737 



DEVONSHIRE. 



DEVONSHIRE. 



733 



one from the north-west part of it, near Okehampton, runs in the 

 direction of Hartland Point, dividing the basin of the Tamer from 

 that of the Torridge, and sending out branches which separate the 

 valleys of the various feeders of the Tamer. Another branch running 

 northward separates the valley of the Okement and afterwards of the 

 Torridge from that of the Taw, and terminates near the junction o; 

 these last two rivers. Another branch runs eastward towards Exeter 

 turns to the south-south-east near that city, and separates the valleys 

 of the Ex and the Teign. A branch which this range sends off soon 

 after leaving Dartmoor runs north-eastward, separates the basin ol 

 the Ex from that of the Taw, and connects the heights of Dartmoor 

 with those of Exmoor. Another range running south-east from 

 Dartmoor separates the valleys of the Teign and the Dart. 



Exmoor is a tract of high land, having its greatest elevation 

 towards the north. It is composed of rocks of the transition class, 

 and is chiefly included in Somersetshire, but extends into the north 

 and north-east parts of Devon. Its highest point, Dunkerry Beacon, 

 Somersetshire, attains to the height of 1668 feet, according to the 

 Ordnance Survey ; on the west Chapman Barrows attains a height ol 

 1540 feet. A range of hills extends from Exmoor along the north 

 coast of Devonshire to Morte Bay ; some of the summits are probably 

 1000 feet high. The ridges of Exmoor Forest and the branches which 

 it sends off towards the south separate the valleys of the upper waters 

 of the Ex. 



A third system of hills consists of Blackdown, in the eastern part 

 of the county, on the border of Somersetshire, between Taunton and 

 Honit n ; and of the ranges of hills which it sends off, chiefly to the 

 southward, separating the basin of the Otter from those of the Ex on 

 one side, and the Axe on the other, and dividing from each other'the 

 valleys watered by the several affluents of the Otter and the Axe. 

 These hills have flat tabular summits ; their steeper side is toward 

 the west. This line of high lands varies in height from about 600 to 

 750 feet. 



The rivers of Devonshire are numerous, and some of them are 

 important. The Ex rises at Exhead in Exmoor, Somersetshire, and 

 flows south-east to Exton, where it turns to the south, and reaches 

 the border of Devonshire about 18 or 19 miles from its source. For 

 about 2 miles it divides Devonshire from Somersetshire, being joined 

 in this part by the river Barle, which also rises in Exmoor, and has a 

 south-east course of 22 to 24 miles through Somersetshire before it 

 falls into the Ex. A little below the junction of the Barle the Ex 

 enters Devonshire, and flows in a southerly direction, but with a very 

 circuitous course, to Tiverton, receiving in its way several feeders, of 

 which the chief are the Batham, which flows from the border of 

 Somersetshire past Bampton, and falls into the Ex on its left or eastern 

 bank ; and the Loman which flows from the hills on the Somersetshire 

 border, near Bampton, and joins the Ex on its left bank at Tiverton. 

 From Tiverton the Ex flows still southward, 13 miles, to the junction 

 of the Culm, receiving by the way, on its right bank, the Dart from 

 the moors between Tiverton and South Molton ; and about 2 miles 

 lower down, on its right bank, the Creedy, which passes near Crediton, 

 and is joined by the Yeo below that town. From the junction of the 

 Creedy the Ex flows southward to Exeter, and then south-east to 

 Topsham, where it receives the Clist : just above Topsham the Ex 

 becomes a tide-river. The tideway of it is about 5 miles long and 

 about a mile wide at high water. A sand-bank, dry at low-water, 

 divides its mouth into two channels. The whole length of the Ex is 

 544 miles. A canal, formed in the reign of Henry VIII., runs by 

 the side of this river between Exeter and Topsham : this canal, which 

 was originally more than 3 miles long, has been lengthened so as to 

 enter the tideway lower down. By this canal and the tideway of the 

 river vessels can get up to Exeter. 



