Devonshire - fabulous houses and the unique atmosphere of England. Devonshire or an English fairy tale
The county of Devonshire, which is located on the coast of Lyme Bay, carefully preserves mystical story that began on February 8, 1885 in the town of Exmouth. In the early morning, the inhabitants of the city on the freshly fallen snow saw mysterious footprints resembling the prints of small hooves. Many especially superstitious people were alarmed, believing that the Lord turned away from them, since the devil himself came to their land.
Unrest and rumors quickly swept the county, and the traces immediately interested the men of science. Each of them was ten centimeters long, seven centimeters wide, and the distance between two adjacent prints, which was exactly the same everywhere, was twenty centimeters. The footprints ran in a perfectly straight line, and therefore could only be left by a bipedal creature, and nothing like this had ever been seen in the south of England.
The footprints were also distinguished by another inexplicable feature: although the snow that had fallen the night before was very soft and fluffy, each print in it was covered with a thin ice crust, which made it especially clear. Such prints could only appear if the hooves (or what left these prints) were in the snow for a very short time and were abnormally hot at the same time. But the hell didn't end there.
When people decided to trace the route of a strange beast, they were faced with an even more difficult riddle. The creature worked its way through fences, rooftops, three-meter stacks of hay, and other obstacles. An even chain of footprints did not deviate a centimeter from a straight trajectory, and the step length remained equal to 20 cm.
This mysticism excited even skeptics and the mysterious events were immediately covered in local newspapers, where they somehow tried to clarify the situation and reassure the public. Some pages have survived to this day.
As it turned out further, having passed through Exmouth, an unknown creature headed north, but then sharply turned west at a right angle and crossed the mouth of the Exmouth River, which is about 3 km long. On the other side, the mysterious traveler turned sharply south again, reached the town of Teignmouth and came to the shore of the ice-covered Lyme Bay, where his trail was lost.
After a more thorough examination of the territory, the trackers again stumbled upon hoof prints on the other side of the bay. Once again on land, the creature headed southwest, passed several small settlements, passed through snow-covered fields and pastures, and arrived in Bicton, one of the districts of the city of Totnes, where the tracks finally broke off. The total length of this route was more than 160 kilometers.
In one of the church parishes, through the territory of which a two-legged ungulate made its way, the local pastor, Reverend J. M. Musgrave, calming the excited parishioners, assured them that nothing special had happened, that the footprints in the snow were left by a kangaroo that had escaped from the menagerie .
That's just where the kangaroo's hooves came from and how he managed to walk 160 kilometers in one night in frosty weather, while jumping over fences and climbing onto the roofs of houses, the holy father failed to explain. Local "experts" offered other, less convincing explanations. It was said that the footprints belonged to a lame hare, a toad, an otter, a huge bird that had flown in from the continent, and other absurd conjectures.
Meanwhile, the press continued to discuss and sketch the devilish hoof prints, trying to get to the bottom of the truth.
Many years have passed since this mysterious incident, but its mystery has not yet been solved, and it still attracts the attention of scientists, professional researchers, writers, journalists and just inquisitive people. And often they find new documents - written eyewitness accounts, old newspaper publications - helping to get closer to the solution and giving rise to new versions of what happened.
Among such enthusiasts is Robert Lesnyakevich, a former career officer border service, engineer, journalist, writer, one of the leading Polish ufologists and researchers mysterious phenomena nature, as well as Dr. Milos Jesensky, a Slovak journalist and writer who devoted himself to studying the same problems. In a joint article "Devil's footprints in Devonshire" prepared in 2002 for the Polish magazine Nieznany Swiat, Lesniakiewicz and Jesensky analyze the data available to date and put forward their own hypothesis for the appearance of the mentioned footprints. One of important documents related to the incident in question are fragments of the book "Mysteries and Notes from Devon and Cornwall", written by the daughter of a pastor from the town of Dawlish, Henrietta Fasdon, and published at the turn of the 50-60s of the XIX century:
“The tracks appeared at night. Since my father was a pastor, other clergymen from our Anglican diocese came to him and they all began to talk together about these unusual footprints that could be seen all over Dawlish. The footprints were in the form of a small hoof, inside some of them, as it were, imprints of claws were visible. One chain of footprints stood out especially sharply in the snow-covered churchyard, stretching from the threshold of our house to the sacristy. Another approached the wall of the columbarium, ended in front of it, and then continued on the other side. Many similar footprints were also on the roofs of houses in different parts of the town... I still remember how clear these strange and some ominous footprints were, how many there were and what fear they inspired in my soul. I then thought that huge wild cats could leave such traces, and I was very afraid that the servants would forget to lock all the doors at night.
