Accidentally Steve: Every County in England

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Every County in England - Part 4: Devon

A pigsty seemed an intriguing place to stay. Smack bang in the centre of Devon a converted pigsty was being offered on AirBnb, I couldn’t resist this, quirky places like this are one of the reasons I love this method of travel. I had a few friends to visit in the county so a central place seemed very appealing.

Devon is a large and sparse county. Dominated by the jagged & windswept Dartmoor and ringed by rocky and wave battered coasts it is an outdoors lovers paradise. The pigsty provided a wonderful base to experience a bit of the great outdoors. Nestled behind an old thatched farmhouse it shared the grounds with hens and ducks, a stream flowed through a small copse of trees out back and the rocky hills of Dartmoor dominated the horizon. The only thing missing was phone signal, but who needs that when you are in a place like this? Well actually I needed it as I’d stupidly forgotten to make any plans with my friends before arriving. I’d go in search of signal later, but first I had a complimentary hamper of local farm eggs, butter, bread & muffins to feast on.

My first destination in Devon was the seaside town of Ilfracombe. On the map it seemed only a short drive, but with the narrow lanes and improbable numbers of tractors it took nearly two hours. Dipping down the hill into town the view was completely obscured by a thick swirling mist. I’d have to wait for another time to see the glorious views of the town’s theatre which resembles a nuclear power station, or the towering statue of a pregnant woman gorily cut in half. Yet again I was to view a seaside town from the warmth of a restraint with a plate of food and some good company.

No sooner had I left town than the fog lifted, so to at least see the coast I forked back down the hill to the next town along, Westward Ho! The town does indeed have an exclamation mark in its name, I wondered if the town was dramatic enough to warrant the exclamation.

It didn’t.

It was a very pleasant but inoffensive and anonymous place, sat along a wide bay being pummelled by a frothy sea. A row of amusement arcades were being drained of sea water and dried out. The flooding and pummelling from winter storms clearly hadn’t perturbed the developers. Large swanky apartments were being build all along the bay, seemingly with no regard to the waved splashing over the sea wall. When I win the lottery I’ll buy a house up on the hill thank you.

Back inland I had a less modern and swanky building to see. I arranged to meet with a friend who took me to a relic of Devon’s industrial past.

Hidden in the depths of the countryside the hulking remains of an old wool mill sit slowly being reclaimed by nature. The region was once bustling with industry, textile factories, mills, mines dotting the landscape. Today the county is largely rural but the industrial past can still be found rotting away in the fields and woods.

Despite being blanketed in a thick layer of ivy the mill buildings were largely intact after many years of dereliction. The engines, hoists & now empty halls gave an eerie reminder that this quiet backwater was once brimming with activity. It was easy to imagine the halls of this rambling complex filled with busy workers. The work bell now sits in silence and the only inhabitants now are the diverse range of wildlife. It was humbling to take in the speed at which nature can reclaim a sturdy industrial fort such as this, one designed to keep nature at bay.

Topping off the day, and the brief visit to Devon, we settled down for a hearty lunch of fish & chips. There is a lot of debate about where this national dish originated but it has become a staple take away treat the length and breadth of the country. Whilst on the road I suspected this’d become a very familiar meal, but the one in Devon would take some beating. A perfect way to end my stay in the county before heading east tomorrow.