The Culm, mentioned above, rises near Church Staunton, in the 

 Blackdown hills, just within the border of Somersetshire, and flows 

 westward to the village of Uffculm ; thence south-west to the town 

 of Collumpton, or Cullumpton, and thence south-west into the Ex. 

 The total length of the Culm is about 25 miles. 



The Torridge rises on the borders of Devonshire and Cornwall, at 

 the Ditchen hills near Clovelly, and not far from the head of the 

 Tamer [CORNWALL], and flows eastward to the neighbourhood of the 

 villages of East and West Putford ; it then turns to the south-east, 

 nd runs to Bradford Mill, where it receives the Waldon on its right 

 bank. From Bradford Mill it runs eastward past Sheepwash, or Ship- 

 wash, to the junction of the stream which passes Hatherleigh ; and 

 thence north-east to the junction of the Okement, which is formed of 

 two brooks (East and West Okement) that rise on Dartmoor and 

 unite at Okehampton. From the junction of the Okement the Tor- 

 ridge has a very sinuous course in a north-west direction, past 

 Torrington to Bideford, where it becomes a tide-river. The tideway 

 from Bideford to Appledore, where the Torridge and the Taw unite, 

 is 3 miles, the whole course of the Torridge being 63 miles. The 

 Torridge is navigable for vessels up to Bideford, and for boats to Wear 

 Giffarcl, 4 or 5 miles higher up. 



The Taw rises at Taw-Head, Dartmoor, on the slope of Okement 

 Hill, and has a northward course to below the mill and village of 

 Brushford : thence it has a winding course in a north-north-west 

 direction to the junction pf the Little Dart, which rises in the range 

 of hills connecting Dartmoor with Exmoor, and flows westward past 



UBOO. DIV. VOL. ir. 



Chumleigh into the Taw. From the junction of the Little Dart the 

 Taw flows northward to the junction of the Mole, which rises on 

 North Molton ridge, Exmoor, on the border of Devonshire and 

 Somersetshire, passes North and South Molton, and after receiving 

 the Bray, which also rises on Exmoor, joins the Taw on its right 

 bank. After the junction of the Mole the Taw flows north-north-west 

 to Barnataple, where it becomes a tide river. The tideway is about 

 5 miles in length from Barustaple to the junction of the Torridge, 

 and the total length of the Taw is 48 miles. It is navigable for 

 small vessels up to Bamstaple, and for boats to New Bridge, 3 or 

 4 miles higher. The sestuary of the united rivers Taw and Torridge 

 is not two miles long. 



The Dart rises at Dart-Head on Dartmoor. The head of the East 

 Dart, which may be considered as the true head, is on the southern 

 slope of Okement Hill, near the springs of the Okement and the Taw. 

 It flows south-east to the junction of the West Dart at Dartmeet 

 Bridge, between Ashburton and Tavistock. From Dartmeet Bridge 

 the river flows south-east past Buckfastleigh and Totnes, to its outfall 

 j ust below Dartmouth. Its whole course is 36 miles. The tide flows 

 up to Totnes 10 or 11 miles from the mouth of the river : above this 

 place the river is not navigable. The navigation is chiefly used to 

 convey coal and shelly-sand manure to Totnes and the neighbourhood, 

 and to export the produce of the tin, lead, and copper-mines, worked 

 on the border of Dartmoor Forest. The entrance to the river forms 

 a good harbour. 



The Teign (the North Teign) rises near Siddaford Tor, Dartmoor, 

 at a little distance from the head of the Dart, and after flowing to 

 the north turns eastward and flows to Dunsford, between Exeter and 

 Moreton Hampstead. It then runs south to near Chudleigh, receiving 

 by the way the West Teign or Bovey River from North Bovey to the 

 neighbourhood of Newton Bushel and Newton Abbot ; below Newton 

 Bushel it has an eastward course (chiefly tideway) into the sea at 

 Teignmouth. Its whole course is 33 miles : it is navigable up to 

 Newton Bushel, 5 miles from the mouth. 



