Devon

Extracted Attributes

• Area

  2,590 sq mi (6,700 km2)

• Type

  Ceremonial county

• Climate

  Generally mild, rainfall 760-2000 mm

• Location

  South West England

• Population

  1,194,166

• County Town

  Exeter

• Border (East)

  Somerset, Dorset

• Border (West)

  Cornwall

• Border (North)

  Bristol Channel

• Border (South)

  English Channel

• Notable Species

  Cirl bunting, greater horseshoe bat, Bechstein's bat, Jersey tiger moth, sand crocus, six British native land reptile species, Eurasian beaver

• Highest Coastline

  Exmoor seaboard (Great Hangman 318 m hill, 250 m cliff-face)

• Largest Settlement

  Plymouth

• Geographic Features

  Dartmoor, Exmoor (upland moors, national parks), Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site

• Geologic Period Origin

  Devonian geologic period

• Longest River in County

  Tamar River

• Administrative Structure

  Non-metropolitan county with eight districts, unitary authorities of Plymouth and Torbay

Timeline

• During the Iron Age, Roman, and Sub-Roman periods, Devon was home to the Dumnonii Celtic Britons. (Source: Wikipedia)

  Unknown

• In the 8th and 9th centuries, Dumnonia (the region of Devon) was partially assimilated into the kingdom of Wessex. (Source: Wikipedia)

  Unknown

• King Æthelstan set the western boundary with Cornwall at the Tamar River. (Source: Wikipedia)

  0936-XX-XX

• The first known use of the term 'devon' (referring to a breed of cattle) occurred. (Source: Merriam-Webster)

  1834-XX-XX

• Plymouth and Torbay became independent unitary authorities, separate from the remainder of Devon. (Source: Web Search)

  1998-XX-XX

Devon

Devon ( DEV-ən; historically also known as Devonshire -⁠sheer, -⁠shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement, and the city of Exeter is the county town. The county has an area of 2,590 sq mi (6,700 km2) and a population of 1,194,166. The largest settlements after Plymouth (264,695) are the city of Exeter (130,709) and the seaside resorts of Torquay and Paignton, which have a combined population of 115,410. They all are located along the south coast, which is the most populous part of the county; Barnstaple (31,275) and Tiverton (22,291) are the largest towns in the north and centre respectively. For local government purposes Devon comprises a non-metropolitan county, with eight districts, and the unitary authority areas of Plymouth and Torbay. Devon County Council and Torbay Council collaborate through a combined county authority. Devon has a varied geography. It contains Dartmoor and part of Exmoor, two upland moors which are the source of most of the county's rivers, including the Taw, Dart, and Exe. The longest river in the county is the Tamar, which forms most of the border with Cornwall and rises in Devon's northwest hills. The southeast coast is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, and characterised by tall cliffs which reveal the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous geology of the region. The county gives its name to the Devonian geologic period, which includes the slates and sandstones of the north coast. Dartmoor and Exmoor have been designated national parks, and the county also contains, in whole or in part, five national landscapes. In the Iron Age, Roman and the Sub-Roman periods, the county was the home of the Dumnonii Celtic Britons. The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain resulted in the partial assimilation of Dumnonia into the kingdom of Wessex in the eighth and ninth centuries, and the western boundary with Cornwall was set at the Tamar by king Æthelstan in 936.

Web Search Results

• Devon

  Devon (/ˈdɛvən/ DEV-ən; historically also known as Devonshire /-ʃɪər, -ʃər/ -⁠sheer, -⁠shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement, and the city of Exeter is the county town. [...] Devon is a national hotspot for several species that are uncommon in Britain, including the cirl bunting; greater horseshoe bat; Bechstein's bat and Jersey tiger moth. It is also the only place in mainland Britain where the sand crocus (Romulea columnae) can be found – at Dawlish Warren, and is home to all six British native land reptile species, partly as a result of some reintroductions. Another recent reintroduction is the Eurasian beaver, primarily on the river Otter. Other rare species [...] The administrative centre and capital of Devon is the city of Exeter. The largest city in Devon, Plymouth, and the conurbation of Torbay (which includes the largest town in Devon and capital of Torbay, Torquay, as well as Paignton and Brixham) have been unitary authorities since 1998, separate from the remainder of Devon which is administered by Devon County Council for the purposes of local government.

