Why Devon?

A Lifelong Fascination with the County I Call Home

People often ask why I specialise in Devon. The simple answer is that I was born here. The real answer is that Devon has shaped almost every part of who I am.

I was born in Mid Devon in 1986, less than 150 metres from the house where I now live with my own family. It is one of those rare streets where neighbours become lifelong friends, where generations grow up together and where people arrive with every intention of staying. Despite the changing pace of modern life, it has somehow held onto the community spirit that has always made it feel like home.

My earliest memories are not of classrooms or television screens, but of muddy boots, winding footpaths and endless adventures with Grandad. He was a storyteller in every sense of the word. A simple walk through the countryside could become an unintentional journey through history, a lesson in wildlife, or the beginning of a local legend. Whether we were exploring the woodland at Killerton, wandering the lanes around home, or helping on my great-aunt's farm overlooking the rolling fields of Mid Devon, I was learning to see the world through curious eyes.

Grandad sat in front of a very special and personal tree at Killerton, Devon.

Long before I understood what genealogy or local history meant, he taught me something far more important: every place has a story, if you know where to look.

Those stories were everywhere. They lived in the ancient oak trees, in forgotten farm tracks, in the folklore of Dartmoor, in the legends whispered about hidden woodland doors, and in the lives of the ordinary people who had shaped Devon for centuries. I didn't realise it at the time, but those childhood adventures were quietly laying the foundations for the work I would one day do.

As I grew older, my fascination with the county only deepened. Studying genealogy taught me how to reconstruct lives from records, but it also reinforced something I had known since childhood: history is never just about dates or documents. It lives in landscapes, family memories, traditions, accents and the stories that pass from one generation to the next.

My childhood view from Auntie Margaret’s farm, Devon.

That understanding became even more important after Grandad passed away unexpectedly, just as I was beginning my PhD journey. The research I had originally imagined evolved into something far more personal. Today, my doctoral research explores and celebrates the relationships between grandparents and grandchildren, and how childhood culture, memories and traditions are preserved and passed through families across generations. In many ways, I am simply trying to understand academically what I was fortunate enough to experience myself first-hand, thanks to the eternal child who became my Grandad.

This journal is an extension of that journey.

Here, I'll be sharing the places that shaped me, the landscapes that continue to inspire my research, and the stories hidden within Devon's people, folklore and communities. Some articles will explore ancient lands or forgotten farms. Others will delve into family history, local legends, archives or the traditions that continue to define this remarkable county.

Hound Tor, Dartmoor, Devon.

Together, they tell a much bigger story.

Not simply the story of Devon, but of how a place can shape a person, inspire a lifetime of curiosity, and quietly become the foundation of everything they choose to do.

Welcome to the journey. Welcome to Devon.