Part 1
Transcriber's Notes ###################
This e-text is based on the 1910 edition. The following errors have been corrected.
# p. 68: "standstone" --> "sandstone" # p. 71: bad print image; "south of": "of" restored # p. 131: "exent" --> "extent"
Italic text in the original version has been placed between underscores (_text_); bold passages have been symbolised by hash marks (#text#). The caret symbol (^) indicates a superscript letter; the symbol [oe] represents the respective ligature.
CAMBRIDGE COUNTY GEOGRAPHIES
General Editor: F. H. H. GUILLEMARD, M.A., M.D.
DEVONSHIRE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS London: FETTER LANE, E.C. C. F. CLAY, Manager
Edinburgh: 100, PRINCES STREET Berlin: A. ASHER AND CO. Leipzig: F. A. BROCKHAUS New York: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS Bombay and Calcutta: MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD.
[_All rights reserved_] _Cambridge County Geographies_
DEVONSHIRE
by
FRANCIS A. KNIGHT AND LOUIE M. (KNIGHT) DUTTON
With Maps, Diagrams and Illustrations
Cambridge: at the University Press 1910
Cambridge:
PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
PREFACE
In preparing this book much use has been made of the _Proceedings_ of the Devonshire Association and of the first volume of the _Victoria History of Devon_. The authors also desire to take this opportunity of recording their grateful thanks to Her Gracious Majesty Queen Alexandra for her kindness in providing one of the most interesting illustrations in the volume--the beautiful photograph of the Armada trophy preserved among the Royal plate in Windsor Castle, taken for the purpose of this volume by her command.
F. A. K. AND L. M. D.
_March, 1910._
CONTENTS
PAGE
1. County and Shire. The Name Devonshire 1
2. General Characteristics 4
3. Size. Shape. Boundaries 8
4. Surface and General Features 11
5. Watershed. Rivers and the tracing of their courses. Lakes 20
6. Geology 30
7. Natural History 41
8. A Peregrination of the Coast: 1, The Bristol Channel 55
9. A Peregrination of the Coast: 2, The English Channel 65
10. Coastal Gains and Losses. Sandbanks. Lighthouses 79
11. Climate and Rainfall 88
12. People--Race. Dialects. Settlements. Population 97
13. Agriculture--Main Cultivations. Woodlands. Stock 104
14. Industries and Manufactures 111
15. Mines and Minerals 119
16. Fisheries and Fishing Stations 124
17. Shipping and Trade 129
18. History of Devonshire 136
19. Antiquities 152
20. Architecture--(_a_) Ecclesiastical. Cathedral, Churches, Abbeys and Monastic Houses 167
21. Architecture--(_b_) Military. Castles 185
22. Architecture--(_c_) Domestic. Famous Seats, Manor Houses, Farms, Cottages 192
23. Communications: Past and Present--Roads, Railways, Canals 202
24. Administration and Divisions--Ancient and Modern 208
25. The Roll of Honour of the County 213
26. The Chief Towns and Villages of Devonshire 225
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Devonshire in the Exeter Domesday Book. _Phot._ Worth & Co 3
King Tor, near Tavistock. _Phot._ Frith 5
A Typical Devon Stream--Watersmeet, Lynmouth. _Phot._ Coates & Co. 6
A Devon Valley--Yawl Bottom, Uplyme. _Phot._ Frith 7
Glen Lyn, near Lynmouth. _Phot._ Coates & Co. 9
The Upper Dart, from the Moors. _Phot._ Frith 12
Tavy Cleave, showing disintegrated granite 14
On Lundy 17
The River Exe at Tiverton. _Phot._ Frith 21
On the Dart; Sharpham Woods. _Phot._ Frith 24
The Axe at Axminster Bridge. _Phot._ Frith 26
Bideford and the Torridge Estuary. _Phot._ Frith 28
Geological Section across England 32
Logan Stone, Dartmoor. Phot. Frith 34
A smoothly-weathered granite Tor, Dartmoor. _Phot._ Frith 36
Footprints of _Cheirotherium_. _Phot._ H. G. Herring 38
A Red Deer. _Phot._ H. G. Herring 43
Otters. _Phot._ H. G. Herring 44
Spurge Hawk Moth, with Pupa and Caterpillar. _Phot._ H. G. Herring 51
The Castle Rock, Lynton. _Phot._ Coates & Co. 56
