Brixham is situated on the South Devon coast in sheltered Torbay. Primarily a fishing port, Brixham now ranks as one of the largest in the English league of fishing ports based on the value of the catch landed. The town is hilly and built around the harbour, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Viewed from the sea one sees many terraced houses clinging to a steep hillside. The hills rise so steeply on either side of the harbour that steps are mostly used instead of roads to connect each terrace with that above and below. On the skyline can be seen the tower of All Saints Church which stands guard over the town.

Brixham’s two main industries are now tourism and fishing although the town has retained its essential character and has not commercialised its beautiful setting. Whilst exploring the charming streets and alleyways you will find many small cafes and unusual shops, quaint courtyards and steps inviting you to explore. At the end of a busy sightseeing day there are many pubs waiting to welcome you with real ale or glass of wine and this really is the place to sample freshly caught fish in the countless restaurants.

Brixham has something for everyone, from relaxing around the beautiful harbour with an ice cream to invigorating walks along the coast path with its outstanding views. A walk around Berry Head, now a nature reserve will bring you to a lighthouse with a claim to fame, being the “shortest on the highest”. That is, the shortest lighthouse, only 6feet high, on the highest cliff, being 200 feet above sea level. The summer is packed with exciting events for all ages. Lifeboat week in July is especially popular as the Lifeboat house is open to the public and the Lifeboat is on display, raising money for the RNLI. Brixham carnival is at the beginning of August and Regatta towards the end. Throughout the summer run Pirate Thursdays with Cap’n Blood and Guts. Your children will love to dress like a pirate and take part in workshops, photo shoots and musical events. And on a warm summer evening while strolling around the harbour you may hear a visiting band playing in the old fish market.

The recorded history of Brixham goes back 1000 years and the neighbourhood abounds with evidence that ancient man occupied the town. The accidental discovery of Brixham cavern in 1858 yielded numerous relics of man and prehistoric animals. The Romans knew the area, for large numbers of their coins and pottery have been discovered at Berry Head. The upper part of the town is the original village and the parish church of St. Mary is on the site of the original seventh century Saxon settlement. In Domesday Book Brixham is recorded as the manor of Briseham owned by Judhel of Totnes. In medieval times the town had a strong trade in drying fish and curing Pilchards and is mentioned by Leland as “a pretty town of fishermen”.

Records of smuggling start early in Brixham, in 1645 rolls of contraband tobacco were found there. Interestingly, Raleigh is said to have smoked his first tobacco at Greenway house a few miles away.
Brixham is best know in history as the landing place of William of Orange, later William III, in 1688. On the harbour side stands a statue bearing the inscription “The Liberties of England and the Protestant Religion I will maintain”. William arrived in Brixham on 5th November in his ship the Princess Mary, named after his queen. Local tradition says the Prince called out to the waiting crowd, “if I am welcome then carry me ashore” where upon a local fisherman named Varwell waded out and carried William to the quay.

The forts on Berry head date from the Napoleonic wars and are some of the best preserved in the country. The original plan was to build 3 forts but only 2 were ever completed. The original military hospital was inside the walls of one fort but was found to be too small and a new one built some distance away at the base of Berry Head. It later became Berry Head House, the home of the Rev Henry Francis Lyte and is now a hotel. Henry Francis Lyte was vicar of All Saints Church and the author of many well known hymns, the best-known being Abide With Me. This hymn is rung from the church each night at 8 o’ clock.

The great storm of 1866 when over 60 vessels were washed ashore and over 100 lives lost showed the need for a lifeboat to be stationed in Brixham. The Royal National Lifeboat institution took speedy action and the “City of Exeter” arrived in the same year. A visit to the Lifeboat station will supply a full record of the sterling work done by this and subsequent lifeboats in Torbay and the channel.

Brixham Battery and the Battery Gardens are an open space on the Furzeham side of the town. The 14-acre site was first used as a battery in 1586 during the war between England and Spain. It was in use during the American war of independence and during the Napoleonic wars. All that can be seen today date from 1940, built after the evacuation from Dunkirk. The roll of the Brixham Battery and that at Corbyn head in Torquay was to protect the beaches of Torbay.

Many famous people have lived in Brixham, one of the best-known being Flora Thompson author of the Lark Rise books and made popular by the BBC. She lived at Lauriston in New Road and is buried in Dartmouth.
In recent years Brixham has undergone many changes. A programme of sympathetic regeneration and the new stylish marina blends in perfectly with the traditional working harbour and picturesque surroundings.
 

Timestep Electronics Ltd
PO Box 2001  Dartmouth Devon  TQ6 9QN
Tel: 01803 833366  Fax: 01803 839498   e-mail click here

15 January 2010