Dawlish
Encyclopedia
Dawlish is a town
and civil parish in Teignbridge
on the south coast of Devon
in England
, 12 miles (19.3 km) from the county town of Exeter
. It has a population of 12,819. During the 18th century, it grew from a small fishing port to become a well-known seaside resort
.
and the Riviera Line
railway above. Behind this is a central public park, The Lawn, through which Dawlish Water flows.
Immediately to the south-west of Dawlish is a headland, Lea Mount, with Boat Cove at its foot and Coryton Cove, the furthest part of the beach accessible by the seawall path, behind it. To the north-east, via the beach or seawall, the coast can be followed some 2 km to Langstone Rock and the resort of Dawlish Warren
beyond.
Dawlish is also known for its black swan
s (Cygnus atratus), introduced from Western Australia, which live with other exotic waterfowl in a small urban sanctuary on Dawlish Water.
makers who ventured down to the coast to net fish and gather salt. Salt was abundant in rock pools and saltern
s were constructed to dry brine
and produce salt. The high-quality salt was stored in sheds or saltcellars. Dawlish produced less salt than its neighbour Teignmouth
, most likely due to inhabitants being wary of Dawlish water and its unpredictability when it came to flooding.
Dawlish took its name from a stream with a Brythonic name, once spelt "Deawlisc", meaning "Devil Water" (the name came from heavy rains churning up the red cliffs, making the brook run red). An alternative meaning proposed is "black stream", cognate with Welsh
du (g)lais. Several other spellings and meanings are found later in the Domesday Book
and in documents from Exeter Cathedral
.
The salt making started before Roman
times (55 BC) and continued until the withdrawal of the Romans in AD 400. In the Anglo-Saxon
period (AD 400–1000) salt making ceased, however Teignmouth continued production. During the Anglo-Saxon period the number of inhabitants grew and some communities settled in the upper part of the valley where floods were less common and the land was fertile. Evidence of early farming settlements is found at Aller Farm, Smallacombe, Lidwell and Higher and Lower Southwood.
When the Romans invaded Britain, the Celtic population of Devon was not displaced and continued to occupy the land throughout the period that lasted until the Anglo-Saxons arrived. The Anglo-Saxons
conquered Devon and it was annexed by the kingdom of Wessex
in the 8th century.
The Danish
invasion of AD 800 left Dawlish untouched, possibly due to the shallow sea waters and marshland. Bishopsteignton
was destroyed by the Danes in AD 1001 along with settlements at the mouth of the River Teign
.
Until its sale in the 19th century, Dawlish belonged to Exeter Cathedral
, having been given to the chapter by Leofric, Bishop of Exeter
in 1050.
Dawlish was once the haunt of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Charles Dickens used the town as the birthplace of Nicholas Nickleby. The town particularly around the seafront, has much in common with the resort towns in South Devon, a classic of Regency and early Victorian style. Also worth noting are Manor House and Brook House (both about 1800) and some of the cottages in Old Town Street surviving from the old village. Dawlish's transformation from a fishing settlement to a watering hole for Victorian celebrities can be discovered at the Dawlish Museum.
designed a railway, which operated on a pneumatic principle using a 15-inch iron tube. The atmospheric railway
opened on 30 May 1846 and ran between Exeter St. Davids and Newton Abbot
. There were pumping stations
at Exeter St. Davids, Countess Weir, The Turf, Starcross
(where the old pump house can still be seen), Dawlish, Teignmouth
, Bishopsteignton
and Newton Abbot
. The first passenger train ran in September 1847. The project was besieged with problems mainly with the leather sealing valve, which after 12 months use needed replacing at a cost of £25,000. South Devon Railway
directors abandoned the project in favour of conventional trains, the last atmospheric train running in September 1848.
The line is noted as one of the most memorable stretches of track in Britain for its natural beauty, although at a very high cost to Network Rail
as it is one of the most expensive lines to maintain due to the continual battle with sea erosion
. One particular storm in 1974 washed away much of the down platform in the station.
and further afield.
The A379 road
runs through the town parallel to the railway line.
.
in France.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and civil parish in Teignbridge
Teignbridge
Teignbridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Newton Abbot.Other towns in the district include Ashburton, Dawlish and Teignmouth...
on the south coast of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) from the county town of Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. It has a population of 12,819. During the 18th century, it grew from a small fishing port to become a well-known seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
.
