Extensive rebuilding took place in the 17th and 18th centuries in most of Devon’s towns. Timber-framed houses of a particular west country style are notable. In the countryside farmhouses are built in characteristic vernacular styles using locally distinctive materials such as cob and wheat straw thatch. The traditional farmstead buildings reflect the historically mixed nature of Devon’s farming. Some types are special to the county, in particular the linhay (a two-storey open-fronted shed). Castle Hill, Filleigh is one of Devon’s greatest houses and designed landscapes, but more characteristic of the county are more modest medium sized country houses set in their own parkland.
Ports such as Exeter (with Topsham), Dartmouth and Barnstaple ranked amongst the wealthiest in England in the 17th century. This has left a legacy of fine architecture, ancillary industries such as boat buildings and waterfront archaeology in many of the settlements around Devon’s coast and estuaries.
The warehouses of Exeter and the quays of Dartmouth, Barnstaple and Bideford are among the best evidence for Devon’s long and extensive involvement in maritime trade.
Find out more about these sites by viewing the Devon Historic Environment Record.