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Exmouth
Exmouth maps
Historic maps of Exmouth and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Exmouth maps
Exmouth area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Exmouth and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Exmouth
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Exmouth.
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Imperial Hotel Fire 1971
Around this time a fire destroyed much of the Imperial Hotel which was, then, owned by Trust Houses. The previous year (1970 on the 6th of March) The Moorland Hotel, Haytor, was also much destroyed by fire. This started at midnight - a fact of which I am fully aware as I was the manager of the hotel – also owned by Trust Houses. It occurred during the police annual dinner which was taking place at the time. Local doctor, Jack Harrison was starting a speech wishing our local policeman a happy move to another station, when I had to interrupt him to announce that the fire had just started. It was a great surprise, then, for me to learn the following year that the Imperial Hotel had suffered a similar fate. Tragically, the wife of the then manager had ventured into the hotel in search of their cat and was overcome in some way and perished in the building. How much of the original building remained,... Read more
A Picnic at Exmouth Cricket Club
Last week we had a really lovely day out with our granddaughter Anna Norfolk. It was a beautiful sunny July day and far too hot for staying at home so my wife and I went in search of a beach and a cooling sea breeze. We drove to Exmouth and when we arrived at the seafront we noticed that the Exmouth cricket grounds were open - a friendly gatekeeper invited us to drive in and park on their outfield for the day.
There was lovely clean short grass to spread our picnic. They even had a small cafe and loos available! We were very happy to pay our £3.50 for the day instead of paying the same for a crowded tarmac carpark run by the council! Anna enjoyed the picnic and running around on the grass as all two year-olds do.
It was brilliant and we were only a few feet away fron the beach. Then we wandered over to the beach and spent a... Read more
Withycombe Village
In the Second World War my brother and I were evacuated to my grandmother's in Withycombe village, she lived in a cottage opposite the Country Inn. We went to the village school down near the Hollybush Inn. I have fond memories of my schooldays and the village life. We had been born in Exmouth but moved up to the Midlands only to find ourselves back for the war years. I have re-visited the village since but not as often as I should. Graham
Exmouth Marina
The history of Exmouth Harbour and marina has altered beyond recognition in the last few years. In 1998 I went there as a complete novice deck hand and worked for the summer on the 55-foot trawler GY165 'Pacemaker'. We fished out in the channel and often landed our catch on the harbour, to the interest of the town's visitors. I lived on board the boat for the first 6 weeks which was quite an experience, you felt very odd being so much on view to passing tourists as you hung your smalls out to dry on deck. Luckily I then met a mad Australian, Aussie Mike Townsend, and he let me move into a room in his flat above the garage in Shelley Beach Road. It was great living there, and such a relief to get off the boat for a while and have a proper bed and bathroom. One of the best things was going for a pint in the Beach pub, nice people got in there and being... Read more
Vacation With My Parents & Family
Visited Exmouth with my parents brother & sister-in-law. Remember the beautiful beach. I was 10 years old at the time. I remember we stayed in a hotel not far from the beach, although I cannot remember the hotel name. We had a lovely week, the weather was beautiful and we met some people on vacation from Europe.
Devon memories
Beautiful Memories
My mother became pregnant while we were living in Khartoum and she, my brother and I returned to UK as babies did not do well in the heat. No air-conditioning in those days. My father had to stay because of his contract.
My mother rented the chauffeur's cottage on the Bystock Estate. What a beautiful place it was. The manor house was mainly closed, just a small flat for the owner who ran a dairy herd. Every day the Jersey cows would pass the cottage on their way to milking.
My sister was born in the cottage - a home birth. My nana from Croydon came to assist at the birth.
I was told later that my mother had had a nervous breakdown and she forgot to send me to school. What a wonderful education I gave myself wandering around the Bystock Estate. I found a small cottage nearby. The garden was full of thistles and... Read more
A Christmas Day Walk Along The Cliff Tops From Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton
My wife Elizabeth and I had a lovely walk along the cliff tops between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton on Christmas Day, 2006.
We took turkey sandwiches and picnic-ed looking down on the sea as we had eaten our Christmas Dinner the evening before. Later we flew a kite on the beach and were surprised at how many people were surfing!