Description
Dawlish is located at the outlet of a small river, Dawlish Water (also called The Brook), between Permian red sandstone cliffs, and is fronted by a sandy beach with the South Devon Railway sea wallSouth Devon Railway sea wall
The South Devon Railway sea wall is situated on the south coast of Devon in England. It is probably the most photographed section of railway in the United Kingdom as a footpath runs alongside the railway between Dawlish Warren and Dawlish, and another footpath forms a continuation to the sea front...
and the Riviera Line
Riviera Line
The Riviera Line is a local railway line that connects the city of Exeter to the "English Riviera" resorts of Torbay in Devon, England. It is closely linked with the Exeter to Plymouth Line with which it shares the route along the South Devon sea wall...
railway above. Behind this is a central public park, The Lawn, through which Dawlish Water flows.
Immediately to the south-west of Dawlish is a headland, Lea Mount, with Boat Cove at its foot and Coryton Cove, the furthest part of the beach accessible by the seawall path, behind it. To the north-east, via the beach or seawall, the coast can be followed some 2 km to Langstone Rock and the resort of Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren is a small seaside resort near the town of Dawlish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England. Dawlish Warren consists almost entirely of holiday accommodation and facilities for holiday-makers especially caravan sites....
beyond.
Dawlish is also known for its black swan
Black Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
s (Cygnus atratus), introduced from Western Australia, which live with other exotic waterfowl in a small urban sanctuary on Dawlish Water.
History
The people who first settled in Dawlish (or first known as deawlisc, or devil water) lived on the higher grounds. These were fishermen and saltSalt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
makers who ventured down to the coast to net fish and gather salt. Salt was abundant in rock pools and saltern
Saltern
Saltern is a word with a number of differing meanings. In English archaeology, a saltern is an area used for salt making, especially in the East Anglian fenlands....
s were constructed to dry brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
and produce salt. The high-quality salt was stored in sheds or saltcellars. Dawlish produced less salt than its neighbour Teignmouth
Teignmouth
Teignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
, most likely due to inhabitants being wary of Dawlish water and its unpredictability when it came to flooding.
Dawlish took its name from a stream with a Brythonic name, once spelt "Deawlisc", meaning "Devil Water" (the name came from heavy rains churning up the red cliffs, making the brook run red). An alternative meaning proposed is "black stream", cognate with Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
du (g)lais. Several other spellings and meanings are found later in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
and in documents from Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
.
The salt making started before Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
times (55 BC) and continued until the withdrawal of the Romans in AD 400. In the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
period (AD 400–1000) salt making ceased, however Teignmouth continued production. During the Anglo-Saxon period the number of inhabitants grew and some communities settled in the upper part of the valley where floods were less common and the land was fertile. Evidence of early farming settlements is found at Aller Farm, Smallacombe, Lidwell and Higher and Lower Southwood.
When the Romans invaded Britain, the Celtic population of Devon was not displaced and continued to occupy the land throughout the period that lasted until the Anglo-Saxons arrived. The Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
conquered Devon and it was annexed by the kingdom of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
in the 8th century.
The Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
invasion of AD 800 left Dawlish untouched, possibly due to the shallow sea waters and marshland. Bishopsteignton
Bishopsteignton
Bishopsteignton is a village in South Devon, England between Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, close to the Teign Estuary. The village is on a steep hill, and has a post office, small pharmacy and a small, family-run supermarket...
was destroyed by the Danes in AD 1001 along with settlements at the mouth of the River Teign
River Teign
The River Teign is a river in the county of Devon, England.Like many Devon rivers, the Teign rises on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor is crossed by a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement. It leaves the moor at its eastern side, flowing...
.
Until its sale in the 19th century, Dawlish belonged to Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
, having been given to the chapter by Leofric, Bishop of Exeter
Leofric, Bishop of Exeter
-Early life:Little is known about Leofric, as his cathedral town was not a centre of historical writing, and he took little part in events outside his diocese. This led to little notice being taken of his life and activities, with only a few charters originating in his household and one listing of...
in 1050.
