Throughout the third week of August 2005 the Trafalgar Way was formally inaugurated in Devon to commemorate the bi-centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

The Lorna Doone, an genuine North Devon stagecoach visited inns and hostels along the complete duration of what is now know as the Trafalgar Way in Devon.

Throughout this time an actor playing the component of Lieutenant John Richard Lapenotiere delivered a New Trafalgar Dispatch. Every city in Devon that he handed through has unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.

Lapenotiere, captain of HMS Pickle, travelled by post chaise, the equivalent of a taxi 200 years back again and the quickest indicates of public transport available at the time.

It took about 6 weeks from 21st October 1805 for the complete news of the victory and the death of Admiral Horatio Nelson to filter through to London and the individuals of England.

Nelson and his fleet defeated the mixed armies of France and Spain off the Spanish coast near to Cape Trafalgar. Amongst the males in the English fleet had been one,115 males from Devon, much more than from any other county.

Lapenotiere was the initial messenger to reach Falmouth with the news. He handed rapidly through Cornwall and entered Devon at Lifton. Pausing only to change horses at Okehampton, Crockernwell, Exeter, Honiton and Axminster he travelled on to London.

Every messenger who followed had much more particulars of the Battle of Trafalgar in the dispatches they carried. Subsequent in the actions of Lieutenant Lapenotiere hundreds of horses had been utilized to carry the news.

Trewman’s Exeter Flying Publish, the nearby newspaper, consists of complete particulars of the contents of the dispatches as they became available. Microfilm copies are available at the Devon Document Workplace or on-line at their website.

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Lesley Pinkett lives and functions in East Devon and is the proprietor of http://www.newsletterjournal.com which is packed with info about this beautiful corner of England.