Devon (, also known as Devonshire) is a county of England, reaching from the Bristol Channel in the north to the English Channel in the south. It is part of South West England, bounded by Cornwall to the west, Somerset to the north-east and Dorset to the east. The city of Exeter is the county town. The county includes the districts of East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon. Plymouth and Torbay are each geographically part of Devon, but are administered as unitary authorities. Combined as a ceremonial county, Devon's area is 6,707 km2 (2,590 square miles) and its population is about 1.1 million.
Devon derives its name from Dumnonia (the shift from m to v is a typical Celtic consonant shift). During the British Iron Age, Roman Britain and the early Middle Ages, this was the homeland of the Dumnonii Brittonic Celts. The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain resulted in the partial assimilation of Dumnonia into the Kingdom of Wessex during the eighth and ninth centuries. The western boundary with Cornwall was set at the River Tamar by King Æthelstan in 936. Devon was later constituted as a shire of the Kingdom of England.
The north and south coasts of Devon each have both cliffs and sandy shores, and the county's bays contain seaside resorts, fishing towns and ports. The inland terrain is rural, generally hilly and has a lower population density than many other parts of England. Dartmoor is the largest open space in southern England, at 954 km2 (368 square miles); its moorland extends across a large expanse of granite bedrock. To the north of Dartmoor are the Culm Measures and Exmoor. In the valleys and lowlands of south and east Devon the soil is more fertile, drained by rivers including the Exe, the Culm, the Teign, the Dart and the Otter.
As well as agriculture, much of the economy of Devon is based on tourism. The comparatively mild climate, coastline and landscape make Devon a destination for recreation and leisure in England. Visitors are particularly attracted to the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks; its coasts, including the resort towns along the south coast known collectively as the English Riviera; the Jurassic Coast and North Devon's UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; and the countryside including the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.
Devon community action[edit | edit source]
Sustainability initiatives[edit | edit source]
- Bideford Sustainability Group
- Buck the Trend
- Chagford Hub
- North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
- PL:21, Ivybridge
- Sustainable Crediton
- Sustainable South Brent
- Transition Exmouth
- Transition Tavistock
- Vision Group for Sidmouth
Local sustainability initiatives[edit | edit source]
Please see our Local communities in Devon pages, where of course you can share any more information you may have about local sustainability initiatives.
[Community involvement[edit | edit source]
- Torridge Common Ground, non-party-political platform that puts the shared values and practical vision of the community at the heart of local governance, empowering communities across Torridge to transform their local economies and wellbeing for the benefit of all
Climate action[edit | edit source]
- Action on Climate in Teignbridge, added 14:14, 6 October 2020 (UTC)
- Dartmoor Circle
- Bovey Climate Action
see also: List of climate assemblies#Devon
Biodiversity[edit | edit source]
Devon Wildlife Trust is aided by around 800 registered volunteers which help with running 12 local groups and habitat management work on the charity's nature reserves. [1] - Wembury Marine Centre
Community currencies activism[edit | edit source]
Community energy[edit | edit source]
- Teign Energy Communities, "Our vision: To achieve the widest possible community engagement with energy use and energy generation. We want people in the local area to become more aware of, and engaged with their use of energy, so that energy becomes as familiar as money." added 14:36, 6 October 2020 (UTC)
- exeter community energy
Education for sustainability[edit | edit source]
Embercombe - Growing Devon Schools - Okehampton College, Energy Efficiency
Ethical consumerism[edit | edit source]
Plastic bag ban: In April 2007 local traders in Modbury, Devon declared that for environmental reasons, they would no longer give customers plastic bags. This initiative led to other communities across the UK pursuing similar enterprises. [2]
Food activism[edit | edit source]
Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially. [3]
Barnstaple Pannier Market - Bovey Community Garden - Home Grown Community Owned - Landmatters Co-operative Permaculture Project - Real Food Store, Exeter's first community owned food store
Health and wellbeing[edit | edit source]
Neighbourhood Health Watch, connecting trusted community support for health
Localism[edit | edit source]
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle[edit | edit source]
Devon Community Composting Network - Devon Community Recycling Network - Proper Job, Chagford - Recycle Devon
Rural sustainability[edit | edit source]
Towards sustainable economies[edit | edit source]
New Prosperity Devon, Towards secure livelihoods and wellbeing for all, added 16:58, 7 May 2020 (UTC)
Trees, woodland and forest[edit | edit source]
Broadhempston Community Woodland, located in Teignbridge, South Devon.
Resources[edit | edit source]
- Broadhempston Community Land Trust, Community Interest Company set up in 2012 to enable local people, in housing need, to develop affordable eco-housing.
- Torbay Community Development Trust,
News and comment[edit | edit source]
2020
New Government Proposals impose 1532 houses a year on Teignbridge, Summary of our concerns, Sep 22 [4]
2017
Tree Trail aims to highlight village’s unique species, Jul 18 [5]
2016
Devon County Council wins public sector sustainability award, Dec 7 [6]
Electric bike scheme first to be launched in the UK, Oct 13 [7]
Landmatters eco-community in Devon wins fight to remain, Jul 27 [8]
Exeter cycle network approved, Jun 12 [9]
2015
Calling all rural pubs in Devon for diversification, September 29 [10]
How does the Exeter Pound build fairness? September 25 [11]
Exeter Pound launched with plea to support city's independent businesses, September 1 [12]
Events[edit | edit source]
2016
August 11 - 14 Off Grid Festival
February 23 - April 3 Save Stewart Wood, Wray Valley
Local communities in Devon[edit | edit source]
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Interwiki links[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia: Devon