Dawlish was once the haunt of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Charles Dickens used the town as the birthplace of Nicholas Nickleby. The town particularly around the seafront, has much in common with the resort towns in South Devon, a classic of Regency and early Victorian style. Also worth noting are Manor House and Brook House (both about 1800) and some of the cottages in Old Town Street surviving from the old village. Dawlish's transformation from a fishing settlement to a watering hole for Victorian celebrities can be discovered at the Dawlish Museum.
The arrival of the railway
Dawlish grew with the coming of the railway. In 1830, Isambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
designed a railway, which operated on a pneumatic principle using a 15-inch iron tube. The atmospheric railway
Atmospheric railway
An atmospheric railway uses air pressure to provide power for propulsion. In one plan a pneumatic tube is laid between the rails, with a piston running in it suspended from the train through a sealable slot in the top of the tube. Alternatively, the whole tunnel may be the pneumatic tube with the...
opened on 30 May 1846 and ran between Exeter St. Davids and Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot railway station
Newton Abbot railway station serves the town of Newton Abbot in Devon, England. It is from London on the Exeter to Plymouth line via the Reading to Taunton line, at the junction for the branch to . For many years it was also the junction for Moretonhampstead and the site of a large locomotive...
. There were pumping stations
South Devon Railway engine houses
The South Devon Railway engine houses were built in Devon, England, to power the atmospheric trains on the South Devon Railway between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth Millbay railway stations. They contained boilers that provided the power to pumps that created the vacuum to move the trains...
at Exeter St. Davids, Countess Weir, The Turf, Starcross
Starcross railway station
Starcross railway station is a small station on the Exeter to Plymouth line in the village of Starcross, Devon, England. It is on the shore of the River Exe estuary and is linked to a pier used by the ferry to Exmouth on the other side of the estuary...
(where the old pump house can still be seen), Dawlish, Teignmouth
Teignmouth railway station
Teignmouth railway station is on the Exeter to Plymouth line and serves the town of Teignmouth, Devon, England. It is operated by First Great Western.-History:...
, Bishopsteignton
Bishopsteignton
Bishopsteignton is a village in South Devon, England between Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, close to the Teign Estuary. The village is on a steep hill, and has a post office, small pharmacy and a small, family-run supermarket...
and Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot railway station
Newton Abbot railway station serves the town of Newton Abbot in Devon, England. It is from London on the Exeter to Plymouth line via the Reading to Taunton line, at the junction for the branch to . For many years it was also the junction for Moretonhampstead and the site of a large locomotive...
. The first passenger train ran in September 1847. The project was besieged with problems mainly with the leather sealing valve, which after 12 months use needed replacing at a cost of £25,000. South Devon Railway
South Devon Railway Company
The South Devon Railway Company built and operated the railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England. It was a broad gauge railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel-Chronology:* 1844 South Devon Railway Act passed by parliament...
directors abandoned the project in favour of conventional trains, the last atmospheric train running in September 1848.
The line is noted as one of the most memorable stretches of track in Britain for its natural beauty, although at a very high cost to Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
as it is one of the most expensive lines to maintain due to the continual battle with sea erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
. One particular storm in 1974 washed away much of the down platform in the station.
Transport
Dawlish railway station is situated in the town centre next to the beach. It is served by trains to most stations in Devon, and to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and further afield.
The A379 road
A379 road
The A379 is a road in the English county of Devon. It links points on the edges of that county's two principal cities, Exeter and Plymouth, by an indirect and largely coastal route....
runs through the town parallel to the railway line.
Local Produce
During the early and middle part of the 20th Century, Dawlish became famous for Devon Violets perfume, and hundreds of varieties were grown in market gardens surrounding the town. Violet escapees can be found growing wild across the area. Lately the town has become known for growing freesias, daffodils and strawberries. The sheltered location in Lyme Bay means the climate is mild and frost/snow are rare, ensuring a long growing season.Schools
There are several schools in Dawlish. Gatehouse Primary School is one of them Westcliff Primary is another, Ratcliff School and Oaklands Park School and Oakwood Court CollegeOakwood Court College
Oakwood Court College is a college for students ages 16 to 25 with Learning Difficulties. The college is located on the in Dawlish on the Devon Coast line....
.
Twinning
Dawlish is twinned with Carhaix-PlouguerCarhaix-Plouguer
Carhaix-Plouguer is a commune in the Finistère department in northwestern France.-Culture:The Vieilles Charrues Festival is held every year in mid-July....
in France.