The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: November nineteenth, savoring the cream of Devon.

"Above all Watson, avoid the moor, where the powers of evil are exalted." So went Sherlock Holmes' warning about Dartmoor, the wet windswept expanse of Devonshire on England's southwest coast where Conan Doyle centered his mystery masterpiece, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Now preserved as a 360-square-mile British national park, Dartmoor's great granite dome is carpeted with thick, spongy moss that can still make it a profoundly melancholy place this time of year. On the other hand a little sunshine reveals its wild splendors.

In fact, much of County Devon remains surprisingly wild for countryside that has been inhabited since before the Bronze Age. Bounded to the west by Cornwall and the east by Somerset and Dorset, Devon's north coast on the Bristol Channel is edged by cruel cliffs. The somewhat gentler terrain of its south coast is notched by the deep ports of Dartmouth and Plymouth, from which the Mayflower pilgrims set sail. Tinier bays harbor picturesque resorts like Torquay, Brixham and Salcombe, which give Devon's south coast a reputation as England's Riviera.

The sliver of Devon sandwiched between moor and coast is quintessential England, a quilt of woods and centuries-old fields stitched by endless stone walls. A spider's web of narrow, sheep dotted lanes lace through quaint hamlets of thatch-roofed cottages. Though Devon harbors some superb dining, its true culinary calling are simple tea scones piled high with its slightly-sweet clotted cream. A mouthful is enough to cause visitors to question the judgement of Sherlock Holmes.

FMI For information, contact the British Tourist Authority at 800-462-2748 (800-GO-2-BRITAIN) or www.visitbritain.com.

Back to November 2003 Main

Look through the list of fascinating places and off-beat features we’ve covered. Search text versions of past episodes and articles in our archives.