In the autumn of 1957, an article by a researcher appeared in the journal Tomorrow. paranormal activity Eric Dingwall called The Devil Walks Again. In particular, it cited the story of a certain Colin Wilson about how in the summer of 1950, on one of the desert sea beaches He saw Devonshire on a smooth and dense surface of wet sand, packed sea waves, strange prints that look like hoof marks. The prints looked fresh and very clear, "as if they had been cut with a razor or stamped with some sharply sharpened tool." The prints were about 180 centimeters apart, and they were much deeper than those left in the sand of Wilson's bare feet. And he weighed over 80 kilograms.
Strange footprints went from the very edge of the water, but there were no reverse tracks to the water. At the same time, it seemed that the tracks appeared just a few minutes before the arrival of Wilson. Had he come to the beach a little earlier, he might have come face to face with the Devonshire Devil himself. Wilson later joined the ranks of researchers on the mystery of the "devil", and in 1979 his book The Occult Mysteries was published in London, where in the chapter on the Devonshire Devil, the author writes:
“The footprints looked like this creature was looking for something. It strayed through the backyards, and it seemed that it was completely unaware of the human way of life. And then Wilson reports a real sensation “One of the correspondents of the Illustrated London News cites a fragment from the notes of the famous British polar explorer James Ross, dated May 1840. When Ross's ships anchored near one of the islands of the Antarctic Kerguelen archipelago, the expedition members were surprised to see hoof marks on the snow-covered shore. They went in the direction where the tracks led, but soon reached a rocky hill, free of snow, where the tracks were no longer visible. The appearance of hoof prints in these places seemed completely inexplicable, since no ungulates were found on these islands.
Already in our time, the events described above received an unexpected and surprising continuation. It turned out that one of the members of the Ross expedition, a certain Clark Perry, after his dismissal from the British Navy, settled in Devonshire, in the already mentioned coastal town of Teignmouth, located ten kilometers southwest of Exmouth. In 1980, among the papers of the late Clark, his a diary and a daguerreotype (an old photograph), which depicted Clark himself, holding some incomprehensible spherical object in his hand. As for the diary, the following picture of events developed from his regular and lengthy entries.
The item Clark is photographed with is a metal ball he brought back from Kerguelen. According to Clark, James Ross deliberately kept silent about the fact that on the island, in addition to inexplicable footprints in the snow, two strange metal balls were found, one of them whole and the other broken into pieces. Moreover, the hoof prints began just from the fragments of a broken ball and led from it in a perfectly straight line to a rocky hill. According to Clark, the balls they found fell from the sky, while he adds that during his stay on the island he did not leave the feeling of the constant presence next to the members of the expedition of some invisible spy who did not take his eyes off them.
When the ships of the expedition headed for the island of Tasmania, both mysterious balls - both whole and broken - lay in Clark Perry's sailor's chest. However, when other sailors found out what kind of souvenirs Clark was carrying from Kerguelen, they were seized with superstitious fear, and they began to persuade him to throw the balls overboard. However, he did not listen, and then the sailors demanded that Clark, along with his balls, leave the ship as soon as they arrived in Hobart, main city and the Port of Tasmania. This time, Clark obeyed, and after a while he was hired as a sailor on another passing ship, on which he arrived safely in England in the fall of 1842. This time, during the entire voyage, he did not say a word to anyone about what lay at the very bottom of his chest.
