Flanked by the granite wilderness of Dartmoor to the east and the Cornish border to the west, West Devon’s market towns are places of fierce resilience and deep history. From Tavistock’s handsome stannary streets to the windswept ramparts of Okehampton and the raw, agricultural heart of Hatherleigh, Martin Hesp explores three distinct border communities.

From Honiton’s sweeping, 700-year-old high-street market to Crediton’s red sandstone ‘cathedral’ and the peaceful Exmoor foothills of Bampton, East and Mid Devon are packed with working history. Travel journalist Martin Hesp explores six historic market towns well worth pulling off the highway to discover.