Devon

Devon is a large, picturesque county in England. The county has much to offer those looking for a peaceful and serene place to live, with plenty of scenic areas and attractive cities. For those considering moving there permanently, this guide will provide information about Devon’s population, top schools and universities as well as the best places to live in Devon.

4.44
Average Location Score

Excellent

59%

Very Good

29%

Average

11%

Disappointing

0%

Very Poor

1%

Best places to live in Devon

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

Coast of Devon

Where is Devon?

Devon is a county in the west of England. It borders Cornwall to the southwest, Somerset to the south and east, and Dorset to the northeast. The county has an area of 6,707 km2 (2,590 square miles).

Devon was one of three counties that split from the Duchy of Cornwall in 1973. It was created by splitting off Cornwall County Council’s six southernmost parishes: East Devon (including Teignbridge) North Devon, West Devon, Mid Devon, South Hams and Torridge Taw Vale.

Areas in Devon

Devon offers a range of places to live, from seaside towns to rural villages. The most popular places for people to live in Devon are:

Torquay – the town of Torquay is the most popular in all of Devon. Torquay has a population of around 50,000 people and is situated about an hour southwest of Exeter along the A30 road. The town itself offers beaches, beautiful coastal walks and stunning views across Lyme Bay towards Dorset to the South West.

Plymouth – Plymouth is another very popular place to live in Devon. Plymouth is the largest city in Devon with a population of around 250,000 people. The city has a lot to offer including maritime history, shopping, nightlife and restaurants.

Exeter – Exeter is the county town of Devon and offers everything you would expect from a large city including universities, theatres, museums, shopping and nightlife.

Village of Dittisham, Devon

Paignton – Paignton is a popular seaside resort town with great beaches, bars and restaurants, that’s perfect for seaside living.

Teignmouth – Teignmouth has many beaches of golden sand that are perfect for sunbathing or exploring tidal pools. The area also offers fantastic coastal walks including the South West Coast Path which goes all the way to Dorset.

Universities in Devon

There are three universities located in Devon: the University of Exeter, Plymouth Marjon University and Plymouth University.

The University of Exeter – is located in the city of Exeter and is a Russell Group university, which means it’s one of the 24 most prestigious universities in the UK. It offers a wide range of courses across arts, humanities, business, law, sciences, health and social sciences.

University of Plymouth – Plymouth University is one of the top universities located in Devon and it’s known for its excellent student satisfaction ratings.

Plymouth Marjon University – Plymouth Marjon University is a university that focuses on teacher training, sport and education. It’s located in the city of Plymouth and offers a wide range of courses.

Top Schools in Devon

Coast of Devon

The schools listed below are the best performing and most popular schools for parents looking to buy a house within commuting distance. Some perform better than others depending on state testing scores, which can vary from year-to-year.

Torquay Boys Grammar School – Torquay Grammar is one of the most popular boarding schools in Devon and it’s known for its high academic standards.

Plymouth High School For Girls – Plymouth High is a top-performing all-girls school located just outside of the city centre.

Exeter School – Exeter School is one of the most selective schools in Devon and it regularly features near the top of UK school rankings.

Kingsbridge Community College – Kingsbridge Community is a well-respected school that’s known for its small class sizes as well as its excellent facilities.

Population of Devon

The population of Devon is just over 700,000 people, making it one of the least populous counties in England. The majority of Devon’s residents live in the southwest of the county, near Plymouth and Torbay.

 

Reviews in Devon

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Good community. Failed facilities

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Aug 2022

Lovely community, everyone looks out for each other. Haven’t got the promised facilities yet like the park

Please review your development:

We have community events at Easter and go all out at Halloween and Christmas, there’s a community Facebook group and a community selling site. The facilities are non existent still. We were promised a park years ago and keep getting told its due, but it never happens. We have a few small green areas, but nothing g for the younger generation.
The grass is often un kept too. I’d still recommend it as an area to live.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Get a professional snagger

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

When we had snags they were all resolved quickly. Failed on time scales for facilities and parks.

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3
Design
4
Location
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Value
2
Management
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Please bring us some facilities

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Aug 2022

Nice estate with good design. Quiet. Good location. Near Morrison’s and close to town. Parking can get a bit busy around the estate. Some people drive far too fast and too many residents have lots cats to speeding drivers. However it is a quiet, nice place to live but needs a lot of facilities adding. Persimmon promised communal green space and facilities and so far none have materialised. However a bus route will be running right through the middle of the estate soon. Great for commuters, terrible for homeowners who bought without realising buses will be whizzing down their street several times a day.

Please review your development:

The access and exit roads to the estate are not complete. The next phase is meant to have a shopping centre, surgery and leisure centre. But at present there is no infrastructure. Nowhere of a decent size for kids to play or to walk your dog, no shops, not even a post box. So at present this is just a large, half built housing estate with zero facilities.

Property management – I don’t see much gardening or street cleaning taking place.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known how little infrastructure was here, hopefully it will be in the next phase – but nobody seems to know or can give an answer

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

very slow in replying to any queries – disappointing

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Good development, great location. Will be better once completed.

Review Date Aug 2022

The area is great! Close to good schools and parks etc, and very close to a large supermarket. It is even possible to walk into the city center and the barbican without too much effort.

Please review your development:

Once finished the development will be great but at present it is still waiting on a play park!! However, the school has now been built which is fantastic and highly rated with great facilities. The first few phases colour scheme is questionable but the later phases look much nicer.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Get a professional snagger about a week before move in date and insist they fix issues before you move in!

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

The building management company doesn’t really function at the moment.

2
Facilities
3
Design
5
Location
3
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Good location, poor play spaces for childeren.

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Aug 2022

Location is great as it is close to Plymouth city centre which has great attractions and public transport.
Maintenance during the 1st few months was great.

Please review your development:

Downside is there is no good play spaces for childeren. There are a couple of grassy patches but nowhere near enough for the size of the estate. Also, no park areas at all.
The green spaces we have are very very close to residents properties, which of course causes noise complaints late evening.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The leasehold was poorly communicated and many of us on the estate feel we were miss sold and told this is standard practice, which, turns out it is not

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Swift response during the first few months and very quicl to recitfy issues.

2
Facilities
3
Design
5
Location
4
Value
3
Management
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