Exmouth
Exmouth is a seaside town in the south west of the UK (United Kingdom), and my home since 2000.
Officially part of East Devon due to its location on the eastern shore at the mouth of the river Exe, Exmouth is one of the largest towns in the area. On the opposite shore of the estuary from Exmouth, in South Devon, are the beach resort and national nature reserve of Dawlish Warren, the village of Starcross and Powderham castle. A regular ferry runs to and fro between Exmouth marina and Starcross.
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The Exe estuary is an important wildlife site. Its mud flats and sand banks provide a home for more than 20,000 birds a year making it a popular location for bird watchers. The estuary has a number of Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and other nature reserves located on its banks. The Exe estuary also has one of the largest mussel and oyster fisheries in the South West. One end of the oldest working ship canals in England meets the Exe estuary at the Turf Lock Inn and where the estuary starts to narrow, there is the old town of Topsham with its Dutch influenced architecture dating from the times when the town was an important port doing considerable trade with the Netherlands.
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If you follow the river Exe inland for about 10 miles you come to Exmouth's nearest city, Exeter, with its Roman remains and picturesque cathedral area. Exeter is connected to Exmouth by a pretty, meandering road; the somewhat over-ambitiously titled and, in the summer, more-than-somewhat overcrowded A376. The route takes you through a number of small villages including Lympstone and Exton before it reaches Exeter. Fortunately, Exmouth and Exeter are also connected by the last remaining railway branch line in East Devon. The line runs alongside the Exe estuary for several miles before crossing the M5 motorway and entering Exeter, stopping at both Exeter Central station (city centre) and Exeter St. Davids station (mainline connections).
Exmouth also sits at one end of the UNESCO World heritage Site known as the Jurassic Coast. The Jurassic coast stretches eastwards through the popular East Devon coastal towns of Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Beer, and Seaton. It continues through the neighbouring county of Dorset all the way to the town of Swanage. The rocks and cliffs of the 95 miles of coastline are claimed to provide insights into 185 million years of the planet's history with the oldest rocks being located at Orcombe Point, Exmouth.
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Just east of Exmouth is the holiday resort of Sandy Bay. The beaches at Sandy Bay and at Exmouth are the only sandy beaches in East Devon and have been enjoyed by visitors of all ages since the 18th century. The rest of the beaches in East Devon are pebble although the beach at Jacob's Ladder, Sidmouth, does enjoy a stretch of sand at low tide. Exmouth beach has 2 miles of golden sand and at low-tide there is also a good expanse of rock pools to explore. The two mile promenade makes for an enjoyable walk throughout the year whenever the weather allows and a great place for a jog, run or cycle.
The part of the sea front nearest town has a number of Georgian style hotels and further up the beach there are beautiful public gardens, colourful beach huts, pleasant cafes, and various family activity areas from crazy golf and trampolines to a large model railway. The Exmouth Pavilion also offers a wide range of different live entertainment performances from brass bands to rock bands.
Also located along the sea front is the lifeboat station. Exmouth operates two RNLI lifeboats and has been a lifeboat station for over 200 years, the first station being built in 1803.
The marina end of the seafront is ideal for relaxing and watching the various boats come and go. Alternatively, Stuart Line Cruises offers the opportunity to embark from here on one of their short cruises around the estuary.
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Exmouth itself is a lively town with plenty of activities for all ages. In the town centre there are branches of Woolworth's, WHSmith, Boots, SuperDrug, and a good range of local specialist shops, an indoor market, the usual seaside shops selling everything that you might possibly need for a day on the beach, plus restaurants, pubs (bars) and cafes of all sorts. On the outskirts of town along the Budleigh Salterton road there are large branches of Tesco, Halfords, and B&Q, and for fast food fans, a drive-through MacDonalds that competes with the KFC in the town centre.
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The town also has strong links with the Royal Marines who have a training camp nearby and a significant student population attending the University of Plymouth teacher training campus located in the town although this is due for relocation to Plymouth in 2008.
Just outside Exmouth on the Exeter road there is A-La-Ronde. This National Trust property is a Byzantine style, thatched house, 45 ft high with sixteen sides. It has twenty rooms set out around a central octagonal hall. A-La-Ronde was constructed in 1795 by Jane and Mary Parminter, a pair of eccentric spinster sisters.
If you leave Exmouth via Hulham Road and head towards Ottery St Mary, you find yourself crossing Woodbury Common. A piece of high ground from with stunning views of the Exe estuary and the site of an ancient hill fort, Woodbury Common is located in an internationally recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Woodbury and its six neighbouring commons lie on ancient geological formations comprising thick layers of rounded pebbles embedded in sand. Managed by the Clinton Devon Estates, Woodbury Common is a great place for walking, cycling, or a picnic, etc.
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Bicton Park Botanical Gardens, fifteen minutes drive from Exmouth, provides an excellent place for a day out if you have a young family and its indoor play area alone has proven to be worth the entrance fee during school holidays if the weather is not so good. The various different gardens, gentle walks, shell house, and cafe are popular with older folks too. If Bicton is not to your tastes there is always Crealy adventure park about the same distance from Exmouth in the opposite direction. This has a number of different rides for all ages, a water play area, and two large indoor play areas, amongst other things but is slightly more expensive than Bicton and can be very busy in peak season.
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Slightly further afield, for those with a car, the East Devon towns of Beer with its Pecorama model railway attraction, Seaton with its narrow gauge heritage tramway, Sidmouth with its elegant regency period architecture and seafront, and the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks make for a variety of days out.