Valley of Rocks, Lynton. _Phot._ Frith 57
Ilfracombe, from Hillsborough. _Phot._ Coates & Co. 59
Cliffs near Clovelly. _Phot._ Frith 63
Clovelly Harbour 64
Church Rock, Clovelly. _Phot._ Frith 65
Pinhay Landslip. _Phot._ Frith 67
White Cliff, Seaton. _Phot._ Barrett 68
Parson and Clerk Rocks, Dawlish. _Phot._ Frith 70
Anstis Cove, near Torquay. _Phot._ Frith 71
Torquay from Vane Hill. _Phot._ Frith 72
Brixham. _Phot._ Frith 74
"Britannia" and "Hindostan" in Dartmouth Harbour. _Phot._ Frith 75
A Rough Sea at Ilfracombe. _Phot._ Frith 81
The Eddystone Lighthouse. _Phot._ Frith 84
The Start Lighthouse. _Phot._ Frith 87
The Winter Garden at Torquay. _Phot._ Frith 90
Upcott Lane, Bideford. _Phot._ Frith 94
A Cockle Woman, River Exe. _Phot._ Frith 101
A Honiton Lace-Worker. _Phot._ Frith 102
Old Ford Farm, Bideford. _Phot._ Frith 105
Exmoor Ponies. _Phot._ Sport and General Illustrations Co. 106
Red Devon Cow 107
Gathering Cider Apples 109
A Water-mill at Uplyme. _Phot._ Frith 110
Devonshire Lace 113
Devonshire Pottery from the Watcombe Works 115
Cider-making in the 17th Century 116
A Modern Cider Press 117
Ship-building Yard, Brixham. _Phot._ Frith 118
Devon Great Consols Mine. _Phot._ Frith 121
Stone Quarry, Beer. _Phot._ Frith 123
Fish Market at Brixham. _Phot._ Lake 126
Brixham Trawlers. _Phot._ Frith 128
Teignmouth. Phot. Coates & Co., Bristol 133
Drake's Island from Mt. Edgcumbe. _Phot._ Frith 135
Penny of Ethelred II, struck at Exeter. _Phot._ Worth & Co. 139
Signatures of Drake and Hawkyns 143
Flagon taken by Drake from the "Capitana" of the Armada. From a photograph taken by the Queen's command 144
Drake's Drum. From a photograph presented by Lady Eliott Drake 145
The "Mayflower" Stone on Plymouth Quay. _Phot._ Frith 146
Palaeolithic Implement from Kent's Cavern 152
Dolmen near Drewsteignton. _Phot._ Mr John S. Amery 154
Palstave of the Bronze Age, from Exeter Museum. _Phot._ Worth & Co 155
Fernworthy Circle, near Chagford. _Phot._ Frith 156
Hurston Stone Alignment. _Phot._ Mr John S. Amery 157
Triple Stone Row and Circle near Headlands, Dartmoor. _Phot._ Mr John S. Amery 158
Bronze Centaur forming the Head of a Roman Standard. _Phot._ Worth & Co 162
Saxon Sword-hilt 164
Cyclopean Bridge, Dartmoor. _Phot._ Frith 166
Norman Doorway, Axminster Church. _Phot._ Miss E. K. Prideaux 169
Ottery St Mary Church. _Phot._ Frith 170
Decorated Window, Exeter Cathedral. _Phot._ Worth & Co. 171
Rood Screen and Pulpit, Harberton Church. _Phot._ Crossley, Knutsford 174
The Seymour Tomb, Berry Pomeroy Church. _Phot._ Frith. 177
Exeter Cathedral, West Front. _Phot._ Worth & Co. 179
The Nave, Exeter Cathedral. _Phot._ Worth & Co. 181
Buckland Abbey from a photograph presented by Lady Eliott Drake 184
Compton Castle. _Phot._ E. Kelly 189
An Old Devon Farmhouse Chimney Corner. _Phot._ Miss E. K. Prideaux 193
Hayes Barton: Sir Walter Ralegh's House. _Phot._ Miss E. K. Prideaux 196
Mol's Coffee House, Exeter. _Phot._ S. A. Moore of Exeter 198
Sydenham House 199
Dartmouth: Old Houses in the High Street. _Phot._ Frith 201
Newton Village. _Phot._ Frith 202
Teignmouth: the Coast Line and Sea-wall. _Phot._ Frith 206
The Guildhall, Exeter. _Phot._ Frith 211
Sir Francis Drake 214
Sir Walter Ralegh. _Phot._ Emery Walker. Signature. _Phot._ Worth & Co 216
Charles Kingsley. _Phot._ Emery Walker 220
Blundell's School, Tiverton. _Phot._ Frith 222
Samuel Taylor Coleridge. _Phot._ Emery Walker 223
Clovelly. _Phot._ Frith 228
Dartmouth, from Warfleet. _Phot._ Frith 230
Cherry Bridge, near Lynmouth. _Phot._ Frith 234
Lynmouth Harbour. _Phot._ Coates & Co. 235
Ogwell Mill, Newton Abbot. _Phot._ Frith 237
Shute Manor House. _Phot._ Barrett 240
Tiverton Bridge. _Phot._ Frith 241
Diagrams 243
MAPS
Devonshire, Topographical _Front Cover_
Devonshire, Geological _Back Cover_
England and Wales, showing Annual Rainfall 92
The authors are indebted to Mr John S. Amery for leave to reproduce the pictures on pp. 154, 157 and 158.
