the first time a stage had started in the town. Hatherleigh saw the Olympic torch pass through the town on 21 May 2012. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The population at the 2011 census was 2,218. There is no railway station within Hatherleigh's boundaries. However residents can use the nearby railway station in Okehampton now that the Dartmoor Line has reopened with regular services to Exeter. The village is part of the Ruby Country which covers 45 parishes around the market towns of Holsworthy and Hatherleigh. These two towns were at the centre of the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, and although agriculture was directly affected, most local businesses suffered considerable financial hardship. As a result, the Ruby Country Initiative was established, a not for profit partnership, to help create a more robust and sustainable local economy, and to create an identity for the area. References External links Hatherleigh Community Web Site Towns in Devon Market towns in Devon Borough of West Devon