The West Country is justly famous for its dairy produce. The lush green fields of Devon provide the ideal grazing conditions for cows whose milk is rich in butterfat.
   Devon Creamery suggests both the essence of a West Country farmhouse and the feeling of relaxed contentment of old fashioned dairy practices.
   All milking was done by hand until the early 1900s and it was not until after the Second World War that a significant proportion of cows were milked mechanically in this area. Milking was carried out twice a day -- early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
   The skills of a Devon milkmaid would not have stopped at milking. Butter making would also be her concern.
   Clotted cream, the specialty for which Devon is perhaps most noted, has a distinctive flavour and texture and has been relished for centuries. The Tudors are known to have enjoyed this sort of cream greatly.
   Cheese was also made on these farms as an endeavour to save some of the excess milk produced in summer, for consumption in the winter months.