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I was born in Devon on a wild, witchy night and lived there until I was about four years old, when we moved to London. My childhood memories are very much in the setting of my granny’s house. It was a 16th-century thatched cottage in the middle of nowhere on Dartmoor, and there was always a roaring fire in the background – very spooky, very Wuthering Heights. She would take me up to the moors and point out dewdrops on cobwebs, and she’d call patches of moss on the rocks “little fairy homes”. The landscape was our canvas – it was a very pure and magical childhood.
All my creativity and inspiration stems from this wild, dramatic landscape. It’s quite bleak, but it’s romantic at the same time. Devon has a rich pagan history and there are lots of fairytales and stories that people have passed down through the generations. For example, when it’s foggy, you’re told to keep your hands in your pockets, otherwise the pixies will steal your gold. There’s also a grave on Dartmoor that has had fresh flowers left by it for decades, but no one knows who puts them there or why.
I like to pull those myths into my jewellery, which I’ve been designing since 2019. I feature a lot of skulls, spiderwebs and flowers, all of which are symbolic of Devon. The flowers and herbs here particularly inspire me. I use lots of drawings of rosemary when we’re making bespoke pieces for people who are remembering someone they’ve lost, as well as horseshoes that have seven diamond nails in them so they catch luck. Lots of those little traditions come from this part of the world.
I come back around three times each year – it feels like my spiritual homeland. Devon grounds me and taps into my creativity. When I want to feel inspired I’ll go for a walk on the moors, which are part of the Dartmoor National Park. The landscape is really rugged and dramatic compared to other parts of the UK. On top of the moors, you have tors – piles of massive rocks that are centuries old. My family and I usually walk to Mel Tor, where there’s a little stone table that my brother had his sixth-birthday picnic on, and lots of cute wild ponies that roam free. Once you reach the top, you have the most breathtaking views over Devon. Wistman’s Wood, one of Britain’s last remaining ancient rainforests, is another stunning spot. And not too far away there’s a place called Spitchwick, a historic estate where you can walk along the river.
Heartbreakingly, my granny died and her house was sold, so I now usually stay at The Bull Inn in Totnes. It has a cosy, homely vibe, which I love, and the food is all organic and delicious. I usually order the whole globe artichoke with garlic butter, always with a Margarita. Totnes is the most hippie place you’ll ever go to. Everyone walks around barefoot and there are sage sticks in every shop. It is its own little world – it even used to have its own currency, the Totnes Pound. If you want to spend a small fortune, Ben’s Farm Shop is just heaven; he was the original guy for organic food in the area. There’s also The Riverford Field Kitchen, where the menu changes based on the seasons and they grow most of the food on site.
Obviously, there are loads of pubs in Devon. The Warren House Inn is in the middle of nowhere and you can see across the moors; they have a fire that supposedly hasn’t been put out since the 1800s. Don’t eat there – just go for a beer and the atmosphere. For a classic pub lunch, there’s a gorgeous pub called The Rugglestone Inn that looks like something out of The Hobbit. The beef-and-ale pie is great.
Ashburton, a nearby town, is known for antiques shops that people travel far and wide for. I love Catherine Waters Antiques, which has beautiful old English and French furnishings; I’m currently talking to the store about a rustic wooden kitchen island. Around the corner, The Fish Deli sells cute mugs that are very up my street. Ashburton also has a delicious Italian called Emilia, which is very chic.
If you have time, it’s worth checking out the Dartington Estate. Originally built in the 14th century, its beautiful Great Hall has a huge stone fireplace – you feel like you’ve gone back in time. There’s also a Henry Moore sculpture in the gardens and it’s surrounded by rolling hills.
What I love about Devon is that you really feel the seasons, something that my granny always celebrated. In spring, the house would be full of flowers; for Christmas, she would make a huge pagan wreath out of foliage she’d found on the moors. It would hang above the table with these little fake white birds that would spin because of the smoke from all her candles. It was so beautiful; I copied it for the ceremony room at my wedding in September. She was someone who always valued creativity and encouraged my imagination. I don’t think my brand would exist if it wasn’t for her.
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