h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

While I'm here (and being as it's getting late), here's some more gML on Bideford and Barnstaple. I've included a bit on Westward Ho which can supersede the current bit (if that's OK), and was writing the Torrington para when I noticed the time (2am).


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Barnstaple and Bideford


Barnstaple and Bideford - both famously visited by Tarka the OtterIn the 1927 novel by Henry Williamson..



However, Tarka the otter visited in an age when he wouldn't get caught in a traffic jam on the Sticklepath road into Barnstaple. The town has become so busy in recent years that even the bypass needs a bypass ('Completion in 2007'As the signs on the way into town would have you know.</FOOTNOTE&gt. There is a good reason for the traffic though: Barnstaple is the foremost shopping centre in North Devon. Its indoor pannier market is one of the top twelve in the country and is open six days a week. Barnstaple is also proud of its floral heritage. Since 1990 the town has been prolific in its entry into various town in bloom competitions, winning everything from the regional St Bridget Cup - Best Town in South West, to the Entente Floral - Best Town in Europe and the Nations in Bloom - Best Town in the World. Indeed, Barnstaple even has a Floral Walk - a stroll around the town taking in sights of the various and varied floral displays. In addition to this, the town also has a Heritage Trail - another walk around the town taking in sights of various buildings of historic significance, ending at the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon, by the edge of the river Taw.



Bideford is a town that Tarka the otter would still recognise. The quayside in particular is still evocative of the 'little white town' of which author Charles Kingsley wroteIn the 1855 novel 'Westward Ho!'. The quay has been improved in recent years (the town council infamously sneaking out one night to cut down the mature trees along the riverside - much to the horror of the locals). To the north of the town the Art Gallery is situated adjacent to Victoria Park which in turn backs onto the river. Up the steep narrow streets to the west lies the pannier market surrounded by many varied shops, pubs and restaurants. On the opposite side of the river, to the east, is the part of town known - in true Devon style - as East The Water. Bideford has a fresh feel to it. Maybe it is the new equally spaced young trees lining the quay. Maybe it is the fact that the main street is bordered on one side by the river Torridge. Maybe it is the width of the river, or the classic lines of the 24-arch stone bridge, or the gentle curve of the Torridge as it winds into the town then out into the Atlantic. Whatever it is, Bideford continues to be the little white town.


Westward Ho! and Great Torrington


Just across from Bideford, on the North Devon coast proper, is Westward Ho! Famous for two things: being the only place in the world to have an exclamation mark as part of its name; and being named after the fictional place in Charles Kingsley's book Westward Ho!



Torrington bit coming soon.


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Paff (sitting by a map of Devon, feeling like your friendly North Devon correspondent).

As a result of the above, I guess the current footnote about Tarka the Otter in the Bare Facts section can go because I've been a bit more specific with author and date in my new bit.

(Am I making sense? Is it time for bed?)

Paff

All done, mate, and that is fantastic! It's actually starting to look like it's almost finished

I've got a couple of days off before I go back in for Christmas and New Year, so hopefully I'll have time to finish the History bit - then from what I can see it's just a touch more on north and east Devon! Great stuff...

I'm happy to do more North Devon bits over Christmas - a bit of brain excercise to burn off the turkey and chocolates!

That's great, Paff; I really appreciate your help with this

, just checked the entry, North Devon bits are OK, but seems my Oke bit hasn't gone in?

I have no idea why, other than I did it in two parts (north Devon in one go, Oke in the next) at a time when I was getting server errors, so maybe it's something to do with that. I distinctly remember adding the word 'include' just after 'Places of note in Okehampton:'

Sorry about that; it seems to be in there now

Thanks again.

Here's a bit more gML which I did before Christmas but was hoping to finish all of North Devon before posting - I was kidding myself!

This "Devonshire Dales and Tarka Country" section supersedes my previously posted section for "Westward Ho! and Great Torrington". It also includes a link to the Langtree entry ( A246430 ).

I'm now working on something for the "North Devon Coast and Exmoor" section, which will include Ilfracombe, and will also link to the Clovelly entry ( A876846 ).

