Okehampton is an agricultural market town on Dartmoor. It is rural – but it is certainly not isolated from the rest of the world.

In the 1990s, a ‘cist’ (a prehistoric burial box) was discovered at White Horse Hill, a North Dartmoor site in the vicinity of the town. A later archaeological dig revealed the cremated remains of a young adult female. Amongst the grave goods in the cist were Baltic amber beads. This was an important discovery, which suggests that Dartmoor has always been connected to the wider world – even 4000 years ago.

Explore the timeline below to learn more about the town’s multicultural heritage: ancient, historic and modern.

Today, Okehampton is home to many different people from a wide range of diverse communities.

In 2020, Telling Our Stories interviewed some of them about their memories, their stories, and their experiences of coming to and living in Okehampton.

Explore the Stories tab to hear their voices.

Latest Okehampton community stories

Latest Okehampton community stories

Christine Star, German – soon British

Christine Star, German – soon British

Christine Star is a complementary therapist from Germany. She moved to Plymouth aged 37, and has spent many years living between Plymouth and Okehampton (where her partner lives). Christine is planning a move to Okehampton in the future. Christine worked for nine...

Daniel Leite, Portuguese national

Daniel Leite, Portuguese national

Daniel Leite was born in Portugal. He came to Devon around five years ago, after spending a period of time living and working in France. He now works as a chef, whilst also completing an Open University degree. Daniel currently lives in Okehampton, but has previously...

Mrs C, an Okehampton resident of Filipino heritage

Mrs C, an Okehampton resident of Filipino heritage

Mrs C is British-Filipino. She is a secondary school English teacher, who moved to Devon aged 12, from the Philippines. She now lives in Okehampton with her husband and daughters. In her adult life, Mrs C has been relearning the Visayan language she grew up with, as...

Christine Star, German – soon British

Christine Star, German – soon British

Christine Star is a complementary therapist from Germany. She moved to Plymouth aged 37, and has spent many years living between Plymouth and Okehampton (where her partner lives). Christine is planning a move to Okehampton in the future. Christine worked for nine...

Daniel Leite, Portuguese national

Daniel Leite, Portuguese national

Daniel Leite was born in Portugal. He came to Devon around five years ago, after spending a period of time living and working in France. He now works as a chef, whilst also completing an Open University degree. Daniel currently lives in Okehampton, but has previously...