In Dartmouth, the charming medieval port city that gave its name to one of our most prestigious universities, a ship called the Mayflower sailed with the Pilgrim fathers and mothers.

From Torquay, Agatha Christie’s hometown, American GIs departed for the shores of Normandy for D-Day.

Sir Francis Drake, without whom the U.S. might well have been a Spanish-speaking country, was rumored to have planned his attack on the Spanish Armada from a pub in Exeter.

If you missed “Uncovering the past in Southwest England” in yesterday’s Houston Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and San Antonio Express-News, here it is.

Here, too, is a virtual tour through photos. Enjoy!

The Southwest of England has long been known as a holiday getaway for the British, but first-rate destinations such as Newquay, Exeter and Dartmoor don’t exactly trip off the tongues of the average U.S. traveler.

Here’s a peek at the spectacular and diverse countryside of Devon and Cornwall.

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