The Otter rises on the southern slope of Blackdown, near the village 

 of Otterford, and flows south-south-west past Honiton, Ottery St. Mary, 

 and Otterton, into the sea about 5 miles east of the mouth of the Ex. 

 It is not navigable, and has no tributary worthy of note. The Axe 

 rises in Dorsetshire, not far from Beaminster, and has a circuitous 

 course (north-west, west, and south-west) of 16 miles, through Dorset- 

 shire, Somersetshire, and Devonshire to Axminster. Below Axminster 

 it flows 7 or 8 miles south-south-west into the sea at Axmouth, 

 receiving the Yart from the hills adjacent to Blackdown. Its whole 

 length is 26 miles. 



The Avon, or Anne, the Erme, and the Yealm rise on the southern 

 side of Dartmoor, and flow southward into the sea between Plymouth 

 Sound and Bolt Head. They are respectively 23, 14J, and 14 miles 

 long. The Aune and the Yealm have each a navigable tideway of 



3 miles, the Erme of 2 miles. The Plym rises near the Erme, and 

 flows south-south-west 16 miles into Plymouth Sound at Plymouth. 

 Its tideway, Catwater, is 3 miles long. The Tamer, which divides 

 Cornwall from Devonshire, has been already described. [CORNWALL.] 

 Its principal Devonshire feeders are the Deer (9 miles long), which 

 flows past Holsworthy; the Carey (13 miles long), and the Lyd 

 (13J miles long), which rises on Dartmoor ; both these joiu the Tamer 

 near Launceston ; and the Tavy, or Tay (23 miles long), which rises 

 on Dartmoor, and flows past Tavistock. The Tavy joins the tideway 

 of the Tamer, and has itself a tideway of more than 3 miles. The 

 Lew Water (9 miles long) and the Thistle Brook (10 or 11 miles long) 

 are feeders of the Lyd ; and the Wallcomb (13 miles long) is a feeder 

 of the Tavy. There is a picturesque fall on the Lyd, near Lidford, 



4 or 5 miles from its source. The other rivers of the county are too 

 small to require particular notice. It will suffice to mention the Lynn 

 (11 miles long) on the north coast, and the Sid (6 miles long) on the 

 south coast. Salcombe harbour, between Bolt Head and Prawle Point, 

 is the aestuary of several small streams to which the maps do not 

 assign a name. This ajstuary is navigable up to Kingsbriclge, 4 miles 

 from the mouth. 



Communications. The Bude and Holsworthy Canal, with which is 

 connected the Bude and Launceston Canal, enters this county from 

 Cornwall, near the head of the Tamer, and proceeds in a very circuit- 

 ous course of more than 15^ miles to Thombury on the river Waldou, 

 where the canal terminates. It has two inclined planes in Devonshire 

 and two in Cornwall : part of its course is through a tunnel. A short 

 canal extends from Torringtou along the valley of the Torridge for 

 about 4 miles, and opens into that river at Wear Giffard, between 

 Torrington and Bideford, where the navigation of the river begins. 

 The Stover, or Teigngrace Canal is connected with the Teign at 

 Newton Bushel, and extends about 4 miles up the valley of that river 

 .owards Bovey Tracey. The Tavistock Canal extends 4 miles from 

 Tavistock to the tideway of the Tamer ; it has a tunnel one mile and 

 a half long, and a branch 2 miles long, to Millhill slate-quarries. The 

 3xeter Canal has been noticed. The Grand Western Canal from 

 Taunton in Somersetshire extends to Tiverton, and thence to Exeter 

 where it joins the Exeter Canal. 



The Bristol and Exeter railway, a continuation of the Great Western 

 ine, enters the county 3 miles west of Wellington, and runs in a south- 

 vest direction to Exeter, about 20 miles. A branch of about 5 miles 



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