Devon General - Offices and Depots

Offices and Depots

Most of the directors of the Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company came from the London area and so the company offices were established in a house Kilmore Road, Forest Hill, London. The first buses were housed at the Exeter Garage Company's premises in Paris Street, Exeter. In 1921 the offices were moved to the new garage that was being constructed at Blackboy Road in Exeter, but the takeover by the NECC the following year saw the office moved back to Queen Street in the city of London.

The merger of NECC with BET in 1932 saw the Queen Street office closed in favour of BET's headquarters in Kingsway, London. At around this time work started on the construction of a new large garage and central workshops at Newton Road in Torquay. The BET headquarters were moved across London to Piccadilly in 1952 but in 1956 the registered offices of Devon General were moved to the garage at 87 Newton Road, Torquay.

When Devon General was absorbed into Western National in 1971, all the office work was moved to the latter company' offices in Queen Street, Exeter. The newly independent Devon General Limited of 1983 chose to remain in Exeter, but moved into offices in Belgrave Road where a new bus depot had opened in 1975.

Buses were based in garages or open yards at

• Ashburton
  • Dropping Wells 1925–1927
  • West Street (Blue Saloon Motor Services) 1927–1928
• Brixham
  • New Road 1935–1939
  • Mount Pleasant Road 1940–1957
  • Bus Station 1957–1992
• Crediton
  • Unknown site 1928?–1931
  • Mill Street 1931–1954
• Exeter
  • Gold's Garage, Heavitree Road 1919–1921
  • Blackboy Road 1921–1971
  • Heavitree Road (Exeter Corporation) 1970–1975
  • Belgrave Road 1975–(1996)
• Exmouth
  • New Street 1921 – 1931
  • Imperial Road 1931 – (1996)
• Moretonhampstead
  • Station Road June – September 1924
  • Steven's Garage, Chagford 1924–1928?
  • Court Street 1928–1971 Moved to a different site in Court Street in 1931
• Newton Abbot
  • Bradley Hotel 1919–1921
  • Newton Road, Kingsteignton 1921–1960
  • Kingsteignton Road 1960–1992
• Paignton
  • Roundham Road 1923–1925
  • Churston 1925–1930
  • Orient Road, Preston 1924–1932
  • Bus Station 1988–(1996) The bus station opened for in 1954
• Sidmouth
  • Mill Street 1922–?
  • Station Road, Newton Poppleford ?–1930
  • Woolbrook 1930–1996
• Tiverton
  • Chapel Street (Croscols) 1924–1938
  • Old Road 1938–1971 After 1971 buses were kept at the bus station.
• Torquay
  • Westhill Avenue (Torquay Tramways) 1922–1931
  • Newton Road 1931–1988
  • Torwood Street (Grey Cars) 1933–1940 and 1946–1971
  • Belgrave Road (Court Garages) 1940–1946 and 1966–1973
  • Regents Close 1992–(1996)

One or two buses were also kept at a number of other towns and villages such as Axminster (1922–1924, 1927–1984), Budleigh Salterton (1930–1939, 1988–1989), Crockernwell (1942–1957), Cullompton (1922–1996), East Budleigh 1921–1931, Kenton (1942–1947), Okehampton (1923–1997), Ottery St Mary (1927–1938, 1949–1967), Tiverton Junction (1955–1977), Uffculme (1942–1954).