023}}</ref> The Darwells were granted leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, who upheld the Court of Appeal's decision to allow wild camping on Dartmoor on 21 May 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Miles |last2=Morris |first2=Jonathan |date=2025-05-21 |title=Supreme Court backs wild camping on Dartmoor |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywwq5zkqwo |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Use by the Ministry of Defence ===
{{See also|Dartmoor Training Area}}

There is a history of military usage of Dartmoor dating back to the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. Today, a large British Army training camp remains at [[Okehampton]] — also the site of an airbase during the Second World War.

The [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) uses three areas of the northern moor for manoeuvres and live-firing exercises, totalling {{convert|108.71|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},<ref name="DF" /> or just over 11% of the National Park. Red and white posts mark the boundaries of these military areas (shown on [[Ordnance Survey]] 1:25,000 scale maps). Flagpoles on many tors in and around the ranges fly red flags when firing is taking place. At other times, members of the public are allowed access. Blank rounds may also be used, but the MoD does not notify the public of this in advance.

Some "challenge" and charitable events take place with assistance of the military on Dartmoor, including the long established [[Ten Tors]] event and the more recent Dartmoor Beast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Summary {{!}} Ten Tors |url=http://www.tentors.org.uk/challenge/about |website=Tentors.org.uk}}</ref>

The disused [[Rippon Tor Rifle Range]] was built to train soldiers during the Second World War, and remained in use until its closure in 1977.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Heritage Gateway – Results |work=Heritagegateway.org.uk |url=http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV55113&resourceID=104}}</ref>

==Preservation==
[[File:Dartmoor Clapper Bridge mod.jpg|thumb|The [[clapper bridge]] at [[Postbridge]]]]
[[File:Dartmoor pony 1.jpg|thumb|[[Dartmoor pony]] near [[Widecombe in the Moor]]]]

Throughout human history, the landscape has been exploited for industrial purposes. In recent years,{{when|date=November 2021}} controversy has surrounded the work of industrial conglomerates [[Imerys]] and Sibelco (formerly Watts Blake Bearne), who have used parts of the moor for [[china clay]] mining. Licences were granted by the [[British Government]] but were recently{{when|date=November 2021}} renounced after sustained public pressure from bodies such as the [[Dartmoor Preservation Association]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dartmoorsociety.com/files/debates/chinaclay.html |title=The 7th Dartmoor Society Debate: How Important is China Clay to Dartmoor?|last=Hedges |first=Mike |publisher=The Dartmoor Society |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715224602/https://www.dartmoorsociety.com/files/debates/chinaclay.html |date=2004 |archive-date=15 July 2011 |access-date=8 June 2017 }}</ref>

The British government has made promises to protect the integrity of the moor; however, the cost of compensating companies for these licences, which may not have been granted in today's political climate, could prove prohibitive.

The military use of the moor has been another source of controversy, as when training was extended in January 2003. The [[national park authority]] received 1,700 objections before making the decision. Objectors said that Dartmoor should be an area for recreation, and that the training disturbs the peace.

Those who objected included the [[Open Spaces Society]] and the [[Dartmoor Preservation Association]]. During her lifetime, [[Sylvia Sayer]] was another outspoken critic of the damage that she perceived that the army was doing to the moor.

==Towns and villages==
[[File:Saddle tor evening.jpg|thumb|A typical Dartmoor tor close to [[Haytor]]]]

The designated Dartmoor National Park area has a resident population of about 33,000,<ref name="DF" /> which swells considerably during holiday periods with incoming tourists. The largest settlements within the National Park are [[Ashburton, Devon|Ashburton]] (the largest, with a population of about 3,500), [[Buckfastleigh]], [[Moretonhampstead]], [[Princetown]], [[Yelverton, Devon|Yelverton]], [[Horrabridge]], [[South Brent]], [[Christow]], and [[Chagford]].<ref name="DF" />

For a full list, expand the ''Settlements of Dartmoor'' navigational box at the bottom of this page.

