Editing Devon (section)

==Geography and geology==
{{See also|List of hills of Devon}}
[[File:Heath.jpg|thumb|[[Heath (habitat)|Heathland]] at [[Woodbury Common, Devon|Woodbury Common]] in south east Devon]]
[[File:Devon Cliffs.jpg|thumb|Cliffs in Devon]]
[[File:Ilfracombe.jpg|thumb|[[Ilfracombe]], on the coast of [[North Devon]]]]

Devon straddles [[South West Peninsula|a peninsula]] and so, uniquely among English counties, has two separate coastlines: on the Bristol Channel and [[Celtic Sea]] in the north, and on the English Channel in the south.<ref>Dewey, Henry (1948) ''British Regional Geology: South West England'', 2nd ed. London: H.M.S.O.</ref> The South West Coast Path runs along the entire length of both, around 65% of which is named as [[Heritage Coast]]. Before the changes to English counties in 1974, Devon was the [[Historic counties of England#List of counties|third largest county]] by area and the largest of the counties not divided into county-like divisions (only Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were larger and both were sub-divided into ridings or parts, respectively).<ref>''Whitaker's Almanack'', 1972; p. 631</ref> Since 1974 the county is ranked fourth by area (due to the creation of Cumbria) [[List of ceremonial counties of England|amongst ceremonial counties]] and is the [[List of two-tier counties of England|third largest non-metropolitan county]]. The island of [[Lundy]] and the reef of [[Eddystone Rocks|Eddystone]] are also in Devon. The county has more mileage of road than any other county in England.

Inland, the Dartmoor [[National park]] lies wholly in Devon, and the Exmoor National Park lies in both Devon and Somerset. Apart from these areas of high moorland the county has attractive rolling rural scenery and villages with [[thatch]]ed [[Cob (building)|cob]] cottages. All these features make Devon a popular [[tourism|holiday]] destination.

In [[South Devon]] the landscape consists of rolling hills dotted with small towns, such as [[Dartmouth, England|Dartmouth]], [[Ivybridge]], [[Kingsbridge]], [[Salcombe]], and [[Totnes]]. The towns of [[Torquay]] and [[Paignton]] are the principal seaside resorts on the south coast. East Devon has the first seaside resort to be developed in the county, [[Exmouth, Devon|Exmouth]] and the more upmarket Georgian town of [[Sidmouth]], headquarters of the East Devon District Council. Exmouth marks the western end of the Jurassic Coast [[World Heritage Site]]. Another notable feature is the [[Exeter to Plymouth Line|coastal railway line]] between Newton Abbot and the Exe Estuary: the red sandstone cliffs and sea views are very dramatic and in the resorts railway line and beaches are very near.

North Devon is very rural with few major towns except [[Barnstaple]], [[Great Torrington]], [[Bideford]] and [[Ilfracombe]]. Devon's Exmoor coast has the highest cliffs in southern Britain, culminating in the [[Hangman cliffs|Great Hangman]], a {{convert|318|m|ft|abbr=on}} "hog's-back" hill with a {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}} cliff-face, located near Combe Martin Bay.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/learning_about/moor_facts.htm |title=NATIONAL PARK FACTS |access-date=1 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724224326/http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/learning_about/moor_facts.htm |archive-date=24 July 2008}}</ref> Its sister cliff is the {{convert|218|m|ft|abbr=on}} Little Hangman, which marks the western edge of coastal Exmoor. One of the features of the North Devon coast is that [[Bideford Bay]] and the [[Hartland Point]] peninsula are both west-facing, Atlantic facing coastlines; so that a combination of an off-shore (east) wind and an Atlantic swell produce excellent surfing conditions. The beaches of Bideford Bay ([[Woolacombe]], [[Saunton]], [[Westward Ho!]] and [[Croyde]]), along with parts of North Cornwall and South Wales, are the main centres of surfing in Britain.

===Geology===
{{See also|Geology of Dartmoor National Park|Geology of Exmoor National Park}}
[[File:Geologic map Wales & SW England EN.svg|thumb|Geological map of Wales & Southwest England]]

A geological dividing line cuts across Devon roughly along the line of the [[Bristol to Exeter line]] and the [[M5 motorway]] east of Tiverton and Exeter. It is a part of the [[Tees–Exe line]] broadly dividing Britain into a southeastern lowland zone typified by gently dipping [[sedimentary rock]]s and a northwestern upland zone typified by [[igneous rock]]s and folded sedimentary and [[metamorphic rock]]s.