I'm trying to keep the text short and sweet. And will attempt to keep the "ND Coast and Exmoor" section similarly short.

Paff


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The Devonshire Dales and Tarka Country


Just across from Bideford, on the North Devon coast proper, is Westward Ho! Famous for two things: being the only place in the world to have an exclamation mark as part of its name, and being named after the fictional place in Charles Kingsley's book Westward Ho!



South from here, following the river Torridge towards its Dartmoor source, is Great Torrington. The town is known as The Cavalier Town as it is most famous for the 1646 Battle of Torrington. Voted North Devon's 'Most Welcoming Community', the residents will use any excuse (such as carnival week) to bring out the banners proclaiming 'Us be plaised to zee ’ee'.



Just down the road from Torrington is the village of Langtree, of significance here in that it is fairly typical of many Devonshire Dales villages. See this entry on Langtree.



Across to the east on the other side of the Devonshire Dales is South Molton. This town on the river Mole (hence the name) has been a market town since the 14th century, primarily trading in wool. Many of the buildings on and around the central 'square' date back centuries, giving the town a historic feel. South Molton is North Devon's gateway into Exmoor: leave the town on the A361, cross that roundabout onto the A399 and you practically fall onto the moor.

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Added, with a guilty complex about what I'm meant to be doing

Right.

I've been pondering this, far more than I've been writing.

I'm going to take a deep breath and suggest a change

This whole entry is absolutely enormous, so I'm thinking of splitting it off again. It strikes me that we've been far more comprehensive than most, and the sections relating to the various areas of Devon could easily be separated into another entry, titled 'Devon, Town by Town' or similar. This would leave a perfectly edible hub page, a brief yet comprehensive guide to the main habitations and areas and finally a brief and largely unwritten History page (the latter on a back burner for now). I suggested this to Paully at the Meet as a way of paring it down without losing any information, and he thought it would be a great idea. It would also mean there would be space for more quirkiness on the 'hub' page.

What do you think? I'd credit everyone with an authorship rather than try to work out who did what, so effectively everyone's getting an extra entry for the price of one. I know it sounds like I'm going mad, but that's probably because that's how it looks from here

Feel free to shoot me.

<< brief and largely unwritten History page (the latter on a back burner for now) >>

I'm sorry I think I might be able to timetable something in this weekend though

Good idea, anyway.

Mol

No panic about that one, Mol; I haven't had time to do any work on this lately, so I'm in no position to prod anyone else

If it comes to it, I'm happy to complete things in due course - I just wanted to check everyone was ok with me wanting to split the entry as it stands...

I'm glad it was you that said it. I've been thinking its all getting a bit too big, and was wondering at what point I should mention it. I decided to keep my mouth shut and keep writing (hence making it even bigger).

Yes, split away.


Can I just use this post as an excuse to link to the main entry again ---> A6021505 (I've been looking up at the front of the thread on post 14 for the last 3 months, and it is getting on my nerves)

Thats quite ironic, Paff; the thread was so far down my conversation list that I couldn't find it. I had to pop into your PS and the thread I first said hi to you on to find it

And if anyone does think any part of the entry is pony poo, or has any ideas, just fire away! I'll get to splitting as soon as possible

Right, now all the towns are at A8671980. Basically, all that's needed for that is a section on the east Devon coast and a brief, two or three line introduction to each of the areas. Marvellous

Which leaves the pared-down entry left at A6021505. Have fun. Contribute anything you like; folklore, music, statistics, favourite places, anything at all - a line, a paragraph, doesn't matter. Anything - I'll organise it into vaguelt sensible bits. It feels more like it should have been from the start - a fun, quirky, interesting introduction to our fine county, without getting weighed down in too much detail.

Bob, I feel so much happier now

Music section added to 'hub' entry

Hi all - I'm just about to move this thread out of the Challenge h2g2 forum and attach it to the article itself... doing a bit of a clean-out of Challenge h2g2!



Paully

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Challenge h2g2' to 'Devon, England, UK'.

Damn, I got all excited then

its been picked without even being submitted to PR, or even being finished yet!!

Oh, maybe not. (Also, just taking the opportunity to change the thread subject back so as to not cause further confusion).