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The county of Devon has produced a large collection of noted English writers and artists. Some were born there, some lived or visited there – All were inspired by the county.

Beginning in literature - Torquay crime novelist Agatha Christie is one of the most popular in the world. Famed for the characters Miss Marple and Poirot, she often used places in Torquay and South Devon in her books.

Staying in the south of the county, Poet and short story writer Elizabeth Barrett Browning stayed in Torquay for three years. However the stay proved tragic, as one of her brothers drowned in an accident in Babbacombe Bay.

Rudyard Kipling in the late 1800s

Rudyard Kipling lived for a time in Torquay, whilst Oscar Wilde and Henry James were regular visitors. Rupert Brooke is thought to have written ‘Seaside’ about the coastal resort.

Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle used Dartmoor as the inspiration and backdrop for his most famous tale, the Hound of the Baskervilles. Poet Ted Hughes spent much of his later life in Devon. Although from Yorkshire, he loved Dartmoor and at his request upon his death in 1998, a granite memorial stone was laid there to mark his memory.

Finally - poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in Ottery St Mary, where he grew up. And a young Charles Dickens spent considerable time near Exeter, where he wrote part of his novel ‘Nicholas Nickelby’. Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen are two other noted authors to have spent significant time in Devon.

Art and music

Plymouth artist Beryl Cook is known for the colourful characters and buxom ladies which appear in her work.Ìý Many of them observed at the Dolphin pub on Plymouth's Barbican. Although largely snubbed by major galleries, her work is much loved by the public.

A Beryl Cook self-portrait

George Passmore from artistic duo Gilbert and George is from Devon – growing up in Totnes. The duo are two of the world’s leading contemporary artists and their work always inspires debate and discussion.

In recent years, Devon has produced a host of acclaimed artists in the field of music.

One of the most successful Devon bands has been Muse. The Teignmouth trio have produced several million-selling albums and headlined Wembley Stadium and Glastonbury Festival.

Singer-songwriter Joss Stone has only just turned 21 but has already achieved huge fame and success.

Dartmoor-based folk artist Seth Lakeman uses the Devon coast and countryside as an inspiration for his work. Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin hails from Exeter.

Made in England

Made in England is a joint partnership between ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ English Regions and Arts Council England to bring audiences and artists together in unique collaborations to provide exciting new cultural experiences.

Seth Lakeman - inspired by Devon

It's a project dedicated to exploring how England – the place and the people - is expressed through creative and artistic forms.

Think about the Lake District - dramatic and elegant, the lush greens and icy blues depicting an unspoilt England. William Wordsworth was so inspired by the landscape he wrote poems, sonnets and ballads dedicated to it.

Non-traditional art is just as important to recognise - graffiti on the streets, estates built in the Sixties. Does this architecture, history and culture inspire you to think of all things English?

If you're bursting with enthusiasm at the thought of creating something - why don't you see how you can get involved? Visit the main Made in England site to find out how you can get your creative juices flowing.