Other heritage attractions
South Devon is so packed with heritage that there's still more to tell you about!
You can get firsthand experience of a bygone era of steam travel on South Devon Railway running from Buckfastleigh to Totnes, and The Dart Valley Railway which runs between Paignton and Dartmouth. If you fancy adding another mode of transport reminiscent the past, why not use the South Devon Railway's vintage bus to get around Buckfastleigh and to Buckfast Abbey.
The story of the atmospheric ruined fishing village of Hallsands makes great reading and serves to remind us all of the power of the sea and the danger of over exploiting natural resources.
Slapton beach has seen some action, in December 1943 with some 3,000 residents from the parishes of Slapton, Strete, East Allington, Sherford, almost all of Blackawton, and parts of Stokenham, Buckland-tout-Saints and Halwell were evacuated for 12 months to make way for 15,000 American troops to carry out battle exercises with live ammunition, and practice D-Day landings. Exercise Tiger was one of the assault rehearsals conducted, in the early hours of the 28th of April 1944 a tragic incident happened. German torpedo boats alerted by heavy radio traffic intercepted a 3mile long convoy of vessels travelling from Lyme Bay to Slapton. During the attack several Tank landing ship were sunk and at the end of the exercise 946 American Servicemen had lost their lives. A 
Sherman amphibious tank lost in the exercise and recovered by local hotelier Ken Small in 1984, along with several plaques, stand at Torcross car park between Slapton Ley and the beach as a memorial to the men who lost their lives. There is another 20ft monument in the car park towards the middle of the beach length, where The Royal Sands Hotel had stood before the exercises. It is from the American authorities in recognition of the contribution made by local people in giving up their homes and lands, action which saved hundreds of lives and in no small way contributed to the success of the invasion. It is inscribed with the names of the villages involved.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution was founded by Sir William Hillary in 1824 as a charitable organisation to save lives at sea. It maintains a series of lifeboat stations around the coast serviced by volunteers, the only exception generally being a paid engineer. Initially boats were rowed with oars until the 1890s when steam-driven boats began to be introduced. Nowadays there are large diesel-driven offshore boats and small fast inshore boats. Trained volunteer crews put to sea regardless of their own safety, in an effort to save those in distress, an act of pure charity. The RNLI remains dependent on charity to buy and maintain its boats. In South Devon there are a number 
of RNLI facilities. Salcombe boasts a Tyne Class All Weather and an Atlantic 75 Inshore Lifeboat. Just around the corner is Dart Lifeboat based in Dartmouth's relatively new station housing a D class inshore lifeboat. Plymouth and Teignmouth also provide RNLI cover for the South Devon coast. The stations are open to the public, and their walls often display tales of heroism and courage in press clippings; reading them is humbling.