1. County and Shire. The Name Devonshire.
The word "shire," which is probably derived, like "shear" and "share," from an Anglo-Saxon root meaning "to cut," was at one time used in a wider sense than it is at present, and was formerly applied to a division of a county or even of a town. Thus, there were once six small "shires" in Cornwall.
The word shire was in use at the time of King Ina, and occurs in the code of laws which that monarch drew up about the year 709; but the actual division of England into shires was a gradual process, and was not complete at the Norman Conquest. Lancashire, for example, was not constituted a shire until the twelfth century. Alterations in the extent and limits of some of the counties are, indeed, still being made; and in the case of Devonshire the boundaries have been changed several times within the memory of persons still living.
The object of thus dividing up the country was partly military and partly financial. Every shire was bound to provide a certain number of armed men to fight the king's battles, and was also bound to contribute a certain sum of money towards his income and the expenses of the state; and in each district a "shire-reeve"--or sheriff, as we call the officer now--was appointed by the Crown to see that the people did their duty in both respects. The shire was a Saxon institution. County is a Norman word, which came into use after the Conquest, when the government of each shire was entrusted to some powerful noble, often a count, a title which originally meant a companion of the King.
It has been suggested that the reason why the names of some counties end or may end in "shire," while in other cases this syllable is never used, is that the former were "shorn off" from some larger district, while the latter represent entire ancient kingdoms or tribal divisions. According to this theory, Yorkshire is a "shire" because it originally formed part of the kingdom of Northumbria; and Kent is not a "shire" because it practically represents the ancient kingdom of the Cantii. The form "Kent-shire" is, however, found in a record of the time of Athelstan.
In the case of our own county both forms are in use, and we say either "Devon" or "Devonshire," although the two names are not exactly interchangeable. Thus, while we generally talk of "Red Devon" cattle, we always speak of "Devonshire" cream. "Devon," which is the older form, may be derived either from _Dumnonii_, the name given by Ptolemy, an Alexandrian geographer of the second century, to the inhabitants of the south-west of Britain, perhaps from a Celtic word _Dumnos_, "people"--or it may come from the old Welsh word _Dyvnaint_ or _Dyfneint_, "the land of the deeps," that is to say, of deep valleys or deep seas. To the Saxon settlers the people they found in possession of the district were _Defn-saetan_ or "dwellers in Devon"; and in time these settlers called themselves _Defenas_, or "men of Devon." In the Exeter Domesday Book--the Norman survey of the five south-western counties, completed probably before 1086--the name of the county is given as _Devenesira_. It would appear, then, that the Britons called their province "Devon," and that the Saxons called it "Devonshire." It is characteristic of the peaceable nature of the Saxon occupation that the two names, like the two nations, seem to have quietly settled down side by side.
It is believed that it was Alfred the Great who marked out the border-line between Devon and Somerset; and it was undoubtedly Athelstan who, after his victory over the West Welsh, made the Tamar the boundary between Devon and Cornwall.
2. General Characteristics.
Devonshire is a county in the extreme south-west of England, occupying the greater part of the peninsula between the English and Bristol Channels, and having a coast-line both on the south and on the north. Situated thus, on two seas, and possessing, especially on its southern sea-board, a remarkable number of bays and estuaries, it has always been noted as a maritime county. And although many of its harbours have, in the lapse of ages, become silted up with sand or shingle, and are now of comparatively slight importance, it has one great sea-port, which, while only thirtieth in rank among British commercial ports, is the greatest naval station in the Empire.
The county has in the past been famous for its cloth-weaving and for its tin and copper-mining, but these industries are now greatly decayed, and the main occupation of the people is agriculture, to which both the soil and the climate are particularly favourable.
A special characteristic of Devonshire is its scenery, which is so striking that it is very generally considered the most beautiful county in England; while there are probably very many who regard its mild and genial, equable and health-giving climate as more noteworthy still. It is a remarkably hilly country, and it also possesses not only many rivers, but a great number of broad river estuaries. Another characteristic with which every visitor to the district is struck is the redness which distinguishes its soil, its southern cliffs, and its famous breed of cattle, which is not less noticeable than the soft and pleasant dialect, with its close sound of the letter "u" so typical both of Devon and of West Somerset.