Clark settled in Teignmouth, found work there for himself on the shore, and hid the chest with mysterious souvenirs in the basement of the house, where they lay for thirteen years, until February 3, 1855. On that ill-fated evening, Clark returned home in the company of several friends, and all of them were heavily drunk. The libations continued, and on the "drunken case" Clark let his friends know about the balls. Those wished to immediately inspect the overseas curiosity. Everyone went down to the basement, Clark took the balls out of the chest. By unanimous opinion, it was decided to open the whole and unharmed ball. Everyone in turn began to beat the ball with a heavy hammer with all their strength. After one of the impacts, a grinding sound came from inside the ball, and a crack appeared on its surface. Clark instantly sobered up, escorted his friends out of the house and went to bed.
Getting ready for work the next morning, Clark saw that the crack on the surface of the ball had noticeably increased, and realized that the “souvenir” could crack at any moment. After that, contrary to custom, no records appeared for several days, and then, on February 7, 1855, only one phrase was recorded, saying that on that day Clarke would throw the balls into the sea on the beach at Teignmouth, and then go to Exmouth, where he will spend the weekend with his friend. Clark Perry's diary ended here...
It was possible to find out from relatives of Clark living to this day in Teignmouth that he died on the night of February 8-9, 1855 in Bickton, that is, where the 160-kilometer journey of the Devonshire Devil ended, which began on the beach in Exmouth. Does this mean that the devil was really looking for something, as Colin Wilson claims in his book? And he was looking for exactly Clark Perry with the intention of killing him. After all, Clarke was the only person to die in Devonshire on that night...
But why and how did the creature from the ball kill the former sailor, and then what happened to this creature itself? It can be assumed that the answer to the first part of the question is that the creature needed to get rid of an unwanted witness who had slightly opened the veil of secrecy bursting into his hands of an unusual object. The answer to the second part contains a death certificate, which says that Clark Perry died of a broken heart (so in old times called myocardial infarction), caused by a strong mental shock. Perhaps the shock was the horror that gripped Clark when the devil visited him at night.
It is possible that both in 1855 and in 1950 people saw traces of the same creature, only over the past 95 years it has grown and matured. By the way, in different time the press reported the appearance of traces of mysterious bipedal ungulates - in the snow or on sandy beaches - not only in Devonshire and the Kerguelens: in Scotland in the winter of 1839-1840 (Times newspaper of March 13, 1840), in Poland in 1855 (newspaper Illustrated London News of March 17, 1885), in Belgium in 1945 (Doubt magazine No. 20, 1945), in Brazil in 1954 (Bernard Houvelmans' book "In the Footsteps of Unseen Animals").
You may be interested in: - the place where the Devil's Bible was written.
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Devonshire, or Devon (English Devonshire, abbreviated English Devon [ˈdɛvən]) is a county in southwestern England. Population 1.102 million (11th among non-metropolitan counties, 2004 data). The capital is Exeter, the largest city is Plymouth. Devon produces potatoes, cereals, vegetables; rich in tin, copper (over 35,000 tons annually), manganese, iron, silver, coal, marble, shale and various types of clay. Fishing and shipbuilding are highly developed. Many good harbors, especially on the south coast.
Devon was one of the first areas of England to be settled at the end of the last ice age. Around 6000 BC the first hunters and gatherers settled in the Dartmoor area, they cut down most of the swamps that grew on the territory of the present oak forests. From those times, 500 Neolithic sites remain on Dartmoor.
In AD 43, the Romans came to the southwestern peninsula of England, and by AD 55 they occupied the entire region, which, according to the historian William Camden, inhabited the Dumnoni - a Celtic people, from whose name the name "Devon" was derived. The Romans kept the future county under occupation for 250 years. However, it did not succumb to Roman influence as much as neighboring Dorset and Somerset, mainly Roman traces are found in the current capital of Exeter and the city of Topsham, founded by the Romans as a seaport.
Around 410 AD. the Romans left Devon, and on the basis of the Roman settlements, the British state of Dumnonia was formed. In the middle of the ninth century it was swallowed up by Wessex.
