North Devon
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about North Devon from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover your local listed buildings and places
Introducing some of North Devon's most historic sites, included in the National Heritage List for England. Some of these captions have been summarised by AI. Click through for the official List entry. Skip this section and go to place by numbers
Barnstaple Castle
Barnstaple
Barnstaple Castle is a Norman motte and bailey structure known for its archaeological significance, including unexcavated Saxon burials and insights into Norman fortification techniques.
Oliver Buildings at the Former Shapland and Petter Factory
Barnstaple
The former offices and showroom, and the surviving part of the furniture factory of Shapland and Petter, built in 1888 to designs by local architect William Clement Oliver (1832-1913),...
Eight Second World War concrete replica landing craft str…
Braunton
Eight concrete replica landing craft structures, built in 1943 for training in preparation for D-Day.
Second World War bombing range target indicator and obser…
Georgeham
Second World War bombing range target indicator and observation post overlooking Putsborough Sands and Morte Bay, built in around 1942.
Writing Hut of Henry Williamson
Georgeham
Henry Williamson's writing hut, built by the author from 1929-30.
Four medieval fish weirs 500m east of the Harbour
Minehead
The four medieval fish weirs near Minehead Bay date back to at least 1425 and are among Britain's best-preserved, showcasing ancient coastal fishing techniques, largely maintained by local...
Arlington Court
Arlington
Arlington Court is an early 19th-century estate featuring gardens, pleasure grounds, and parkland, once home to the Chichester family and now managed by the National Trust.
Holwell Castle
Parracombe
Holwell Castle is a well-preserved motte and bailey castle that reveals key insights into Norman military architecture and the feudal system.
62, Boutport Street
Barnstaple
62 Boutport Street, originally a 1620 house, features remarkable plaster ceilings with biblical and animal motifs. It became the Golden Lion Hotel before transforming into bank offices.
Castle Hill
Filleigh
Castle Hill is a historically significant estate developed since the 18th century by notable figures like Earl Clinton and Lord Fortescue, featuring notable architectural and landscape...
Myrtleberry North Camp, a late prehistoric multiple enclo…
Lynton and Lynmouth
Myrtleberry North Camp is a rare Iron Age multiple enclosure fort in southwest England, significant for studying settlement and livestock management in the late prehistoric period.
Long Bridge
Barnstaple
Long Bridge in Barnstaple, originating from the 13th century, features medieval and later architectural elements, including 16 arches and historical widening work by James Green in 1834.
Bull House
Barnstaple
Bull House, once belonging to Pilton Priory, passed to the Bret family post-Dissolution. It is a well-preserved medieval house in Devon, reflecting 15th-century architectural styles.
St Annes Chapel and Old Grammar School Museum Including W…
Barnstaple
**Summary:** St Anne's Chapel, originally a 14th-century chantry chapel, later housed a grammar school and now serves as a museum, featuring notable historical architecture and memorials.
Old Burrow
Brendon and Countisbury
Old Burrow is a rare, well-preserved coastal Roman fortlet demonstrating unique military design features, providing insights into Roman military strategy and early occupation in Britain.
Shoulsbarrow Castle (Shaulsbury)
Brayford
Shoulsbarrow Castle, a small multivallate hillfort, features a preserved Bronze Age bowl barrow and provides insights into Iron Age social organization.
Cricket Pavilion and score box, including adjacent former…
Instow
Cricket pavilion of early C19 date with associated C20 score box and adjacent Second World War pillbox.
Martinhoe Castle (Roman signal station)
Martinhoe
Roman signal stations were key components of military observation and defence, utilizing fire and smoke for communication.
Church of St Petrocks
Parracombe
The Church of St Petrocks in Parracombe, featuring 13th-century and later architecture, retains remarkably intact 17th-18th century interior fittings.
Standing stones on eastern edge of Furzehill Common
Lynton and Lynmouth
Exmoor's stone settings, dating from Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age, offer rare insights into ceremonial practices, being considered extremely rare and of national archaeological...
The Chapel of St Anne with Lych Gate, Saunton
Braunton
A chapel of 1898 designed by the architect Frederick James Commin of Exeter (1854-1933) with matching lychgate and a stained glass tripartite window by the Arts and Crafts artist Mary...
Second World War practice rocket wall
Braunton
A concrete practice rocket, or 'Bazooka', wall built for the American forces in 1943 as part of the training preparations for the D-Day landings.
Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin
Barnstaple
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin in Pilton, Barnstaple, features elements from the 13th and 15th centuries and notable monuments, including Sir John and Sir Robert Chichester.
