28-05-2025
North vs South Devon: Which region is best?
When I lived in Totnes, I went north only twice in the space of seven years. There seemed to be plenty to do on my doorstep. The big green middle of the county functioned as a barrier.
But when I did venture to Lynton, it had a very different feel to places like Bigbury or Brixham.
If not quite another country, or county, the light and lie of the land were different, towns and countryside had evolved distinctly, and each coast had created its own leisure offering.
I decided to go back and explore both sides as a visitor to see what South Devon stalwarts and North Devon devotees are missing by sticking to tried-and-tested annual routines. Which half of the county do you like best? Let us know in the comments section.
Transport
Winner: South Devon
The GWR prefers the south, with green-liveried trains to London Paddington, Wales and Bristol passing through Plymouth and Exeter, as well as quirky cross-country trains from Paignton to Manchester and the back-door route to London Waterloo.
But Dartmoor, the wild heart of the south-central region, is not particularly well serviced by bus and many of the quaintest seaside spots are car-only.
The Tarka Line from Exeter to Barnstaple, which is single-track in part (with a token handed to the driver), is a pretty pastoral affair, great for slow travellers.
