Okehampton

England, United Kingdom

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Okehampton, town (parish), West Devon borough, administrative and historic county of Devon, southwestern England. It lies on the River Okement, at the northern edge of the wild heathland known as Dartmoor.

There was originally a Saxon settlement on the site, but it was abandoned after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when a castle was built, the keep of which remains. The town received its first charter of incorporation during the reign of Edward I (1272–1307).

Today Okehampton is a small rural service centre and a gateway community to Dartmoor National Park. to the south. Pop. (2001) 5,846; (2011) 7,104.

English language school promotion illustration. Silhouette of a man advertises or sells shouts in a megaphone and emerging from the flag of the United Kingdom (Union Jack).

Britannica Quiz

Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit?

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.