8 things hardly anyone knows about Devon
Did you know this about Devon?
I’ve put together some of the most fascinating facts that I’ve discovered while researching Devon’s history and culture.
And these eight are little-known, even by locals!
1. There was a D-Day disaster on a Devon beach
In spring 1944, Slapton Sands was the unlikely setting for one of the most tragic incidents to occur on English soil during World War II.
Chosen for its resemblance to the Normandy coast, the beach and surrounding countryside were evacuated to allow for large-scale American military exercises ahead of the D-Day landings.
On 28 April, a convoy of American landing ships rehearsing an amphibious assault in Lyme Bay was ambushed by German E-boats operating out of Cherbourg.
Poor coordination and missed signals meant that the convoy was inadequately protected. Two landing ships were torpedoed and sunk, while others suffered heavy casualties. In total, 749 American servicemen were killed—more than died storming Utah Beach on 6 June.
The incident was quickly classified. Survivors were ordered to remain silent, and families back home were given limited information.
The scale of the disaster wasn’t widely acknowledged until decades later. Today, a rusted Sherman tank recovered from the seabed stands by the roadside at Torcross as a quiet memorial.
Nearby information boards outline the events, but many visitors pass through unaware that this peaceful stretch of South Hams coastline was once the scene of chaos, fire, and loss.
2. Plymouth is home to the oldest commercial bakery in Great Britain
Located in the narrow streets of Plymouth’s Barbican, just metres from the harbour, Jacka Bakery has been serving bread for well over four centuries. Documents confirm it was trading by 1597, making it the oldest working bakery in Britain on its original site.
In 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth with passengers bound for the New World. Local tradition claims Jacka Bakery supplied ship’s biscuits for the journey.
These hard-baked rations, made to survive months at sea, were as important as the ship’s sails and timbers!
The current owners have retained the original ovens in the basement—low, soot-blackened chambers where generations of bakers once worked through the night. Upstairs, the shop continues to serve fresh sourdough and pastries to locals and visitors, most of whom walk in for coffee without realising they’re standing inside a working Tudor business.
3. Exeter was an unexpected WW2 target
In 1942, Exeter became an early target of the Baedeker Blitz — a series of German air raids focused not on industrial output, but on cultural heritage. Cities were selected using the Baedeker travel guide, and Exeter, with its medieval street plan, cathedral and historic buildings, fit the criteria.
The heaviest raid came on the night of 3–4 May. Around 30 German aircraft dropped more than 50 tonnes of high explosives and incendiaries across the city. Entire streets were destroyed. 164 people were killed, and thousands were left homeless. Exeter Cathedral took a direct hit — the chapel of St James was reduced to rubble, and the medieval windows shattered.
Despite the devastation, parts of Exeter’s historic centre were rebuilt with care, incorporating salvaged materials where possible. You can still see fire-blackened stones in the cathedral’s rebuilt sections.
At Princesshay and Southernhay, plaques now mark buildings lost in the raid. The Baedeker Blitz remains one of the most overlooked chapters of wartime history, but in Exeter, the scars are still visible if you know where to look.
4. East Devon’s cliffs used to be on the latitude of the Sahara
The red rock that defines the coastline from Exmouth to Sidmouth tells a story that goes back 250 million years. During the Permian period – long before the Atlantic Ocean existed, East Devon sat in the middle of a vast desert near the equator.
The rock here is mostly sandstone, formed by wind-blown desert dust and occasional flash floods. The layers are steeply sloped and ripple-marked – like frozen dunes. These rocks are older than the dinosaurs and have survived multiple continental shifts. The distinctive red colour comes from iron oxide, a sign of oxidised soils in a hot, dry climate — much like today’s Sahara.
Walk the South West Coast Path from Budleigh Salterton to Ladram Bay and you’ll pass towering cliffs and free-standing rock stacks carved by millions of years of erosion. The formations are part of the UNESCO Jurassic Coast, but this section actually predates the Jurassic — it’s a rare place where ancient desert landscapes are still visible in the shape of the land.
5. The last people executed for witchcraft in England were from Devon
In 1682, three women from Bideford were arrested and accused of witchcraft: Temperance Lloyd, Susannah Edwards, and Mary Trembles. A fourth woman, Grace Barnes, was also detained but died in custody.
The accusations were based on claims of supernatural attacks and “spectral evidence,” including visions and unexplained illnesses. The women were poor, elderly, and had long been marginalised in the community.
They were tried at Exeter’s Rougemont Castle in August 1682. With little concrete evidence, the women were still convicted and sentenced to death. They were hanged at Heavitree — then the city’s execution site.
Although witch trials continued in Scotland into the early 18th century, the Bideford executions were the last of their kind in England. A small plaque near the gatehouse at Rougemont Castle now acknowledges the case.
6. Catherine of Aragon’s first steps in England were in Devon
When Catherine of Aragon arrived in England in October 1501, it wasn’t at a royal port but at Plymouth — rain-soaked, wind-battered, and far from the planned welcome in Southampton.
Her ship had been delayed by storms in the Bay of Biscay and was forced to dock in Devon. At just 15 years old, the Spanish princess stepped ashore with her household after weeks at sea.
According to contemporary reports, she was greeted with cheering crowds. Her physician wrote that she “could not have been received with greater rejoicings, if she had been the Saviour of the world.”
Catherine gave thanks at St Andrew’s Church, which still stands today near the Hoe, then stayed at the mayor’s house on Notte Street.
From Plymouth, her entourage travelled slowly through Devon before continuing on to London for her marriage to Prince Arthur.
7. Exeter’s port was blocked for three centuries
In the 13th century, Isabella de Fortibus, one of the richest women in England, inherited the manor of Topsham and much of the surrounding land. She used her power strategically.
Around the 1270s, she ordered the construction of a weir — a man-made barrier — across the River Exe. It obstructed river traffic, preventing ships from reaching Exeter.
By forcing vessels to unload at Topsham instead, Isabella ensured she controlled both the tolls and trade flowing through the area.
Exeter’s merchants were furious, but their petitions to the king were ignored. The obstruction remained for centuries. By the 1500s, the river had silted so badly that Exeter was effectively cut off from the sea.
It wasn’t until 1566 that the city fought back — literally digging a way around the weir by building the Exeter Canal, one of Britain’s oldest artificial waterways. The area near Isabella’s weir is now called Countess Wear.
8. The Spanish Armada was first spotted in Plymouth
In July 1588, the Spanish Armada entered the English Channel.
England’s war fleet — including ships under Lord Howard of Effingham and Sir Francis Drake — was anchored in Plymouth Sound, awaiting news.
When the Spanish were finally spotted off the coast of Cornwall, the tide was against the English fleet. The ships were trapped in the harbour and unable to sail.
Legend says that Drake, upon hearing the news, insisted on finishing his game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe before setting off! It’s recorded that once the tide turned, the English fleet slipped out of Plymouth and engaged the Armada just off the coast.
The naval skirmishes that followed were the beginning of the end for Spain’s invasion attempt. The Armada was driven into the North Sea and eventually wrecked by storms off Ireland and Scotland. Plymouth’s position — and the fleet’s ability to respond at pace — played a vital role in the opening stage of one of the most famous naval battles in British history.
