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A Snapshot into... North Devon

• September 18, 2022

Woolacombe, Saunton Sands, and Croyde Bay are just some of the stunning beaches located in North Devon that make up its spectacular coastal line. The infamous string of sandy beaches cascades down towards the Cornish boarder for 60 miles. The popular holiday destination is home to 96,110 locals!

Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT) and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) will merge on 1 April 2022 to become the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The North Devon District (NDDH) Hospital is the district general hospital in Barnstaple. They offer emergency and urgent care for people in North Devon and the surrounding areas. This includes the emergency department, intensive care unit (ICU), women and children’s services and diagnostics as well as many outpatient clinics and specialist services.

Facts about North Devon

• Westward ho! is the only town with an exclamation mark in Europe – and is the only town in Britain named after a novel!
• Summerland Street in Barnstaple was the site of the discovery of some unusual straight-tusked elephant fossils in February 1844. These elephants previously roamed Europe's plains, but they became extinct in the United Kingdom some 115,000 years ago.
• The Bristol Channel separates South Wales from North Devon. It is placed second on the planet for the title of highest and lowest tides (second only to the bay of Fundy
• The Bristol Channel, that separates North Devon and South Wales has the second highest tidal range in the world, only exceeded by the Bay of Fundy in Canada. Meaning the North Devon’s tidal range is among the largest! Records show that the biggest range is an enormous 45ft

Cost of Living in North Devon

Cost of Renting Accommodation per month in North Devon

One-Bedroom Apartment in the Centre	£706.67
One-Bedroom Apartment outside of the City Centre	£609.38
Three-Bedroom Apartment in the City Centre	£1455.00
Three-Bedroom Apartment outside of the City Centre	£1,120.00

Transportation

1ltr Petrol	£1.56
One-Way Public Transport Ticket	£2.70
Monthly Public Transport Ticket	£59.00
1km Taxi Journey	£1.33

Entertainment

Meal out in a local pub	£12.00
Meal out for two in a mid-range restaurant, 3 courses	£52.50
Cinema tickets for one person	£10.00
One-month gym membership	£20.89
Tennis court rental for 1 hour on the weekend	£10.63
Beer 0.5ltr bottle	£4.00
Coke/Pepsi 0.33ltr bottle	£1.31
Cappuccino	£3.04

Time It Takes to Travel by Car from North Devon to Cities in the UK

City	Time it Takes to Travel
London	4 Hour 5 Minutes
Bristol	1 Hours 55 Minutes
Cardiff	2 Hour 34 Minutes
Manchester	4 Hours 39 Minutes
Newcastle	6 Hours 26 Minutes
Birmingham	3 Hours 11 Minutes
Liverpool	4 Hours 45 Minutes
Edinburgh	8 Hours

Education in Devon

According to the government website, North Devon has 58 primary schools and 12 Secondary schools. To find out more information about term dates, applications, standards, curriculum and general education, visit the SchoolGuide.co.uk.

The University of Exeter is a public research university just outside of North Devon. The University has a stable place in the top 100 universities in the world according to Times Higher Education, giving the city a distinct reputation for pioneering research and thought leadership. The University of Exeter is also a Russell Group university. The Russell Group is a collective of 24 research-intensive UK universities who have a shared commitment and focus to research and outstanding teaching and learning experiences.

Things to do in North Devon:

Royal Devon Golf Club

The Golf Course in Westward Ho!, which opened in 1864, has long been a leader in the sport, appearing in every top 100 golf course and must-play list ever made.

Hartland Abbey & Gardens

A visit to Hartland Abbey, a magnificent home and renowned film site a mile from Hartland Quay on the N W Devon coast, is like stepping back in time. The award-winning building has been in the same family for decades and welcomes tourists with its intriguing interiors and decoration, stunning woodland walks, walled gardens, and parks.

Clovelly

Clovelly, a lovely, ancient fishing village that was formerly owned by the Queen of England, is one of a kind. Clovelly has been in private possession since Elizabethan times, which has helped to preserve its original atmosphere. Its cobbled streets are free from vehicles making it the perfect quaint family day out destination.

Braunton Burrows

The Braunton Burrows sand dune system is one of the largest in the British Isles. The Burrows, located in the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), are approximately 30 metres in length and are separated into dunes (high ground) and slacks (low ground) (low ground).

All things food!

Barricane Beach Café

Get a Sri Lankan style curry served on the beach!

Woolacombe Rise, Woolacombe EX34 7AS

Blue Groove

2 Hobb's Hill, Croyde, Braunton EX33 1LZ

Lush Bar & Restaurant

55 Boutport St, Barnstaple EX31 1SH

Relocating to North Devon

If you’re an international doctor looking to relocate to North Devon, or another location in the UK, please email your CV to [email protected] and we can support you in securing an NHS post and on your journey to relocate to the UK.

Are you a member of our Facebook group? When you join IMG Advisor, you join a community of doctors all looking to relocate to the UK and join the NHS. We post a series of vlogs and blogs to the group every day. We will also be on hand to answer all of your relocation queries.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel! We have over 100 videos on everything you need to know about relocating to the UK and joining the NHS!

Listen to BDI Resourcing on the go to IMG Advisor the Podcast. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Buzzsprout. We have a number of episodes with tips and advice on relocating to the UK and the routes you can take to achieve this.