Understanding South Devon
Sensing the bioregion
South Devon is more than a beautiful landscape—it’s a living 'whole'; interconnected systems shaped by natural features, culture and stories, old and new. It is a place shaped by Rias, deep and narrow drowned valleys, and home to five significant rivers and their saltmarsh. 110km of coastal path connects Plymouth to Torbay and colossal hedgerows divide notorious Devon roads from farmland. In urban areas there are empty shops and high crime rate statistics, like many other places. A Lib Dem MP was elected here in 2024, marking the end of 100 years of Conservative rule. It's a place wondering what devolution and local government reorganisation will bring.
Bio-cultural identity
The word 'culture' comes from the Latin cultus, which means 'care', and from the French colere, which means 'to till', as in 'till the ground'. As members of society we acquire patterns of behaviour, develop certain capabilities, follow rules and customs and express ourselves in relation to that context. The story of South Devon includes British tribal roots, centuries-old maritime, trading and farming traditions that link us to people in the north and the south. While our foundational rock is identical to that found in France. The land itself tells its own story.
"South Devon feels soft, perhaps from the sea air? It's an edge place, but culturally it's not edgy... it's fertile and fruitful. Somewhere you come home to. You can feel privilege in places... old estates with murky pasts and lots of second homes. We are asking, "What makes up and represents our bioregional cultural life today, and how does that relate to the land?"
Maritime significance
The Mayflower leaving the land-edge of Plymouth to sail to the 'New World' in 1620 marks a pivotal moment in English colonial and North American history. Signed by 41 male Separatists, the Mayflower Compact outlined principles of self-governance and cooperation for the colony. Sailing out of Brixham in 2020, the Golden Promise and Girl Macey became central to a scallop fishing dispute. Known as the "Mother of Deep-Sea Fisheries" in the Middle Ages, Brixham is the largest fishing port in England and Wales by value of catch, and is vital to Torbay's economy.
"Fishing is an ancient practice that has become an industry under pressure to meet demand. The Brixham Port Infrastructure Project will provide for shellfish landing, in anticipation of a big increase in shellfish catch that will be sent to China."
Agricultural abundance
Food and farming, alongside health care and tourism, is one of the three main sectors of the South Devon economy. Like water, the resilience of food and farming impacts on everyone in the bioregion. There are many people on the ground in South Devon who are leading the way in creating climate adaptive responses to the challenges we face in farming and food security. We see a need to highlight the work of landowners and farmers who leading the way, despite the multitude of problems they face.
"We are bringing together stakeholders, including those leading on research and education, in order to build on the strong food culture we have here—especially celebrating farmers and agro-ecologically produced food."
Inspiring landscapes
The arts have roots here, both homegrown and as a result of escape from city life. The pre-war 'Great Experiment' at Dartington Hall, a centre for contemporary art practice and interdisciplinary learning at the heart of the bioregion, set a precedent for emphasizing the role of the arts in education and supported the livelihoods of practicing artists and craftspeople. Today, a new generation of artists and creatives, fluent in the relationship between ecology, art and technology, is drawing attention to the preciousness of our ecosystems, and human systems. All kinds of know-how; artistic, scientific, practical or academic will be needed to produce creative solutions for climate change adaptation.
"The opportunity we have is to collectively explore the concept of bioregioning through the eyes of the artist in order to envision what's needed."
Diverse ecosystems
South Devon is home to diverse habitats like hedgerows, moorland peat bogs, ancient woodland, coastal saltmarshes and seagrass beds. This range of habitats and their complex association with temperature, water, light, soil, and air, support biodiversity and play a critical role in climate resilience by storing carbon and managing water flow. They also support 'rare species assemblages'.
"We are in love with the resilient pockets of saltmarshes we have here... saltmarsh plants have evolved to tolerate the salt they are exposed to, as well as short periods underwater. Sea asters transport the salt they absorb into older leaves which they then drop. Cordgrass excrete salt through glands in their leaves. Saltmarsh plants are opportunistic, spreading seeds and migrating into new areas in response to their changing environment."
Addressing local challenges
Adapting to a changing climate
South Devon’s unique geography makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change. Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities, while increased flooding and droughts disrupt ecosystems and livelihoods. We're gathering 'points of fragility' where systems clash or are at risk, and issues like vulnerability and isolation and exploring lived experience through creative interventions, field reporting and mapping. At the same time, we are developing strategies for South Devon that take a holistic view of the systems at work here.
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Balancing business growth with nature's needs
South Devon’s economy relies heavily on the tourism, agriculture and care sectors, plus a network of small businesses, all of which face pressures from rising costs, environmental degradation and the challenges of an unknown future. With partners, we’re mapping region-wide action for climate and nature, and exploring funding models for a 'bioregional economic ecosystem' to support local initiatives in order to balance economic growth with ecological health.
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Fostering connection and equity
Thriving communities are at the heart of South Devon’s resilience. However, challenges like housing affordability, access to resources and social inequality create barriers that are difficult to overcome. By developing participatory governance models and undertaking practical actions like creative meet-ups and workshops or infusing projects with the power of the arts, we’re promoting connection, fairness and a sense of belonging.
View our projectsBringing about change through local action
Our projects bring people together to create tangible pathways to action for South Devon’s unique challenges, and for bioregions everywhere. From restoring ecosystems to co-creating a learning programme, these projects showcase what’s possible when we work together.