Since the Norman Conquest of England, Devon has been the scene of many civil strife and warfare - including the War of the Rose and the White Rose, the rebellion of the impostor Perkin Warbeck in 1497, the Western Rebellion (due to the Reformation of the Church) of 1549, of course, did not bypass the county and English revolution. In 1688, the arrival of William of Orange started the Glorious Revolution in Brixham.
Economy
As a primarily agrarian county, Devon, like Cornwall to the west, is less developed than the rest of the southern counties due to a decline in traditional industries - especially fishing, mining and agriculture. The foot-and-mouth disease epidemic that broke out in 2001 greatly damaged the local economy.
After the railroad was brought to Devon in the 19th century, seaside resorts flourished in the county, helped both by the local mild climate and historical heritage coupled with wonderful nature. During this time, tourism became a mainstay of the Devonian economy. However, since the middle of the 20th century, there has been a decline in seaside tourism in the country, and only in recent years has a certain revival of tourist interest in the county begun - mainly due to national parks. In 2004, the income from this industry amounted to 1.2 billion pounds.
culture
Devon has spawned many customs and even sports, such as wrestling of its own. Back in the 19th century, a crowd of 17,000 gathered in Devonport for a fight between the champions of Devon and Cornwall. Another Devonian sport was outhurling, which was played well into the 20th century. The Dartmoor step has survived to this day - a special dance, and in the city of Ottery the traditional form of celebrating Guy Fawkes Night is still preserved - people who have lived in the city for quite a long time are invited to run through the streets with barrels of burning tar on their backs.
Also located in the county is the only one in England natural object world heritage UNESCO - Jurassic Coast of Dorset and East Devon.
Devon's secondary schools are mostly general education, although there are grammar schools (lyceums) in Colyton, Churston and Torquay. There are 37 public and 23 private schools in the county. In most schools, you can study in the preparatory (pre-university) class. Among the many Devonian colleges worth noting is the internationally recognized Darlington College of Art. There are two universities in the county - the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter, although higher education can be obtained at the Plymouth College of Saints Mark and John (The University College Plymouth St Mark & St John), and in the so-called "Plymouth University College Network".
Famous sailors Sir Francis Drake and Walter Reilly were born in Devon, as well as writer Agatha Christie, poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin. Teignmouth is home to rockers Muse, as well as Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist for Kasabian, from Newton Abbott.
A geological epoch is named after Devon by scientist Adam Sedgwick. The county's motto is "God willing", which was Sir Francis Drake's motto.
On the western tip of England are the counties of Devon and Cornwall. Here you can see old noble-looking cozy villages, and golden-colored sandy beaches turned towards the Atlantic, and wild wastelands, huge in size, dotted with giant boulders of granite. The combination of factors such as the quiet measured life of the rural hinterland and the presence of first-class sandy beaches have turned the peninsula into a popular place among tourists and vacationers, where many people gather throughout the year.
Moreover, the constant influx of tourists has led to the fact that the majority of the local population, instead of traditional activities: fishing and farming, which have always been the main sources of employment and livelihood, completely switched to serving vacationers. Now a powerful infrastructure has been created in these places tourism business. However, despite such dramatic changes, this region still managed to maintain its identity thanks to the inhabitants of the rural hinterland.
However, the crazy influx of tourists in summer season leads to the fact that from time to time the charms and beauty of these places are overshadowed by the presence of a huge mass of people who scurry around, moving from place to place in search of entertainment. Try to visit these places off-peak season, then you can appreciate the true charm this region, wonderful rural corners, the so-called "quiet backwaters", will beckon you to them, and you will need quite a bit to enjoy the marvelous landscapes, peace and quiet - just drive westward into the depths of the peninsula. exotic titles villages and settlements, which will meet on your way, will remind you that this was once the last, bastion of Celtic culture.
Undoubtedly, the human component of the history of the development of this region has left its indelible mark on it, but it is the natural beauty of the entire surrounding landscape that makes the strongest impression, and not only heavily indented headlands, bays, small bays, beaches and sandbars, stretching in a long strip coastline. On the border between the counties of Devon and Somerset, there are heathlands with overgrown slopes, known as Exmoor. In total, there are three such places on the peninsula, including Exmoor, which was chosen by lovers of hunting and hiking. However, if you are attracted to yourself wild beauty, nothing can compare in this respect with the charms of Dartmoor (Dartmoor), which occupies a significant part of the territory in the south of Devon and is indented by numerous trails.
