The River Country is
in the middle of Devon. This is farmers' Devon. You come here to be
amongst them: to walk and admire their beautiful, rich-soiled, hilly
and wooded farmland and enjoy their excellent, proper pubs in usually
hill-top, compact, unspoilt villages; and to fish for trout and perhaps
salmon in the deep wooded and very beautiful valleys of the rivers Torridge,
Taw, Tamar and Exe. There are also reservoirs full of trout. There are
great, magnetic views of Dartmoor and Exmoor from most hill-tops, and
it is an easy drive to both. But don't think a daily trip to the sea
will be a doddle.
Tiverton is the main town (you can go barging
on its canal); Crediton, in its red-soil vale, Torrington, where glass
is blown, and South Molton are the others. All have proper, individual,
useful, and, in some cases unusual, shops, for the locals firstly. Cider
is made at Winkleigh, and it's a good place for lunch. Hatherleigh is
good for many things, including its market.
