Cultural Devon / Devon's History and Heritage / Victorian Devon

Victorian Devon

What did the Victorians do for Devon? Well, travel by rail or visit some of our finest resorts and you'll have no difficulty in guessing two of their most lasting bequests.

Rail brought great change to Devon in the 19th century, with lines running across the length and breadth of the county. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was just one of the superb engineers who have left us with stunning viaducts and scenic railways, many still in use today. Some, such Meldon Viaduct, no longer carry trains, but go walking or cycling and you'll certainly enjoy the fantastic views from its soaring heights.

By 1852, trains on Brunel's wide gauge railway between London and Exeter were averaging an impressive 53mph - Devon was within easy reach of the Metropolis! The result? The birth of Devon's seaside resorts.

Hotels and boarding houses grew up in increasingly fashionable little towns, accompanied by spacious promenades, theatres and pavilions for the visitors' entertainment.

Ilfracombe, Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Lynton and of course the Queen of the Watering Holes, Torquay, all saw rapid expansion in Victorian times.

Take the trail around a Plymouth cemetery, to discover some of the local notables who made this progress possible, from entrepreneurs to philanthropists.