==Landmarks==
{{See also|List of Dartmoor tors and hills}}
* [[Avon Dam Reservoir]] – reservoir popular for walks and trout fishing
* [[Bowerman's Nose]] – a tor said to be shaped like a nose
* [[Brent Tor|Brentor Church]] – remote church {{convert|344|m|ft|abbr=on}} high on crag at western edge of moor<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Datasheet/GBR0001538/41104/Panorama |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130506010749/http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Datasheet/GBR0001538/41104/Panorama |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 May 2013 |title=ViaMichelin Travel. Panorama – Great Britain: The Michelin Green Guide |publisher=Viamichelin.com |date=3 April 2008 |access-date=18 April 2010 }}</ref>
* [[Buckfast Abbey]] – abbey near [[Buckfastleigh]]
* [[Dartmoor reservoirs|Burrator Reservoir]] – late Victorian reservoir
* [[Canonteign Falls]] – second highest waterfall in England
* [[Castle Drogo]] – Edwardian faux castle built by [[Edwin Lutyens]] on a crag above Teign Gorge, [[Drewsteignton]]
* [[Childes Tomb|Childe's Tomb]] – ancient burial site
* [[Cosdon Hill]] – prominent hill, northern extremity of moor, site of beacon fire for invasion warning
* [[Cranmere Pool]] – original letterbox site and location of the legend of Cranmere Binjie
* [[Crazywell Pool]] – artificial lake
* [[Dartmeet]] – meeting point of East and West Dart rivers
* [[HM Prison Dartmoor|Dartmoor Prison]] – a prison in the middle of Dartmoor at the village of [[Princetown]]
* [[Devonport Leat]] – human-made water channel
* [[Duck's Pool, Dartmoor|Duck's Pool]] – location of a memorial to local writer [[William Crossing]]
* [[Dartmoor reservoirs|Fernworthy Dam & Reservoir]] – granite-faced concrete dam and lake in Fernworthy Forest, near [[Chagford]]
* [[Fingle Bridge]] – a 17th-century crossing of the River [[Teign]] near Chagford
* [[Great Links Tor]] – dominant tor on north west scarp of moor
* [[Grey Wethers]] – pair of ancient stone circles
* [[Grimspound]] – Bronze Age settlement
* [[Haytor Granite Tramway]] – early tramway with stone rails; ran from quarries at Haytor to Stover Canal
* [[Haytor|Haytor Rock]] – prominent tor and viewpoint between Bovey Tracey and Widecombe
* [[Haytor|Hay Tor]] – less prominent outcrop behind Haytor Rock when viewed from the south. Popular spot for rock climbing due to its large cliff face and relative ease of access.
* [[High Willhays]] – highest point on Dartmoor
* [[Hound Tor]] – rugged tor with remains of Iron Age village
* [[Jay's Grave]] – burial site
* [[Lydford Gorge]] – deep and narrow gorge with waterfalls
* [[Meldon Viaduct]] and reservoir – {{convert|201|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=on}} high concrete dam and Victorian iron bridge which itself is {{convert|165|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|46|m|ft|abbr=on}} high<ref>{{cite web |title=Information Sheet 3A: Introduction to the Industrial Archaeology of the Meldon area |url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/sheet_3a-b.pdf |publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority |access-date=19 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204034801/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/sheet_3a-b.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-04 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[North Hessary Tor transmitting station]] – a TV mast near Princetown which can be seen for many miles.
* [[Rippon Tor Rifle Range]] – disused rifle range
* [[Redlake Tramway]] – disused railway
* [[Spitchwick]] – a swimming spot where the [[River Webburn]] joins the [[River Dart]]
* [[Tavistock Canal]] – 19th-century canal
* [[Two Bridges, Devon|Two Bridges]] – 18th-century [[coaching inn]]
* [[Warren House Inn]] – highest inn in south west England, rumoured to have a fire which has not gone out in hundreds of years.
* [[Widecombe in the Moor|Widecombe in the moor]], village in a valley in southern Dartmoor with a church rumoured to have been struck by [[lightning]] in medieval times.
* [[Wistman's Wood]] – copse of stunted oaks in the valley of the West Dart near Two Bridges
* [[Yes Tor]] – tor next to [[High Willhays]], forming the second highest hill in Dartmoor.

