Devon Dating: Meet Singles Across the County

Dating in a county this size

From Lynton on the north coast to Salcombe on the south, Devon takes the best part of two hours to cross, and Dartmoor sits in the middle of it. That shapes how people date here. Someone in Exeter will happily meet in Topsham or Crediton, but Plymouth can feel like another world on a Tuesday evening. When you search, set a distance you would really drive and you will get far better conversations.

Exeter and East Devon

Exeter is the easiest place in the county for a first date: the quayside, the cafés around the cathedral green and plenty of pubs within walking distance of the stations. East Devon towns such as Exmouth, Sidmouth and Honiton are close enough to share a search with the city. There is more on the city itself on our Exeter dating page.

Plymouth and the South Hams

Plymouth has the Barbican, the Hoe and a waterfront that suits a relaxed first meeting. Members there often look east to Ivybridge, Totnes and Kingsbridge, and west across the Tamar into Cornwall. See Plymouth dating for the city and the Tamar Valley.

Torbay, North Devon and the moors

Torquay, Paignton and Newton Abbot make a natural group, and our Torbay page covers them in more detail. In the north, Barnstaple, Bideford and Ilfracombe are a long way from everywhere else, which is exactly why a local site helps; North Devon dating is written for that side of the county. Around Okehampton, Tavistock and the moor itself, a walk and a pub lunch is the classic first date.

Who you will meet in Devon

Devon is the biggest county on Westcountry Singles. Plymouth and Exeter have the most members, followed by Barnstaple, Torquay, Newton Abbot and Paignton, and there are members in Tiverton, Honiton, Bideford, Tavistock, Dawlish and Exmouth too. Ages run from people in their twenties to people in their seventies, and the largest groups are in their late thirties, forties and early fifties: people with jobs, children at home or grown up, and a clear idea of what they want.

First dates that feel like Devon

The county makes it easy to plan a first meeting that is relaxed rather than a job interview over a table. A coffee and a stroll along Exeter Quay, a drink on the Barbican as the boats come in, a walk along the seafront at Teignmouth or Dawlish, or the Tarka Trail between Barnstaple and Bideford all give you something to talk about besides yourselves. If you both like the outdoors, a short circuit on the edge of Dartmoor with a pub at the end is hard to beat, as long as the first one is somewhere busy and you each make your own way there. Our first date ideas for the South West has more.

Farming and country Devon

A lot of Devon is farmland, and plenty of our members work it. Long days, early starts and a farm half an hour from the nearest town make the usual ways of meeting people hard. If that sounds like you, set a wider search radius than a city dweller would and say on your profile what your days look like; the right person will understand. Our page on country dating is written for farmers and rural singles across the South West.

Towns to include in your search

• Exeter
• Plymouth
• Torquay
• Paignton
• Newton Abbot
• Barnstaple
• Bideford
• Tiverton
• Honiton
• Exmouth
• Tavistock
• Okehampton
• Totnes
• Kingsbridge
• Dawlish
• South Molton

Before a first date, read our safety advice. It is short and it is worth it.