Devon Fact Sheets
If you’re looking for inspiration for your article or want some additional information to help with your features and other productions, you can find facts about Devon below.
Devon is the only county in England with two coastlines, two national parks, 5 areas of ANOB and 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Devon has more road than anywhere else in the country
Devon has the slowest roads in the country
Devon has the narrowest street in the world in Exeter
Devon invented the ‘Cornish’ pasty
Devon has the country's oldest bakery – Jacko Bakery in Plymouth which was in existence when the Mayflower set sail in 1620
Devon has the oldest cinema in Europe – the Torbay Picture House
Devon is the origin of the Jack Russell dog – named by the Rev Jack Russell born Dartmouth in 1795
Devon – the oldest human remains found in Devon in 1927 at Kent’s Cavern in Torquay. Said to date back to 44,200 BC
Devon is where the last Castle in England was built – Castle Drogo on Dartmoor National Park
Devon – has inspired many Literary Greats such as Michael Morpurgo and WarHouse which was as a result of him having a drink in a country pub at Iddesleigh; Agatha Christie – the renowned crime writer is from Torquay and many of her novels were based around the area. Conan Doyle author of the Hounds of the Baskervilles
Devon has the oldest known gin distillery in Devon – established in Plymouth in 1793 and is still going today with its world-renowned Plymouth Gin
Devon’s Dartmoor National Park is the largest area of open space in Southern England at 368 sq miles, with 65% of this made of granite
Devon was where The Mayflower set sail in 1620 from Plymouth for its epic voyage to the US with the Pilgrim Fathers
Devon is famous for Chris Martin of Coldplay from Whitestone just outside Exeter, Matt Bellamy and the band Muse from Teignmouth, the comedian Josh Widecombe from Dartmoor; Tom Daley, Olympic diver from Plymouth, Sue Barker former tennis play and now TV presenter; Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, and many others
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