Three standing stones 550m, 700m and 820m north of Damage…
Ilfracombe
The standing stones north of Damage Barton are Late Neolithic to Bronze Age ritual monuments, significant for their quartz composition and prominent coastal placement indicating ceremonial...
Deserted medieval village 630m north-west of Clannacombe …
Brendon and Countisbury
The deserted medieval village near Clannacombe Plantation, significant for its archaeological deposits, reflects the settlement patterns and farming economy of medieval England.
Church of St Brannock
Braunton
Summary of Importance is not provided, neither is Reasons for Designation.
Church of the Holy Trinity
Burrington
The Church of the Holy Trinity is a largely medieval parish church with impressive Perpendicular roofs, a chancel screen, and unique granite dressings, featuring both historical and...
Queen Annes Walk
Barnstaple
Queen Anne's Walk, built in 1708 with restorations in 1986, is known for its historical significance and features a statue of Queen Anne. It reflects Barnstaple's mercantile history.
Penrose Almhouses
Barnstaple
The Penrose Almshouses, completed in 1627, were founded by John Penrose. This early 17th-century complex features Gothic Survival windows and includes a chapel and boardroom.
Instow War Memorial
Instow
First World War memorial cross, unveiled 1921, with later additions for the Second World War.
Chittlehampton War Memorial
Chittlehampton
First World War memorial, unveiled 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
Valley of Rocks Hotel
Lynton and Lynmouth
A late-C19 rebuild of an early-C19 resort hotel, in part to the design of Rowland Plumbe.
K6 Telephone Kiosk, The Square
Witheridge
K6 telephone kiosk, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935.
Second World War training pillbox at Putsborough Sands
Georgeham
Second World War concrete training, or dummy, pillbox overlooking Putsborough Sands, built in 1943.
Swimbridge War Memorial
Swimbridge
First World War memorial with later additions for the Second World War, set within an enclosure formed by eight granite posts joined by chains.
Witheridge War Memorial
Witheridge
A First World War memorial, built after 1919; altered after the Second World War.
Explore more
Search for more listed places in North DevonNorth Devon through time
This timeline shows the first period of use for buildings and places on the National Heritage List for England, just one of the details recorded for every list entry. Click around to see how North Devon changes over time. Skip this section and go to aerial photos
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of North Devon
Aerial photography helps reveal secrets of England's changing landscapes that are impossible to see from the ground. Skip this section and go to archive images
Ilfracombe
View of Ilfracombe and Ilfracombe Harbour, Ilfracombe, 1920
Ilfracombe
The harbour and town, Ilfracombe, 1932
Lynmouth
Lynmouth Street and environs, Lynmouth, 1930
Lynmouth
Eastern and Western Beaches and Glen Lyn Gorge, Lynmouth, 1950
Ilfracombe
Granville Road and Wilder Road area, Ilfracombe, 1920
Ilfracombe
The Ilfracombe Hotel, Capstone Hill and the town, Ilfracombe, 1932
Ilfracombe
Horne Road, Church Street and environs, Ilfracombe, 1930
Ilfracombe
Capstone Hill, Victoria Pavilion and the town, Ilfracombe, 1932
Ilfracombe
The Runnacleave Hotel and the town, Ilfracombe, 1930
South Molton
Mill Street and environs, South Molton, 1930
North Devon in the Historic England Archive
The Historic England Archive cares for over 15 million images, dating from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of North Devon's past. Skip this section and go to stories about heritage
Charles George Harper Collection
Badgworthy Water, West Somerset, Somerset
Date created: 1892 - 1933
Looking upstream along Badgworthy Water, with hills to either side
Eric de Mare
North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1945 - 1980
Exterior view of the Gatehouse at Tawstock Court. Above the doorway is a coat of arms and the date 1574.
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
West Worlington, North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1955 - 1965
A view from an elevated position in West Worlington, looking down over the main lane through the village with its thatched cottages, and with a rural...
John Gay Collection: Counties
West Worlington, North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1955 - 1965
A view from a lane showing the plaster deterioration on the gable end of Stucley Arms, formerly Stucley Arms Inn, with Knights Cottage further up the...
John Laing Collection
Ilfracombe, North Devon, Devon
Date created: 12 Jun 1954
People waving on the deck of the PS Bristol Queen during a Laing staff trip to Ilfracombe
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1920 - 1950
GENERAL VIEW SHOWING NORTH ENTRANCE TO PARK
Margaret Tomlinson Collection
North Devon, Devon
Date created: 01 Mar 1943 - 17 Jul 1943
The Albert Hall (now the Queen's Theatre) viewed from Boutport Street
Eric de Mare
Landkey, North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1945 - 1980
Detail view of the Acland monument in St Paul's Church in Landkey showing the effigy of Sir Arthur Acland who died in 1610.