The principal geological components of Devon are i) the [[Devonian]] [[stratum|strata]] of north Devon and south west Devon (and extending into Cornwall); ii) the [[Culm Measures]] (north western Devon also extending into north Cornwall); and iii) the granite [[intrusion]] of Dartmoor in central Devon, part of the [[Cornubian batholith]] forming the 'spine' of the southwestern peninsula. There are [[clastic rock|blocks]] of Silurian and Ordovician rocks within Devonian strata on the south Devon coast but otherwise no pre-Devonian rocks on the Devon mainland. The metamorphic rocks of Eddystone are of presumed Precambrian age.<ref>Edmonds, E. A., et al. (1975) ''South-West England''; based on previous editions by H. Dewey ([[British Geological Survey]] UK Regional Geology Guide series no. 17, 4th ed.) London: HMSO {{ISBN|0-11-880713-7}}</ref>

The oldest rocks which can be dated are those of the Devonian period which are approximately 395–359&nbsp;million years old. Sandstones and shales were deposited in North and South Devon beneath tropical seas. In shallower waters, limestone beds were laid down in the area now near Torquay and Plymouth.<ref>{{cite book |title=Devon's Geology: An Introduction |last=Hesketh |first=Robert |publisher=Bossiney Books |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-899-383-89-4}}</ref>
This geological period was named after Devon by [[Roderick Murchison]] and [[Adam Sedgwick]] in the 1840s and is the only British county whose name is used worldwide as the basis for a geological time period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Devon Geology Guide – Devonian Slates, Sandstones and Volcanics |last=Laming |first=Deryck |author2=Roche, David |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/geo-devonianslatessandstonesandvolcanics.pdf |access-date=14 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110021248/http://www.devon.gov.uk/geo-devonianslatessandstonesandvolcanics.pdf |archive-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

Devon's second major rock system<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/geology/geology-guide.htm |title=Devon's Rocks – A Geological Guide |publisher=Devon County Council |access-date=18 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212321/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/geology/geology-guide.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> is the Culm Measures, a geological formation of the [[Carboniferous]] period that occurs principally in Devon and Cornwall. The measures are so called either from the occasional presence of a soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as ''culm'', or from the contortions commonly found in the beds.<ref>{{cite book |last=Edmonds |first=E. A. |author2=McKeown, M. C. |author3=Williams, M. |others=Dewey, H. |title=South-West England |publisher=HMSO/British Geological Survey |location=London |year=1975 |edition=4th |series=British Geology |page=34 |chapter=Carboniferous Rocks |isbn=0-11-880713-7}}</ref> This formation stretches from Bideford to [[Bude]] in Cornwall, and contributes to a gentler, greener, more rounded landscape. It is also found on the western, north and eastern borders of Dartmoor.

The sedimentary rocks in more eastern parts of the county include [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] sandstones (giving rise to east Devon's well known fertile red soils); [[Bunter (geology)|Bunter pebble beds]] around Budleigh Salterton and Woodbury Common and [[Jurassic]] rocks in the easternmost parts of Devon. Smaller outcrops of younger rocks also exist, such as Cretaceous [[chalk]] cliffs at Beer Head and gravels on Haldon, plus [[Eocene]] and [[Oligocene]] [[ball clay]] and [[lignite]] deposits in the Bovey Basin, formed around 50 million years ago under tropical forest conditions.

===Climate===
{{See also|Dartmoor#Climate|climate of south-west England}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2010}}

Devon generally has a cool oceanic climate, heavily influenced by the [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]]. In winter, snow is relatively uncommon away from high land, although there are few exceptions. The county has mild summers with occasional warm spells and cool rainy periods. Winters are generally cool and the county often experiences some of the mildest winters in the world for its high latitude, with average daily maximum temperatures in January at {{convert|8|C}}. Rainfall varies significantly across the county, ranging from over {{convert|2000|mm|in|abbr=on}} on parts of Dartmoor, to around {{convert|750|mm|in|abbr=on}} in the [[rain shadow]] along the coast in southeastern Devon and around Exeter. Sunshine amounts also vary widely: the moors are generally cloudy, but the SE coast from Salcombe to Exmouth is one of the sunniest parts of the UK (a generally cloudy region). With westerly or south-westerly winds and high pressure the area around Torbay and Teignmouth will often be warm, with long sunny spells due to shelter by high ground ([[Foehn wind]]).

