The bustling seaside town of Exmouth stands as it’s name suggests at the mouth of the River Exe, some eight miles from Devon’s capital city of Exeter, on the edge of the of the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline.
Although it had it’s own port until very recently, and some fishing was carried out from the original village, Exmouth is one of the few Devon seaside resorts to evolve more or less entirely on it’s merits as a fantastic place to come for a holiday. Wealthy Georgian businessmen were first to appreciate the Exmouth’s beautiful scenery and health promoting atmosphere, but it was the construction of the railway, by the industrious Victorians, which finally put the town on the map, and ever since the mid 1800’s, visitors have flocked to the town in their thousands every year, enabling it to become the bustling town we know today.
Exmouth can also be reached easily by road, water ferry, or by plane, from the nearby Exeter International Airport, and with such good travel links, Exmouth has now grown into a dormitory town for people working in the nearby city of Exeter. This has the knock-on effect of creating a tranquil holiday atmosphere during the day, when everyone is at work, and a vibrant happy atmosphere in the evenings, when they come home to play!
Typical of Devon’s sea-faring heritage ( Lord Nelson’s wife lived on the Beacon and is buried in Littleham Churchyard ) Exmouth proudly boasts one of Devon’s many lifeboat stations, and the Exmouth RNLI In-Shore Station is open daily for visitors to view the lifeboat and displays, and hopefully buy a gift or make a donation to this worthy organisation, which saves so many lives every year.
Exmouth is also an ideal destination for naturalists, with hundreds of different birds visiting the Exe Estuary Nature Reserve every year, and an abundance of wildlife populating the sandstone cliff tops and surrounding area. Bird-watching cruises depart from Exmouth and along the Jurassic Coast throughout the year. And for rather more distant observations, why not try the nearby Norman Lockyer Observatory and Planetarium. Maybe you’ll even discover a new planet!
Being completely flat and boasting two miles of safe golden sands, Exmouth is an extremely popular destination for young families, and with amenities such as the Pavilion Theatre, Savoy Cinema, and many excellent restaurants and pubs, Exmouth can also boast a healthy nightlife.
From bird-watching and golf, to sandcastles and water-sports, to Nigel Mansell’s World of Racing and the extremely popular Raceworld indoor kart track, Exmouth really does have something at a pace to suit holidaymakers of all ages.
And finally, should you visit to the area towards the end
of the year, it may be worth noting that Exmouth is host to an Annual Christmas
Day Swim (not for the feint-hearted), and just to round the year off, the
Exmouth New Years Eve celebrations provide one of the biggest Fancy Dress
occasions in Britain.
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