With their help, it will not be difficult for you to get to any corner of it. The largest granite massif in the western part of the country is also located on its territory. In most of these void lands, despite the relative proximity of the two most major cities in this corner of the country, primitive silence and peace still reign. Both cities can be chosen as a base for sorties in. More interesting place for tourist; is (Exeter): here is located a wonderful medieval cathedral with two twin towers, there is a wide range of excellent restaurants and nightlife. A significant part of the city was badly damaged by the bombing of the German Air Force during the Second World War.
However, the largest city of both counties - (Plymouth), which was and remains a major naval base, was subjected to more massive bombing by the German Luftwaffe. The ill-conceived program of post-war reconstruction and development caused the city almost as much damage as the air strikes of the German air force during the war years. However, the backbone of buildings and structures built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth has been preserved, and Plymouth deserves a visit. In addition, the city authorities, who skillfully played on the rich maritime history of the city, managed to bring the entire port area back to life. From both cities you can quickly and easily get to the seashore.
This part of the country, warmed by the waters of the warm Gulf Stream, thanks to more warm sunny days than in other parts, at times it resembles mediterranean resorts. The main one (Torquay), which positions itself as the capital of the "English Riviera", is naturally far from famous, but it is not deprived of a certain gloss and chic inherent in a fashionable resort. The atmosphere reigning in it is fundamentally different from the old resort towns East Devon or seaside resorts in the north of the county in a stunning setting of cliffs that literally radiate an old-fashioned charm dear to the heart of every true Englishman.
In the county of Cornwall, there are also several resort towns with a developed tourism infrastructure, basically said refers to the towns of Falmouth (Falmouth) and Newquay (Newquay). The first turned into a center sailing, and the second has become literally a Mecca for fans of windsurfing. After all, it is here that numerous beaches are washed by the waters. Atlantic Ocean. The town of Saint Ives also attracts a huge number of tourists, although the city is also known for attracting artists like a magnet.
Despite the incursions of numerous tourists, the county of Cornwall is less developed than its agricultural neighbor. Due in part to the commanding presence and influence of the turbulent waters of the Atlantic, the ocean coast in any part of the county is only half an hour away by car. The restless waves of the ocean forced the local population to turn the old fishing ports into a kind of fortification, especially on the northern coast.
The most typical representatives of the rocky landscape in these places are: Cape Tintagel, fortified with various engineering structures, in the vicinity of which there are many places associated with the legendary King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and Boscastle harbor surrounded by rock walls. However, to really feel the full power of the sea, you need to visit two other places that, like sharp tweezers, crash into the ocean - Cape Lizard (Lizard Point) and Land's End (Land's End), it is there that they break on the cliffs scattered along the coast ocean waves, the roar of which echoes off the rocks with a booming echo.
Another factor explaining the reason that the county of Cornwall looks somewhat deserted and deserted compared to neighboring Devon is that in Cornwall at one time the mining industry was developed, the remains and ruins of numerous mines, mines and quarries, which are literally dotted with these places , act as a useful counterweight and shield against the hordes of tourists besieging resort towns on the sea coast in high season.
Although here you can find peace and quiet, but by the will of fate, it was in these places, on the site of a former quarry in which special clay was mined for the production of porcelain, that the huge botanical complex Eden (Eden Project) was built. The most successful business project implemented in the county in recent years, thanks to which all the diversity of the planet's plant system was collected under one giant roof. With the help of "biome" - new technology, more reminiscent of science fiction than reality, managed to recreate the climate and other natural conditions that exist in the tropics and the Mediterranean.
by the most the best way for acquaintance and study of Devon and Cornwall is considered an amusing trip along the longest tourist walking route in Britain along the South West Coast Path, along the entire length of which special signs are installed. Courageous and indefatigable travelers, covering a total distance of approximately 600 miles, starting from the Somerset border, will be able to reach the town of Poole in Dorset.
