Paints a picture of the past that’s living colour – Plymouth Herald.
Devon’s colourful past may still be visible in its street names and pub signs, but these are only remnants of the region’s history that has been largely obliterated – through necessity, social change and the demands of the outside world.
The traditional occupations of farming, fishing, pottery, copper and tin mining, wool production and quarrying have all been lost or dramatically changed over the past several hundred years, replaced instead by ever-expanding tourism.
Although many historic buildings have been preserved and are now listed, a large number of houses, ecclesiastical ruins and settlements such as Hallsands, a coastal village once renowned for its tough fisherwomen, have tragically disappeared.
Devon has played a significant military role in the past, from acting as a mooring place for prison hulks in the Napoleonic wars to being the location of a training camp for spies in the Second World War.
Superbly illustrated with photographs, paintings, maps and etchings from the county’s museums and art collections, Lost Devon provides a fascinating insight into Devon’s history, as Felicity Goodall explores what little remains of the past and discusses the events which have formed the county as it is today.
Reviews:
- Lost Devon by Felicity Goodall is a wonderful volume that will appeal to the Devon visitor or resident alike. It recaptures the history of the region with text, photographs and drawings in a really atmospheric way – the presentation of the book is very good. Of course, there have been a lot of changes over the centuries, but despite its title, this book also serves to show that a lot of Devon history has been preserved too and it adds a lot of extra interest/insight to places I’ve visited.
Felicity Goodall 