==In myths and popular culture==
[[File:Jay's Grave, geograph.jpg|thumb|[[Jay's Grave]]]]

Dartmoor is known for its myths and legends. It is reputedly the haunt of [[pixie]]s, a [[headless horseman]], a mysterious pack of "[[Hellhound|spectral hounds]]", and a large [[black dog (folklore)|black dog]], among others.<ref name="bfr">{{cite web | last = Spiring |first = Paul | title = Hugo Baskerville & Squire Richard Cabell III | publisher=BFROnline | year = 2007 | url = http://www.bfronline.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=9 | access-date=18 February 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923184203/http://www.bfronline.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=9 |archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Cabell Tomb — Buckfastleigh | work=Devon Guide | year = 2007 | url = http://www.devonguide.com/photos/img512.htm | access-date =29 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= Sherlock Holmes and the phantom pack |url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/sherlock-holmes-and-the-phantom-pack-101721752667601.html |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|date=23 July 2024 |last1=Lele |first1=Teja }}</ref> During [[The Great Thunderstorm, Widecombe|the Great Thunderstorm]] of 1638, the moorland village of [[Widecombe-in-the-Moor]] was said to have been visited by the [[Devil]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pastplace.exeter.ac.uk/2014/03/dartmoor-the-blending-of-myth-and-reality-when-the-devil-pays-a-visit/ |title=Dartmoor: the blending of 'myth' and 'reality' when the Devil pays a visit |first=David |last=Harvey |publisher=University of Exeter |date=3 March 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Day 'The Devil' visited Dartmoor church remembered in new book about extreme weather |first=Max |last=Channon|url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/day-the-devil-visited-dartmoor-571004 |date=3 October 2017 |newspaper=[[Plymouth Herald]] |access-date=14 August 2024}}</ref>

Many landmarks have ancient legends and [[Ghosts in European culture|ghost]] stories associated with them, such as the ancient burial site of [[Childe's Tomb]], the rock pile called [[Bowerman's Nose]], the [[Dartmoor crosses|stone crosses]] that mark former mediaeval routes across the moor and the allegedly haunted [[Jay's Grave]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wearesouthdevon.com/jays-grave-legend-fact-fiction/ |title= Jay's Grave: legend, fact and fiction|first=Kevin |last=Dixon|website= www.wearesouthdevon.com|date= 11 December 2015}}</ref>

A few stories have emerged in recent decades, such as the "[[hairy hands]]", that are said to attack motorists on the B3212 near [[Two Bridges, Devon|Two Bridges]];<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/hairy_hands.htm
|title=The Hairy Hands
|publisher=Legendary Dartmoor
|access-date=7 August 2010
|last=Sandles
|first=Tim
|archive-date=23 May 2010
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523111221/http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/hairy_hands.htm
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> and the "Beast of Dartmoor", [[British big cats|a supposed big cat]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/beast_dart.htm
|title=The Legendary Beast of Dartmoor
|publisher=Legendary Dartmoor
|access-date=7 August 2010
|last=Sandles
|first=Tim
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823061015/http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/beast_dart.htm
|archive-date=23 August 2010}}</ref>

