Ilfracombe was the most significant harbour on the north Devon coast and its watch in 1545 was part of the system that guarded the northern flank of the Devon defence perimeter. The Bristol Channel coast of north Devon had not previously been fortified to the same extent as the Channel coast, reflecting the lower probability of attack from this direction, but the scale of the 1545 French fleet made all approaches to England worth watching.
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Ilfracombe town militia and coastal watch; north Devon county militia on standby
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