Exmouth, General View 1890

Photo ref: 26256

More about this scene

owing to the growth of cheap foreign holidays and an industrial recession. People do still come to Exmouth for longer holidays, but the town does not really have the old August high season any more, with the consequent sad loss of some of the older hotels. There is now a greater emphasis on short breaks, weekend visits, and day trips. Visitors to Exmouth are more likely to stay in bed and breakfast establishments than hotels. Harking back to the Georgian visitors' practice, today's holidaymakers more commonly rent an apartment, or perhaps a caravan at one of the neighbouring camping sites. Coaches bring day trippers from towns and cities across the West Country and other parts of England. Many have chosen to make Exmouth their home, and the population has increased dramatically in the last fifty years; suburbs now sprawl out into the original parishes of Withycombe Raleigh and Littleham, though both of these have somehow managed to preserve their village hearts. The closure of the docks at the end of the last century has led to a massive redevelopment of the dock area, with luxury apartments standing where ships once unloaded and men worked long hours. But boats still set out on fishing expeditions, and the old ferry bumbles across the Exe estuary to Starcross. The estuary itself has now been recognised as a bird sanctuary of international importance, attracting bird- watchers from around the world. The heart of Exmouth is little changed since these photographs were taken. It is still possible to promenade along the Esplanade as the Victorians and Edwardians we see here did, and to seek the shade of the trees in Madeira Walk, to explore the dunes of the Maer, or search out bargains in the shops of the Strand and Rolle Street. Exmouth is Devon's oldest resort, and still displays its heritage with pride.

An extract from Exmouth Photographic Memories.