Dartmoor has inspired a number of artists and writers, such as [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] in ''[[The Hound of the Baskervilles]]'' and ''[[The Adventure of Silver Blaze]]'', [[Bertram Fletcher Robinson]],<ref>{{Cite book |first1=Brian |last1=Pugh |first2=Paul |last2=Spiring |title=Bertram Fletcher Robinson: A Footnote to the Hound of the Baskervilles|date=September 2008 |publisher=MX Publishing |isbn=978-1-9043-1240-6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Devonians-helped-Sherlock-masses/article-2764973-detail/article.html |title=The lasting appeal of legendary detective Sherlock Holmes is due to t… |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505071424/http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Devonians-helped-Sherlock-masses/article-2764973-detail/article.html |archive-date=5 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="The Devon Association">{{Cite web|url= https://devonassoc.org.uk/devoninfo/book-review-arthur-conan-doyle-sherlock-holmes-and-devon/|title=Book Review: Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Devon |author=Professor Mark Brayshay|website= devonassoc.org.uk |date=28 February 2020 |access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref><ref name="jar">{{Cite web|url= http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/w/index.php?title=Arthur_Conan_Doyle,_Sherlock_Holmes_and_Devon:_A_Complete_Tour_Guide_and_Companion_by_Brian_W_Pugh,_Paul_R_Spiring_and_Sadru_Bhanji|title=Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Devon |author=[[John Van der Kiste]]|website= thebookbag.co.uk |access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref> [[R. D. Blackmore]], [[Eden Phillpotts]], [[Beatrice Chase]], [[Agatha Christie]], [[Rosamunde Pilcher]], [[Gilbert Adair]] and the Reverend [[Sabine Baring-Gould]].
{{wikisource|Hemans Miscellaneous Poetry 2/Dartmoor|'Dartmoor', a poem by Felicia Hemans}}In 1820, the newly formed Royal Society of Literature offered a prize for a poem on the subject of Dartmoor, this being won by [[Felicia Hemans]].

Dartmoor is also the setting for the many film and television adaptations of ''[[The Hound of the Baskervilles#Film_and_television_adaptations|The Hound of the Baskerville]]''. In the second series episode ''[[The Hounds of Baskerville]]'' of the [[BBC]] drama ''[[Sherlock (TV series)|Sherlock]]'' it was the fictional location of a [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] animal testing centre called 'Baskerville'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942613/|title=The Hounds of Baskerville|website=imdb.com|access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref>

'''''[[The Old Dark House (1963 film)|The Old Dark House]]''''' is a 1963 [[comedy horror]] film directed by [[William Castle]] for [[Hammer Film Productions]]. It is a [[film remake|remake]] of [[Universal Studios, Inc.|Universal's]] 1932 [[The Old Dark House (1932 film)|film of the same name]] directed by [[James Whale]]. Both films are based upon the 1927 novel by [[J. B. Priestley]] originally published under the name ''[[Benighted (novel)|Benighted]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=The Old Dark House |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10003373-old_dark_house |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en}}</ref> The 1963 film starred [[Tom Poston]], [[Robert Morley]], [[Janette Scott]], [[Joyce Grenfell]] and [[Fenella Fielding]], and it is predominantly set on Dartmoor.

In '''''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''''', the fictional 1994 [[Quidditch]] World Cup final between [[Ireland]] and [[Bulgaria]] was hosted on Dartmoor.<ref>{{cite web|title=The History Behind the 'Harry Potter' Quidditch World Cup |date=20 July 2018|url=https://www.newsweek.com/learn-more-historic-quidditch-world-cup-1033396 |website=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=14 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=J K Rowling turns to sports writing – with Quidditch |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/j-krowling-turns-to-sports-writing-with-quidditch-9193563.html|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=14 March 2014 |last1=Johnson |first1=Andrew }}</ref>

