Brief History Of Cornwall & Devon
The first remains of a basic society in Cornwall dates back to as early as 4500 BC –
primative stone tools have been found from this era indicating the existence of
a settlement in a town called Redruth.
Cornwall saw an “invasion” from the Celts during 1000 BC – the Celts were
warriors from Europe and were largely the ancestors of current day Cornish folk.There is still a. strong cultural influence today
Devon is believed by many historians to be one of the very first places in
England to have settlers. Indeed, Dartmoor, a large National Park in the centre of
Devon, still offers a lot of prehistoric sites of interest. Furthermore it’s from
Plymouth that the Pilgrim Fathers first set sail to the Americas – and also
where Sir Francis Drake went off to
battle the Spanish Armada.
Dartmoor is home to some of the oldest structures in England – primitive
buildings & remains including stone circles, burial mounds and ancient
settlements.
While the Roman invasion of Britain left Cornwall largely untouched, the same
cannot be said of Devon. The Romans took over much of current day Devon
- including a port at Topsham and a legion at Exeter.
The Romans were no longer controlling Devon by around 400 and by 800 it had
fallen under the rule of King Egbert of Wessex.
During the 14th & 15th century, Devon was under serious
threat from the French who raided the Devon coastline.
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