Devon’s colourful past may still be visible in its street names and pub signs, but these are only remnants of the region’s history that has been laregly obliterated – through necessity, social change and the demands of the outside world. The traditional occupations of farming, fishing, pottery, copper and tin mining, wool production and quarrying have all been lost or dramatically changed over the past several hundred years, replaced instead by ever-expanding tourism.
Although many historic buildings have been preserved and are now listed, a large number of houses, ecclesiastical ruins and settlements such as Hope Cove, a coastal village once renowned for its tough fisherwomen, have tragically disappeared. Devon has played a significant military role in the past, from acting as a mooring place for prison hulks in the Napoleonic wars to being the location of a training camp for spies in the Second World War.
Superbly illustrated with photographs, paintings, maps and etchings from the county’s museums and art collections, Lost Devon provides a fascinating insight into Devon’s history, as Felicity Goodall explores what little remains of the past and discusses the events which have formed the county as it is today.
Felicity Goodall is a former foreign correspondent. She covered Norway for the Sunday Times, Business Week and other international publications. She has also worked as a producer for Radio 4, specialising in historical and literary documentaries, and in television, as an assistant producer and scriptwriter. She has written a play for Radio 4, A Change of Heart and is the author of two books, A Question of Conscience and Voices from the Home Front.
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