Dartmoor was the fictional location for the [[IO Interactive]] video game titled ''[[Hitman 3]]'', which was released during 2021.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Goroff |first=Michael |date=January 11, 2022 |title=Hitman 3 reveals the rest of its mission locations |url=https://egmnow.com/hitman-3-reveals-the-rest-of-its-mission-locations/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331033125/https://egmnow.com/hitman-3-reveals-the-rest-of-its-mission-locations/ |archive-date=31 March 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]}}</ref> This depiction features a local and historic mansion house.<ref name=":182">{{Cite news |last=Kelly |first=Andy |date=2021-01-27 |title=How IO made the Hitman trilogy, its stealth masterpiece |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-io-made-the-hitman-trilogy-its-stealth-masterpiece/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307130401/https://www.pcgamer.com/how-io-made-the-hitman-trilogy-its-stealth-masterpiece/ |archive-date=7 March 2021 |access-date=2022-07-21 |work=[[PC Gamer]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Leisure activities ==
Until the early 19th century Dartmoor was not considered to be a place worth visiting: in the 1540s [[John Leland (antiquary)|John Leland]] wrote in his ''Itinerary'' that "Dartmore is muche a wilde Morish and forest Ground", and even by 1789 [[Richard Gough (antiquarian)|Richard Gough]]'s opinion was that it is a "dreary mountainous tract".<ref>Milton 2006, pp. 19–20</ref> At the turn of the 19th century John Swete was one of the first people to visit Dartmoor for pleasure and his journals and watercolour paintings now provide a valuable historical resource.<ref>Milton 2006, p. 36</ref>

The oldest leisure pursuit on the moor is [[hill walking]]. [[William Crossing]]'s definitive ''Guide to Dartmoor'' was published in 1909, and in 1938 a plaque and letterbox in his memory were placed at [[Duck's Pool, Dartmoor|Duck's Pool]] on the southern moor. Parts of the Abbots Way, [[Two Moors Way]] and the [[Haytor Granite Tramway#The Templer Way|Templer Way]] are on Dartmoor.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-walkingforall.htm
|title=Walking For All
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=12 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418182625/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-walkingforall.htm
|archive-date=18 April 2009}}</ref>

[[Letterboxing (hobby)|Letterboxing]] originated on Dartmoor in the 19th century and has become increasingly popular in recent decades. Watertight containers, or 'letterboxes', are hidden throughout the moor, each containing a visitor's book and a rubber stamp. Visitors take an impression of the letterbox's rubber stamp as proof of finding the box and record their visit by stamping their own personal stamp in the letterbox's logbook. A recent related development is [[geocaching]]. Geocache clues make use of [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] coordinates, whereas letterboxing clues tend to consist of grid references and compass bearings.

[[Whitewater kayaking]] and [[canoeing]] are popular on the rivers due to the high rainfall and their high quality,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/swengland/swengland.htm |title=South West England |publisher=UK Rivers Guidebook |access-date=18 April 2010}}</ref> though for environmental reasons access is restricted to the winter months.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-canoeing.htm
|title=Canoeing
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=12 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623215828/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-canoeing.htm
|archive-date=23 June 2009}}</ref> The [[River Dart]] is the most prominent meeting place, the section known as [[The Loop, River Dart|the Loop]] being particularly popular. Other white water rivers are the [[River Erme|Erme]], [[River Tavy|Tavy]], [[River Plym|Plym]] and [[River Meavy|Meavy]].

Other activities are [[rock climbing]] on the granite tors and outcrops, some of the well-known venues being [[Haytor]], [[Hound Tor]] and The Dewerstone;<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-climbing.htm
|title=Climbing
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=10 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714225755/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-climbing.htm
|archive-date=14 July 2009}}</ref> horse riding, which can be undertaken on any of the [[common land]];<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-horse-riding.htm
|title=Horse Riding
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=12 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717074950/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-horse-riding.htm
|archive-date=17 July 2009}}</ref> cycling (but not on open moorland);<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-cycling.htm
|title=Cycling on road and off-road
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=12 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430195345/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-cycling.htm
|archive-date=30 April 2009}}</ref> and angling for wild [[brown trout]], [[sea trout]] and [[salmon]] (although much of the river fishing on Dartmoor is privately owned, permits are available for some stretches<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-otheractivities.htm
|title=Other Activities
|publisher=Dartmoor National Park Authority
|access-date=10 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717081405/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index/visiting/vi-enjoyingdartmoor/vi-otheractivities.htm
|archive-date=17 July 2009}}</ref>)
.

