In Praise of Devon is an evocation of the unique character of the county and its people. John Lane eloquently describes Devon's rivers, coastline and moors; its towns, villages and buildings; its beautiful images and objects, traditions and occupations from Dartmoor to Devonshire dialect, Church Bells to Cream Teas, Honiton Lace to Holy Wells and gives intimate sketches of the lives and values of twenty Devonians, including farmers, a trawlerman, a doctor, a cook, the sculptor Peter Randall Page, potter Clive Bowen and scientist James Lovelock. The text is complemented by 140 colour plates:?photographs, engravings and old master paintings of the Devon countryside.

John Lane manages skilfully to convey the deep allure of what H. Rider Haggard describes as the loveliest of English counties. * Evergreen magazine *

John Lane (1930 - 2012) was a painter, writer and educationalist. He was Chairman of the Dartington Hall Trust, founding direct of the Beaford Arts centre and instrumental in the creation of Schumacher College. His books include The Living Tree: Art and the Sacred, Timeless Simplicity: Creative Living in a Consumer Society, Timeless Beauty in the Arts and Everyday Life and The Spirit of Silence: Making Space for Creativity. He lived in Devon for over 40 years.