Another characteristic of the people has always been their loyalty to their sovereign, to their county, and to each other. Devon is proverbial, like Cornwall and Yorkshire, for the clannishness of its inhabitants. It is a land, too, where superstition dies hard. Belief in pixies--fairies, as they are called elsewhere--in witches and witch-craft, in whisht-hounds and other weird and uncanny creatures, and in portents and omens, still lingers, especially on Dartmoor.
Dartmoor itself, with its wild and picturesque scenery, its unrivalled wealth of prehistoric antiquities, and its singular geological structure, forms one of the most striking features of the county, and one to which there is no parallel in England. The marine zoology of Devonshire is more interesting than that of any other English county, and nowhere else in the island has there been discovered clearer evidence of the great antiquity of man than was found in Kent's Cavern and other Devonshire caves.
Above all things, its position has made Devonshire a native land of heroes. Very few other counties have produced so many men of mark, so many men of enterprise and daring. Certainly no other has played a greater part in the expansion of England. From Devonshire came not only some of the most distinguished seamen of the Golden Age of Elizabeth, some of the most skilful and daring of her naval captains, but some of the earliest and most famous of our explorers; the founder of the first English colony, the first Englishman to sail the polar sea, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
3. Size. Shape. Boundaries.
Devonshire, which occupies rather more than one-twenty-second of the whole area of England and Wales, is one of the largest counties in the British Islands, being exceeded in size only by Yorkshire and Lincoln in England, by Inverness and Argyll in Scotland, and by Cork in Ireland. Its extreme length from east to west, measured along a horizontal line drawn through the middle of the county, starting at the Dorsetshire border half-way between Lyme Cobb and the Seven Rocks Point, passing close to the city of Exeter, and reaching to the point where the river Ottery enters the county, is 67 miles; exactly the same as that of the county of Somerset. Its greatest breadth, from Countisbury Foreland on the north coast to Prawle Point on the south, is 71 miles. It may be added that a longer east and west line can be drawn only in Yorkshire and Sussex, and a longer meridional line only in Yorkshire and Lincoln. The area of the "Ancient" or "Geographical" county of Devonshire, according to the revised return furnished by the Ordnance Department, is 1,667,154 acres, or 2605 square miles. Compared with the counties that adjoin it, it is two-and-a-half times the size of Dorset, it is roughly twice as large as Cornwall, and it is more than half as large again as Somerset. It is fifteen times as large as Rutland, it is about half the size of Yorkshire, and its area is less than that of Lincolnshire by only 48 square miles.
Although usually said to be irregular in form, the outline of the county has a certain degree of symmetry, being roughly shaped like a life-guardsman's cuirass, with nearly equal sides, with a small hollow at the top or north coast, and a much larger one at the bottom or south coast.
Devonshire, like Kent and Cornwall, is bounded on two sides by the sea, having the Bristol Channel on the north and north-west, and the English Channel on the south. On its western side the river Tamar, with its tributary the Ottery, forms almost the whole of the frontier between it and Cornwall. The eastern and north-eastern border is less definite, but is roughly marked by Exmoor and the Blackdown Hills, which partly separate Devonshire from Somerset. The short length of frontier between Devonshire and Dorsetshire is marked by no natural feature.
No part of Devonshire is now, as was formerly the case, wholly surrounded by any other county. Three of its parishes, however, are partly in Dorset, one is partly in Cornwall, and one, a district of Exmoor containing no houses or inhabitants, is partly in Somerset. Culmstock, which before 1842 was considered to belong to Somerset, although completely islanded in Devon, and Stockland and Dalwood, which were reckoned with Dorset, although they were entirely inside the Devonshire border, have now been formally transferred to this county. On the other hand, Thornecombe and Ford Abbey, which belonged to Devonshire although they were situate in the adjoining county, have been handed over to Dorset. Still later alterations were the transfer of Hawkchurch and Churchstanton from Dorset to Devon in 1896.
4. Surface and General Features.
Devonshire is characterised by such great irregularity and unevenness of surface that practically the only level land in it is along the shores of its estuaries; with the almost inevitable result that it is one of the most picturesque and beautiful counties in England. Its scenery has been very greatly affected by subterranean movements, which have not only roughly shaped its hills and valleys, partly by upheaval and partly by the shrinkage of the earth's crust, but have been the principal cause of the breadth of the river estuaries which are so marked a feature of its coasts, especially of the south. At many points along the shore of Devonshire there is evidence, in raised sea-beaches, and, near Torquay, in the borings of marine mollusca at a great height above the present tide-line, of upheavals that must have raised the whole coast, even if they did not materially change the contour of the country. On the other hand, the existence of submerged forests at many places near the shore proves that the land has sunk at least forty feet, thus allowing the sea to flow further inland; thereby greatly widening the already existing valleys, which had been formed in part by the shrinkage of the earth's crust, and in part by the action of the rivers.