===Visitor centres===
The park's main visitor centre is located in [[Princetown]] and features exhibits about Dartmoor's history, culture and wildlife, as well as changing displays of local art. The visitor centres located in [[Postbridge]] and [[Haytor]] feature information, maps, guidebooks and items for exploring the area.

==Transport==
===Bus===
Dartmoor is served by the following bus services:
* 359 Moretonhampstead – Exeter (Country bus)<ref name="countrybusdevon">{{Cite web | url=http://countrybusdevon.co.uk/routes/ | title=Timetables – Country Bus Devon|website=Countrybusdevon.co.uk }}</ref>
* 271 Newton Abbot – Bovey Tracey – Widecombe (Summer Saturdays only) (Country bus)<ref name="countrybusdevon"/>
* 173 Moretonhampstead – Chagford – Exeter (Stagecoach)<ref>{{Cite web|title=173 Bus Route & Timetable: Exeter Sidwell Street - Moretonhampstead |url=https://www.stagecoachbus.com/routes/south-west/173/exeter-sidwell-street-moretonhampstead/XDAO173.O}}</ref>
* 178 Newton Abbot – Bovey Tracey – M'tonhampstead – Chagford – Okehampton (Country bus)<ref name="countrybusdevon"/>
* 98 Tavistock – Princetown – Postbridge (Oakleys)

Other bus services operate in Dartmoor on a less frequent basis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.travelinesw.com/|title=Traveline SW - Welcome|website=Travelinesw.com|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>

GWR operate direct trains from Exeter to Okehampton.

==See also==
* [[Dartmoor Discovery]], ultramarathon race
* [[Dartmoor Way]] [[long-distance footpath]]
* [[Museum of Dartmoor Life]]

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
* [[William Crossing|Crossing, William]] Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, the 1912 edition reprinted with new introd. by Brian Le Messurier. Dawlish: David & Charles, 1965.
* {{Cite book
| last=Durrance
| first=E. M.
|author2=Laming, D. J.
| title=The Geology of Devon
| publisher=University of Exeter
| year=1982
| isbn=0-85989-247-6}}
* {{cite book
| last=Kelly
| first=Matthew
| title=Quartz and Feldspar. Dartmoor: A British Landscape in Modern Times
|publisher=Jonathan Cape / Vintage
| year=2015
| location=London
| isbn=9781409029793}}
* {{cite book
| last=Milton
| first=Patricia
| title=The Discovery of Dartmoor, a Wild and Wondrous Region
| publisher=Phillimore
| year=2006
| location=Chichester
| isbn=1-86077-401-6}}
* {{cite book
| last=Webb
| first=Bruce
| editor=Roger Kain
| title=England's Landscape: The South West
| chapter=The Environmental Setting of Human Occupation
| publisher=Collins
| year=2006
| location=London
| pages=30–33
| isbn=0-00-715572-7}}
* {{cite book
| title=Worth's Dartmoor
| last = Worth
| first = R. N.
| editor1-last = Spooner
| editor1-first = G. M.
| editor2-last = Russell
| editor2-first = F. S.
| editor2-link = F. S. Russell
| year=1967
| publisher=David & Charles
| isbn= 0715351486
| location=Newton Abbot}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Dartmoor}}
{{commons}}
{{Wikisource|Dartmoor}}

* [http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk Dartmoor National Park Authority] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402032712/http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/ |date=2 April 2011 }}
{{Clear}}
{{Devon}}
{{National_parks_in_the UK}}
{{Settlements_of Dartmoor}}
{{Rivers_of Dartmoor}}



{{authority control}}

[[Category:Dartmoor| ]]
[[Category:1951 establishments in England]]
[[Category:National parks in England]]
[[Category:Hills of Devon]]
[[Category:Special Areas of Conservation in England]]
[[Category:Duchy of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Geology of Devon]]
[[Category:Geography of Devon]]
[[Category:Parks and open spaces in Devon]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1951]]
[[Category:Common land in England]]
[[Category:Natural regions of England]]
[[Category:Moorlands of England]]
[[Category:Sherlock Holmes]]