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
West Worlington, North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1955 - 1965
A view from an elevated position in West Worlington, looking down over the main lane through the village with its thatched cottages, and with a rural...
John Gay Collection: Counties
West Worlington, North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1955 - 1965
A view from behind a village wall, showing Stucley Arms on the left, a thatched cottage named 'Mildmay' on the right, and the timber twisted broach...
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
North Devon, Devon
Date created: 1900 - 1905
GENERAL VIEW WITH BANDSTAND IN THE DISTANCE
Stories about heritage in your local area
Historic England publishes news, blogs, research, videos, and podcasts celebrating England's rich heritage. Discover the stories we have about North Devon. Skip this section and go to education
10 Places That Tell Stories of Isolation
Mentions Writing Hut of Henry Williamson
Isolation and social distancing have shaped our past in many different ways.
8 Images of a Frosted England
Mentions Iron Age defended settlement called Roborough Castle
Baby, it’s cold outside!
A Brief Introduction to Vernacular Houses
Mentions Williams Arms
Vernacular houses were built to reflect local customs and traditions using locally available materials like wood, stone and brick.
7 Inspiring Writers’ Retreats
Mentions Writing Hut of Henry Williamson
Many of our favourite author’s writing spots are protected.
Volunteers Help Care for Local Archaeology in Torridge, North Devon
Mentions North Devon
Several new projects are underway as part of a scheme to protect and celebrate the remarkable archaeology of the Torridge district in north Devon.
Historic England Awards a Grant of £260,692 for Urgent Repairs to Barnstaple Guildhall
Mentions The Guildhall, North Devon
The funding will enable Barnstaple Town Council to begin urgent repairs to the exterior stonework, render, windows, and roof to ensure the Guildhall...
Heritage at Risk in the South West Revealed
Mentions North Devon
74 sites have been saved and 43 sites added to the Heritage at Risk Register 2023 in the South West.
21 Fascinating Places Listed in 2019
Mentions Second World War bombing range target indicator and observation post, North Devon
Highlights from over 500 historic places which have been added to the National Heritage List for England in 2019.
Remembering D-Day - Second World War Sites Given Protection
Mentions Eight Second World War concrete replica landing craft structures, Second World War practice rocket wall, North Devon
Landing crafts, tanks, bulldozers and floating harbours are listed to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Places With Queer Histories Listed to Mark 50th Anniversary of the Partial Decriminalisation of Homosexuality
Mentions The Chapel of St Anne with Lych Gate, Saunton, North Devon
The two new listings come ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967.
Three Historic Shipwrecks Given Protection
Mentions North Devon
Three historic shipwrecks in the South West has been given protection by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic...
North Devon's social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about their local area. Skip this section and go to grant-aided places
West Buckland School, West Buckland, Devon
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
The school was founded in 1858 at South Stoodleigh by J L Brereton for the education of the middle classes.
West Buckland School, West Buckland, Devon
Victoria Pavilion, Wilder Road, Ilfracombe, Devon
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
An interior view of the Victoria Pavilion.
Victoria Pavilion, Wilder Road, Ilfracombe, Devon
Victoria Pavilion, Wilder Road, Ilfracombe, Devon
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
A nurse with two young girls pushing a perambulator (pram) along a path in front of the Victoria Pavilion.
Victoria Pavilion, Wilder Road, Ilfracombe, Devon
Town Hall, Lee Road, Lynton, Devon
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
The town hall cornerstone was laid in 1898. The building was opened by the donor, Sir George Newnes, on the 15 August 1900.
Town Hall, Lee Road, Lynton, Devon
The Sea Wall, Ilfracombe, Devon
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
An elevated view from Capstone Hill looking south towards the Ilfracombe and the beach.
The Sea Wall, Ilfracombe, Devon
The Law Memorial Almshouses, Bishops Tawton Road, Bishops Tawton, Devon
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
These almshouses have 12 flats and date back to 1885.
The Law Memorial Almshouses, Bishops Tawton Road, Bishops Tawton, Devon
The Harbour, Lynmouth, Devon
Period: Edwardian (1902 - 1913)
A view of housing along the front taken from the harbour.
The Harbour, Lynmouth, Devon
The Harbour, Ilfracombe, Devon
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
Elevated view looking west across the harbour and Lantern Hill towards the buildings of Ilfracombe.