We’re sure if you’re regular visitors to Devon you will have uncovered many of the county’s hidden gems, but there are still plenty of places left to explore, for even the most knowledgeable of Devon’s residents and tourists. Here are five hidden places in Devon for you to impress the locals with.
The tree that hid a king
Yes, you read that right. In Burrator, there is a huge ancient oak tree known as Meavy’s Ancient Oak that is believed to have stood on the village green for over 1000 years. According to local records, the tree was thought to have been standing during King John’s reign back in 1200AD. According to local legend, King Charles hid in the tree while fleeing from Cromwell’s men during the English Civil War.
The burial place of the Cattedown Man
Image: @plymouthpictures on Instagram
The Cattedown Man is believed to be Plymouth’s earliest known inhabitant and his skeletal remains date back to over 140,000 years! He along with the partial skeletons of 15 other early humans were discovered in the Cattedown Caves which were discovered in 1886 and remain fenced off.
The Hindu Caves
You’ll find these along the coast between Torquay and Paignton and were quite famous in the Victorian times when the English Riviera saw a boost in tourism thanks to the introduction of the railways. The caves are made up of red rocks and can be accessed by strong swimmers only, they gained their name thanks to The Water Babies by Devon based author Charles Kinglsey.
Abandoned village
Image: @tizzieloole on Instagram
The old village at South Hallsands has been closed off to the public for hundreds of years, but there is a viewing platform for anyone who is interested in seeing what is left. The village’s beach was stripped of gravel and other materials to help build Plymouth’s dockyards which resulted in the village being flooded in 1917.
A Haunted pool
Crazywell Pool located on Dartmoor is apparently a bottomless, haunted pool. It is also a popular spot for wild swimming. But legend has it that the waters rise and fall with the tides and that it is connected to the sea by a mysterious underground tunnel.
Have you visited the site of any of these secret places in Devon? You can let us know on Twitter and Facebook.
