UK Edition
Devon is England's greatest county – but it's on the verge of being ruined
Single-track roads are clogged with cars, and the countryside and coast is being eaten up by caravan parks – but there are solutions
In 2007 when I started contemplating moving out of London, I spent three months visiting the South West looking for my perfect place to live. As the weeks progressed, I began to feel like Goldilocks tasting porridge. Somerset? Too flat. Wiltshire and Gloucestershire? Too far from the sea. Cornwall? Too barren. Dorset? Too tame. If I was going to uproot myself from London and move to the countryside, I wanted raw, wild countryside in all its glory: woods and wilderness, surf and sand, mountains and moors. I wanted it all.
In the 14 years that have passed since I bought my little cottage in Devon’s Dartmoor National Park, I haven’t once questioned my decision, despite having since travelled extensively through the UK for work. Devon’s scenery is impossible to tire of.
There are two coastlines – one wild, one gentle – two vast, square-jagged wildernesses, thickly forested hills, granite-topped peaks, sheep-flecked pastures, turquoise bays and soft, sandy beaches. Dolphins flap and frolic around its shores, salmon and trout swim in pristine rivers, otters and beavers scamper between banks, rare butterflies flit through wildflower meadows and birds of prey wheel above lofty tors. No wonder Telegraph Travel’s comprehensive study this week declared it England’s finest county.
What I didn’t expect in 2007 is that I’d meet so many like-minded people in Devon. Craftspeople. Artists. Environmentalists. Writers. People who thrive in nature and rely on it to inspire their work. We are bound together by a common love for our county.
In recent years, however, countless more holidaymakers have discovered the beauty of Devon. No longer is it a place you pass through on the way to Cornwall, but a destination in its own right. And though I can’t possibly begrudge sharing it, I feel it is becoming a victim of its own success. Our attractions are more spread out than those in Cornwall, which saves us from intense overcrowding, but nevertheless, Devon simply does not have the infrastructure for the large-scale tourism we’ve experienced of late.
In the holiday season, single-track roads are clogged with cars and tourist coaches. The countryside and coastline is being eaten up by huge caravan parks. And there’s a chronic housing shortage, partly because homeowners are renting their properties to the lucrative holiday let market, rather than local people. When houses do come up for rent, competition is still fierce. In my remote little village, one cottage had 70 viewings, and following a bidding war, was rented for twice its usual rate. The situation is so dire that a friend who works locally has been living in a barn since April.
There are, however, ways of ameliorating the effect tourism is having on the county. Visiting out of season reduces overcrowding and helps support local businesses throughout the year – not just in summer. Going by train reduces traffic and pollution. Totnes is a vibrant market town on the mainline route from London Paddington, while Exeter – also on the main line from London – gives access to Devon’s rural railway network. For an affordable beach holiday that is easily accessible by railway, try Exmouth, Teignmouth or Dawlish Warren, or visit estuary-side Topsham, with its pretty boutiques and antiques shops.
In North Devon, the Tarka Line from Exeter to Barnstaple takes you via bus to vast beaches in Saunton Sands and Croyde, while Okehampton station, which opened last year, gives access to the northern reaches of Dartmoor National Park. An extensive network of walking and cycle trails throughout the county means it’s easy to be carbon neutral while you’re there.
Instead of stocking up in soulless, identikit supermarkets, shop local. There are few things more pleasant that pottering around a farmer’s market or farm shop. Dart’s Farm near Topsham has one of the largest selections of locally produced produce, while Chagford and Tavistock are both superb foodie towns.
Finally, be original, and “explore beyond the norm”, as Visit Devon’s Sally Everton puts it. Instead of following the crowds, do some research and hunt out your own little gems. It’s in our rural pubs, markets, hamlets and off-the-beaten-track towns that you’ll get an authentic taste of Devon life. After all, isn’t that why we travel? Then, like me, you’ll find Devon is just right.