1 – Oldest Steam Engine

The town of Dartmouth is home to the oldest working steam engine in the UK; built in the late 18th century from the designs of Devon engineer Thomas Newcomen, the engine was a forerunner of the later expansion of steam power, which became crucial to 19th century Britain.

Dartmouth Steam Engine by Barry Lewis

2 – Exeter’s Water System

The capital of Devon is significant for its cathedral, Roman settlements, and for its importance to merchant trading up to the 20th century, but in the 14th century was also one of the first English cities to pump in pure spring water. The underground passages used for this task can still be accessed if you’re visiting Exeter.

3 – Westward Ho!

The only town in the UK that’s named after a book, and one of the few in the world to have an exclamation point, Westward Ho! was originally a novel by Charles Kingsley. When the town was first developed in the 19th century, the name was used as a way to attract new residents and tourists.

Westward Ho! by xlibber

4 – Hound of the Baskervilles

Dartmoor National Park was chosen as the setting for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles, and has also recently been used as a backdrop in the Steven Spielberg film War Horse.

5 – Two Coastlines

Devon is notable for being the only English country to have two separate coastlines, with the North opening out into the Bristol Channel, and the South into the English Channel.

6 – Oldest Civil Building

The Guildhall on the main high street of Exeter is the oldest civic building still in use within the UK; although some form of building has been on the site since the 12th century, the building was used full-time for council meetings and events from around 1468.

Guildhall, Exeter, Devon, UK by Robert Cutts

7 – Famous Devonians

Some of the famous historical figures to come from Devon include Agatha Christie, Francis Drake, Peter Cook, Richard Burton, and Sir Walter Raleigh.

8 – Ottery St Mary Barrels

One unusual tradition held in Devon is the practice of racing burning hot barrels through the streets of the village of Ottery St Mary on Bonfire Night; the event attracts large crowds, who watch as carriers try to get the barrels to a bonfire before the barrels disintegrate.

9 – Brutus of Troy and Totnes

Legend has it that Trojan warrior Brutus founded London, but first settled in ancient England in the Devon town of Totnes, which has a landing stone claiming to mark this visit.

10 – Haunted Buckfastleigh

The Devon town of Buckfastleigh has a local ghost story that involves Richard Capel, a 17th century squire who was notorious for his violence against women; his ghost is believed to be visible on midsummer’s eve.

Author Bio

Kevin Maddox is a freelance travel writer and Devon native who is always happy to recommend her home county. She recommends renting out a cottage through Cottages Direct if you’re planning a holiday in Devon, as this will give you a good base to explore the county from.

The post 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Devon, UK appeared first on Europe Explored.

• Lake District
• Loch Lomond
• Dartmoor
• New Forest

There are plenty of different destinations for you to choose from and some of the national parks maybe very close to where you love. For more information, you can check out the website of the national park you are interested in visiting.

The Lake District

The Lake District is a massive national park which has lots of things for you and the family to do and enjoy when you visit. Throughout the year, there are lots of different events and shows on throughout the area where you can visit and also join in. From the Black Combe Walking Festival n May to the various agricultural shows throughout the summer, there is something to keep everyone interested. You can even take your bicycles with you and go out for a ride with the whole family. There are also various hiking trails that you can follows as well. There is a wide range of accommodation available from Self Catering Chalets, B&B’s to static Caravan parks as well.

Lake District National Park, UK by Chris Perriman

Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is a beautiful location in Scotland, boasting the largest inland stretch of water in the UK. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy such as hiking, cycling and kayaking as well. Windsurfing, water skiing and also fishing are in offer as well as the more traditional swimming. Also in 2013 Europe’s biggest open water swim series is coming to Loch Lomond so you may wish to time your visit with this. Although it is bound to be very busy as over 2000 people are expected to take part. There is a lot of different type of accommodation available within the area, and you will be amazed at some of the jaw dropping natural beauty available in Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond, Scotland, UK by baaker2009

Dartmoor

If you are looking to try and get the best weather when you go away, you may wish to think about Dartmoor. Being located in Devon, so being quite far south, you are more likely to get better weather than some of the other national parks around. There are plenty of things to do just the same as other national parks, so plenty of walking, cycling, and animal watching as well as local events and festivals. A famous landmark is White Horse Hill in Uffington which is a prehistoric white figure in the hillside and is about 110 meters long. Being so far south you do tend to see a lot more people visiting in the summer months so you may need to book accommodation in advance, even if you are just pitching your tent or pulling your caravan up.

Dartmoor National Park, Devon, UK by Miles Wolstenholme

The New Forest

The New Forest is a little further north than Dartmoor and is very popular with an estimated 10 million people a year visiting the forest for just the day. There are plenty of activities to do as well as some awesome scenery to take in as well. The forest was first set up about 1000 years ago by William the Conqueror in 1079. It was set up for the sole purpose of hunting, and lots of different species of deer and also wild pigs were kept in the area, so there were plenty of animals to hunt. There is an awful lot of history on show in the New Forest ad you will be able to explore this by visiting the many sites throughout the forest and getting the information available from the various information points dotted about the park. You can also visit the information centre where there is a lot of information for visitors. One thing is for sure that when you visit out national parks in Britain, you will be able to appreciate the natural beauty of the area and also explore some of our history as well. You may just have your best holiday yet and want to come back again!

New Forest National Park, England, UK by Hardo Müller

Ted Hunter wrote this article for Travel Republic. Ted is a keen history buff and enjoys exploring local history and sharing his finds in the articles that he writes. He loves reading reviews too about cheap holidays from Travel Republic.

The post Going on Holiday to a National Park in the UK appeared first on Europe Explored.