London 2012: Olympic torch relay route through Devon revealed

Chris Baker was chosen to carry the Olympic flame because of his fundraising for charities

The Olympic torch is to visit more than 30 cities, towns and villages through Devon during the torch relay.

After setting off from Land's End in neighbouring Cornwall on 19 May, the torch will arrive in Plymouth that evening.

It will then travel through the county over two days, going from Plymouth to Exeter on 20 May.

After an overnight stop in Exeter, it will head to north Devon on 21 May, before going on to Somerset.

In Plymouth, the torch's route will include the city's new £46.5m Life Centre, before an evening celebration is held on the city's Hoe.

On 20 May, it will leave the city, travelling through the South Hams, Torbay and Teignbridge districts.

Places it will travel through include: Kingsbridge, Dartmouth, Totnes, Paignton, Torquay, Teignmouth.

Its visit through Torbay will be the area's second major link with the Olympics.

Torquay was the sailing venue for the 1948 Games and the torch visited the Grade I listed Torre Abbey then.

It is returning to the former monastery, parts of which date back to 1196.

After arriving in Exeter, an evening celebration will be held at Exeter Cathedral before its second overnight stay in the county.

On 21 May, it will travel through the middle and the north of the county, with torchbearers taking part in: Okehampton, Bideford, Barnstaple, Braunton and Ilfracombe.

It will leave the county after visiting Lynmouth.

The journey through Devon is part of a 70-day tour across the UK before the torch arrives at London's Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony on 27 July.

Thousands of torchbearers have been recruited for the flame's journey before the opening ceremony.

Chris Baker, 14, from Ivybridge, will be a Lloyds TSB torchbearer after being nominated by his father, Dave, for his fundraising efforts.

Chris has raised more than £1,300 for a number of charities since the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster of 2004 prompted him to sell cakes to raise money for the victims.

Since then he has organised sponsored bike rides, coffee mornings, a Come Dine with Me-style event and more cake sales.

Charities which have benefited include: the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, the Salvation Army, Children in Need, RNLI, Shelter and St Luke's Hospice in Plymouth.

'Really chuffed'

He said: "I am not sure why I do it, but it's always been a natural thing that I've wanted to do.

"Pleasing me pleases other people as well."

He said he was "really chuffed" to be given the opportunity to carry the torch, although he had not yet been told which part of the route he would be covering.

His mother, Pauline, said: "He absolutely comes alive when he's raising money for charity.

"When he finishes he wants to do another and he has a few in the pipeline."

London 2012 organisers Locog said the torch would come within 10 miles of 95% of the population.