A guide for grockles moving to North Devon - Simon Smith

From when I first began selling property in North Devon (over two decades ago) to the present day, our estate agency mailing list of potential buyers has always followed the ‘two thirds / one third’ principle.

That is approximately one third of the buyers registered on our books will be living locally within the North Devon region and approximately two thirds will be living in other parks of the UK, and not infrequently in other parts of the world. So what an those national and even international buyers expect from a move to North Devon, and what information can we give them to help them prepare for the experience?

Although each and every town in our region has it’s own distinct identity and comes with differing aspects of lifestyle and amenities, I thought it would be those moving to the more rural parts of North Devon who would need the most preparation, especially as many have relocated here from more urban and suburban environments, so below are a few pointers to prepare the newly arrived North Devon dweller.

The list is by no means comprehensive and readers are welcome to contact me with their own hard won pearls of wisdom for inclusion in a future list. A similar list appeared previously on one of the numerous ‘About Devon’ websites, so full credit to the authors of that piece as well

Country Lanes

The idea of driving on winding rural roads will be novel to many of those arriving in North Devon from more urban parts of the country, and there are a few distinct characteristics that give the lanes of a region a flavour of their own! The first and most obvious point is that they are frequently wide enough for one vehicle, which means that when you eventually encounter another vehicle coming towards you, after the inevitable Mexican stand off, someone will have to reverse.

As most urban dwellers have only ever used reverse gear to back into a supermarket parking space, this maneuver is best practiced before you need it, along with learning to memorise the location of passing places! The other unique feature of Devon lanes is that what appear to be sylvan leafy hedgerows often conceal at their heart a substantial, stock proof wall made from large and pointy lumps of rock and stone that when brushed against by nice shiny motor cars tend to take on the characteristic of an industrial tin opener – you have been warned!

Gates

If you are fortunate enough to purchase a property with enough driveway to warrant a set of gates, don’t be surprised to come home occasionally and find that they have been closed in your absence – usually this is because a farmer has been moving sheep along the lane and wants to stop them treating your prized flower borders as an unusually delicious salad

Gunshots

In any countryside or rural location, the gentle sounds of a breeze in the branches or the baa-ing of sheep in the field is likely to be interrupted by occasional bouts of gunfire, shooting being a part of country life. In Devon, which has the highest amount of gun licenses per head of population of any county in the UK, then at certain times of the year it can sound as if a World War Two re=enactment society is having a practice session nearby. Listen out for the pitter patter of lead pellets as they tinkle on the roof tiles to gauge an idea of how nearby the guns are

Cream Teas

As this column is limited to six hundred and fifty words, there is not time or ink enough to enter the debate of cream on first verses jam on first so I shall leave that contentious point to the readers discretion!