Devon, Its Moorlands, Streams and Coasts

Published in 1745, this is among the earliest printed journeys through Devon, a portrait of the county rendered by a writer who saw it before the Romantic era transformed how we look at landscape. Northcote begins in Exeter, which she calls the "Mother City," tracing its Roman origins through centuries of English history to the upheavals of the Civil War. From the ancient streets she moves outward, toward the moors, the rushing streams, and the dramatic coasts that define the county's edges. Local legends surface alongside historical events, giving the land a voice and a mythology. What emerges is not mere guidebook but something more intimate: an 18th century woman's act of love for her corner of England, written with a pride that feels almost defiant. For readers who cherish antiquarian travel writing, who want to walk through Devon with a companion from the age of Johnson and Boswell, this book offers a rare window. It captures a landscape on the cusp of change, preserved in prose that still carries the pleasure of discovery.