The bustling market town of Okehampton lies almost in the centre of Devon, where the rugged granite of the Dartmoor National Park meets the rolling green hills of North Devon.
The name Okehampton is from the ancient word Okemuntune, meaning 'settlement by the Okement', and from this very settlement came the Okehampton that we see today.
In the 11th century the Normans built one of Okehampton's most picturesque attractions, Okehampton Castle. Although now in ruins, the remains of this fine castle, are floodlit during summer months, providing the perfect backdrop for a romantic stroll on a summer's evening.
Although Okehampton is fondly referred to as the 'walking centre' of Devon, horse riding and cycling are also very well catered around the town, which has the famous 'Granite Way Cycle Route' right on its doorstep. Indeed, just a few minutes from Okehampton town centre is the spectacular Meldon Viaduct, a 160 feet high lattice steel bridge originally built to carry the busy Southern Railway line from London to Plymouth. Now converted into a breathtaking cycle pass over the River Okement Valley, it's well worth a visit if you come to Okehampton. For the less energetic, the jointly funded Dartmoor Railway runs a limited service which stops at Okehampton Station and terminates at the viaduct and the informative Meldon Quarry Visitor Centre.
If hiking, riding, or cycling don't take your fancy, there are still plenty of other ways in which to pass one's time in and around Okehampton, including The Museum of Dartmoor Life, several good art galleries, regular farmers markets, and various craft outlets. And just a stone's throw from Okehampton, is the quaintly named village of Sticklepath, where Finch Foundry, a working water-powered factory-cum-museum can be found, offering an insight into how 'it was all done by water' in the 19th Century.
But Okehampton is not all about the past and a visit to it's busy 21st Century town centre will bear this out. Here you will find an abundance of modern supermarkets alongside many more traditional and craft shops, although the pretty Victorian Shopping Arcade does once again remind us of Okehampton's proud industrial heritage. After a busy morning's shopping and browsing, Okehampton has plenty of good restaurants, cafes and inns on hand, in which to refuel and relax. And if relaxing is not on the agenda, the excellent Parklands Leisure Centre provides a host of activities for burning off those extra calories.
So, if you are looking for a central base from which to explore Devon, with up to the minute facilities and strong links with the past , Okehampton is well worth a second look.