• Devon – Travel guide at Wikivoyage

  Devon (also known, far less commonly, as "Devonshire") is a large county in England's West Country. Uniquely amongst English counties, Devon has two coastlines: to the south, on the English Channel and to the north, on the Celtic Sea and Bristol Channel. These are studded with resort towns, harbours and (more recently) surfing beaches. Devon is also home to two national parks, Dartmoor and Exmoor, and includes the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel/Celtic Sea. ## Regions [edit] [...] Devon has the highest coastline in southern England and Wales on its Exmoor seaboard. The "hob-backed" hills of the Exmoor National Park tumble down to the coast on Devon's Bristol Channel coast, culminating at the awesome "Great Hangman", a 318 m (1043 ft) hill with a cliff-face of 250 m (820 ft), while the "Little Hangman" has a cliff-face of 218 m (716 ft). The best way to see these cliffs is from a boat trip from Ilfracombe or (occasionally) Lynmouth or Swansea; the ferry service from [...] | | | --- | | | North Devon (Barnstaple, Ilfracombe) Covers the area west of the River Exe that lies between Dartmoor and the Bristol Channel. It is largely farming area with market towns and a number of holiday resorts on the north coast. Part of Exmoor lies within the region. |

• Devon | U.K., Map, History, Population, & Facts

  Devon, administrative, geographic, and historic county of England. It forms part of the South West (or Cornish) Peninsula of Great Britain and is bounded to the west by Cornwall and to the east by Dorset and Somerset. The Bristol Channel lies to the north, and the English Channel abuts it to the south. [...] The geographic county of Devon is the third largest of that type in England. It encompasses the administrative county and the unitary authorities of Plymouth and Torbay. The historic county comprises the entire geographic county, as well as a small area along the border of the district of West Dorset in the administrative county of Dorset and a larger area extending west from Werrington along the River Otter within the historic district of North Cornwall in the Cornwall unitary authority. [...] Devon is given over to grassland. The soils in South Hams, south of Dartmoor, often produce good farmland. The most fertile soil is in southeastern Devon. The county’s generally mild climate becomes more extreme with elevation and distance from the sea, and rainfall increases from about 30 inches (760 mm) on the south coast to more than 60 inches (1,500 mm) on Exmoor and 80 inches (2,000 mm) on Dartmoor.

• DEVON definition in American English - Collins Dictionary

  a county of SW England, between the Bristol Channel and the English Channel, including the island of Lundy: the geographic and ceremonial county includes Plymouth and Torbay, which became independent unitary authorities in 1998; hilly, rising to the uplands of Exmoor and Dartmoor, with wooded river valleys and a rugged coastline. Administrative centre: Exeter. Pop (excluding unitary authorities): 714 900 (2003 est). Area (excluding unitary authorities): 6569 sq km (2536 sq miles) 2. [...] a breed of large red beef cattle originally from Devon Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers COBUILD frequency band ## devon in British English (ˈdɛvən ) noun Australian a bland processed meat in sausage form, eaten cold in slices Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Word origin named after Devon ## Word lists with Devon breeds of cattle English counties Former English counties inhabitant meat Quick word challenge [...] any of a breed of medium-sized, red beef cattle, originally raised in the area of Devon, England Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. COBUILD frequency band ## Devon in American English 2 (ˈdɛvən ) 1. island of the Arctic Archipelago, north of Baffin region of Nunavut, Canada: 20,861 sq mi (54,030 sq km) 2.

• DEVON Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

  often capitalized : any of an English breed of vigorous red cattle used for meat and milk Devon 2 of 2 ## abbreviation Devonshire ## Word History Etymology Noun Devon, England First Known Use Noun 1834, in the meaning defined above Time Traveler The first known use of devon was in 1834 See more words from the same year ## Rhymes for devon heaven leaven levan levin seven sevin eleven replevin See All Rhymes for devon ## Browse Nearby Words devolve devon Devon [...] See all Nearby Words ## Cite this Entry “Devon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Accessed 16 Sep. 2025. Copy Citation ## Share ## Geographical Definition Devon ## geographical name Dev·​on ˈde-vən") variants or Devonshire ˈde-vən-ˌshir") -shər county of southwestern England bordering the English Channel; capital Exeter area 2686 square miles (6957 square kilometers), population 746,399 see also devonian sense 1 ## More from Merriam-Webster on devon

• Instance Of

  Q4167410