{{Weather box
| location= Devon
| metric first= Yes
| single line= Yes
| Jan high C= 8
| Feb high C= 8
| Mar high C= 10
| Apr high C= 13
| May high C= 16
| Jun high C= 19
| Jul high C= 21
| Aug high C= 21
| Sep high C= 19
| Oct high C= 15
| Nov high C= 12
| Dec high C= 9
| year high C= 13.5
| Jan low C= 4
| Feb low C= 3
| Mar low C= 5
| Apr low C= 6
| May low C= 8
| Jun low C= 11
| Jul low C= 13
| Aug low C= 13
| Sep low C= 12
| Oct low C= 9
| Nov low C= 7
| Dec low C= 5
| year low C= 8
| date= August 2010
| source=
}}

{{wide image|Devon fields stitch.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|Fields in south Devon after a snowfall}}

===Ecology===
[[File:Pnies5.jpg|thumb|Ponies grazing on Exmoor near [[Brendon]], [[North Devon]]]]

The variety of habitats means that there is a wide range of wildlife (see [[Dartmoor wildlife]], for example). A popular challenge among [[bird-watching|birders]] is to find over 100 species in the county in a day.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} The county's wildlife is protected by several wildlife charities such as the [[Devon Wildlife Trust]], which looks after 40 nature reserves. The Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society (founded in 1928 and known since 2005 as "Devon Birds") is a county bird society dedicated to the study and conservation of wild birds.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devonbirds.org/about/the_society/introduction |title=The Society – Introduction |work=Devon Birds |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221213314/http://www.devonbirds.org/about/the_society/introduction |archive-date=21 December 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[RSPB]] has reserves in the county, and [[Natural England]] is responsible for over 200 Devon [[Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] and [[National nature reserves in England|National Nature Reserves]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteList.aspx?countyCode=11 |title=Designated sites view (Devon) |publisher=Natural England |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220135603/https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteList.aspx?countyCode=11 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> such as [[Slapton Ley]]. The [[Devon Bat Group]] was founded in 1984 to help conserve bats. Wildlife found in this area extend to a plethora of different kinds of insects, butterflies and moths; an interesting butterfly to take look at is the [[Carterocephalus palaemon|chequered skipper]].

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 recorded in Devon include seahorses and the sea daffodil.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0021053453 |title=Hippocampus Rafinesque, 1810 |work=NBN Atlas |access-date=25 September 2021 |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408003228/https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0021053453 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0100002286 |title=Pancratium maritimum L. |work=NBN Atlas |access-date=25 September 2021 |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408003229/https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0100002286 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The botany of the county is very diverse and includes some rare species not found elsewhere in the British Isles other than Cornwall. Devon is divided into two [[Watsonian vice-counties]]: north and south, the boundary being an irregular line approximately across the higher part of Dartmoor and then along the canal eastwards. Botanical reports begin in the 17th century and there is a ''Flora Devoniensis'' by Jones and Kingston in 1829.<ref>Jones, John Pike & Kingston, J. F. (1829) ''Flora Devoniensis''. 2 pts, in 1 vol. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green</ref> A general account appeared in ''[[Victoria County History#Dormant counties|The Victoria History of the County of Devon]]'' (1906), and a ''Flora of Devon'' was published in 1939 by [[William Keble Martin|Keble Martin]] and Fraser.<ref>[[Martin, W. Keble]] & Fraser, G. T. (eds.) (1939) Flora of Devon. Arbroath</ref> An ''Atlas of the Devon Flora'' by Ivimey-Cook appeared in 1984, and ''A New Flora of Devon'', based on field work undertaken between 2005 and 2014, was published in 2016.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=R. |last2=Hodgson |first2=B. |last3=Ison |first3=J. |title=A New Flora of Devon |year=2016 |publisher=The Devonshire Association |location=Exeter |page=1 |isbn=978-1-5272-0525-3}}</ref> Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article1785059.ece |title=Britain warms to the taste for home-grown olives |author=Paul Simons |work=The Times |location=UK |access-date=20 September 2007 |date=14 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706181106/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article1785059.ece |archive-date=6 July 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In January 2024, plans were announced to plant over 100,000 trees in northern Devon to support [[Celtic rainforest|Celtic rainforests]], which are cherished yet at risk ecosystems in the UK. The project aims to create 50 hectares of new rainforest across three sites, planting trees near existing rainforest areas along the coast and inland. Among the tree species to be planted is the rare [[Karpatiosorbus devoniensis|Devon whitebeam]], known for its unique reproduction method and once-popular fruit. Led by the [[National Trust]] and with the assistance of volunteers and community groups, the initiative will focus on locations in [[Exmoor]], [[Woolacombe]], [[Hartland, Devon|Hartland]], and [[Arlington Court]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=29 January 2024 |title=More than 100,000 trees to be planted in Devon to boost Celtic rainforest |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/29/more-than-100000-trees-to-be-planted-in-devon-to-boost-celtic-rainforest |access-date=29 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=29 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129061306/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/29/more-than-100000-trees-to-be-planted-in-devon-to-boost-celtic-rainforest |url-status=live }}</ref>