Traveling in the western part of the country public transport will cause you a lot of problems, especially you should not rely on rarely plying shuttle buses. By train you can get to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance. From the main railway lines depart local branches, which can be used to get to the main resort towns on the sea coast. However, the local rail service is nothing compared to the extensive network of railways that residents used during the years of Queen Victoria's reign.
The main attractions of the counties
1). Clovelly(Klovelly) - an incredibly picturesque village on the north coast of Devon;
2). tourist trail- along the southwestern part of the coast (South West Coast Path);
3). Eden complex(Eden Project) - a giant botanical complex built on the site of a former mine, which produced a special clay for the production of porcelain. The most exotic plants and trees brought from different parts of the world grow in it, including all kinds of fruit-bearing representatives of the flora of our planet;
4). National maritime museum - located in the county of Cornwall (in the town of Falmouth);
5). Cape Lizard(Lizard Point) - located in Cornwall, which is on. This corner of nature unspoiled by modern civilization, a place for pleasant walks;
6). Branch of the famous- located in the town of St. Ives (Saint Ives) in the county of Cornwall;
7). Surfing in Newquay(Newquay) - a huge number of windsurfers come here. This section of the sea coast is ideal for practicing this sport: sea space, good waves;
8). Fish restaurants– located in the vibrant port town of Padstow. All fresh catch is bought up by local restaurants, you can appreciate and enjoy excellent seafood dishes.
In contact with
The county of Devonshire, or Devon (English Devonshire, abbreviated English Devon), can rightfully be called fabulous. Houses of rare beauty, lovingly decorated with flowers and climbing plants, create the illusion of a fairy tale. Many rivers flow through the county. However, most of the county is occupied by the national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor or is rural, with a low population density for England. It is in this Devonshire, by the way, that the Jurassic Coast of Dorset and East Devon is located, the only natural site in England listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Have you watched Jurassic Park? Dinosaur bones were among the first found here.
The county's motto is "God willing", which was Sir Francis Drake's motto. Apparently, with God's help, such an amazing place was created.
Devonshire (or Devon), located in the southwest of England, is considered the third largest county in the country.
In the county, everyone is concerned about the problem of ecology, and therefore, landscaping and construction from environmental materials are very developed. The roofs are covered with reeds. Local houses are a bit like Ukrainian "huts" with front gardens in front of the house.
A large area of Devonshire is occupied National parks. Tourism is the main source of income for the county. In the 19th century, after the construction railway, by which, by the way, the heroes of Conan Doyle, Sir Henry and Dr. Watson arrived, coastal tourism was developed.
Lots of tourists come to visit hiking trails this natural park, admire how various birds, animals and plants coexist side by side, many of which are on the list of rare or protected.
Devon's capital is Exeter and the county's largest city is Plymouth, which has been called "the most desirable city in Britain". It was from Plymouth that it began in 1620 famous journey Pilgrim Fathers in North America on the ship "The Mayflower". Today Plymouth is a dream city for lovers beach holiday And aquatic species sports.
But in Devonshire, not only big cities. Rural expanses here are rightly called fabulous. When you look at these houses, you really get the feeling that you are in a fairy tale.
The buildings here are all of rare beauty, lovingly decorated with climbing plants and flowers. Like all the British, the inhabitants of the county think about the environment - their future, unlike us, is very exciting. Everything is made of ecological materials, and the roof is covered with reeds.
A bit of history
The territory of Devon began to be settled by people immediately after the ice age, from those times about 500 Neolithic sites remained in the Dartmoor area, which gave archaeologists a lot of information and valuable finds. By A.D. 55 e. The Romans occupied the region and left only 250 years later. Roman settlements became the basis for the creation of the British state. Revolutions and wars followed, including a brutal war with a romantic name - Scarlet and White Roses.
Devonshire has played a significant role in the art of creating detective stories: it was here that Agatha Christie, the author of many wonderful novels with a detective story, was born, the action of the movie "10 Little Indians" took place here, the famous Baskerville dog lived here and terrified the locals at night.
