North and Central Devon
Central and North Devon combine to offer a large area of mostly unspoilt countryside and coastline, with the inland being mostly dominated by farmland and small communities, and the coast being made up by a combination of rugged cliffs, beautiful sandy beaches, and traditional seaside communities. I do not get to visit this area as often as the Dartmoor and South Devon areas, but the one thing that draws me to this area most are family history (or genealogy) tours. There was a large out-flux from these areas, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries, to lands that promised fresh opportunities, and now the descendants of those people come back to Devon to visit the lands of the forebears, and to gain an impression of what life might have been like back then.
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons to visit Central and North Devon. There seems to be an abundance of space, for a start, no surprise considering how sparsely populated it is. The scenery is quite lovely, and the coast offers great opportunities for exploration and coastal path walking. There are some incredible beaches, such as at Woolacombe and Croyde, both surfers’ paradises, and villages and towns such as Appledore, Hartland, Clovelly, Lynton and Lynmouth, which offer plenty for the visitor.
