Newton Abbot is a market town on the River Teign.

It has a racecourse and boasts three country parks; Decoy, Stover and Bradley. Part of Newton Abbot's heritage is the historic Cheese and Onion Fayre, originally held on 5,6,7 November in honour of Saint Leonard. It is still held to this day, but earlier in the year at the beginning of September.

Just 2 miles (3.2 km) NW of Newton Abbot lie the ball clay workings of Bovey basin. This basin took millions of years to fill from rivers that flowed out of Dartmoor. The sediments included clay derived from the rotted granite. The natural deposition has resulted in a clay that is purer and more refined than many others. It has been used to make materials ranging from bricks to porcelain.

Bovey clay was being used to make pipes around 1680. By 1700, it was being shipped from Teignmouth, and its incorporation in the Wedgwood pottery business made it a success. The clay was extracted by simply digging out the lumps on courses – rather like peat cutting. The bulky clay was transported by packhorse.

The ball clay industry is now highly mechanised and very successful. Road haulage takes most of the clay traffic.