Wikipedia

Dawlish

Dawlish/ˈdɔːlɪʃ/is aseaside resorttown andcivil parishin theTeignbridgedistrict inDevon,England. It is located on the south coast of England at a distance of 12 miles (19 km) from the city ofExeterand a similar distance from the town ofTorquay.At the 2021 census, it had a population of 15,257, which was 16% more than the 13,161 recorded at the 2011 census.[3]Dawlish had grown in the 18th century from a smallfishing portinto a seaside resort, as had its near neighbour,Teignmouth,in the 19th century.

Dawlish
The seafront at Dawlish
Dawlish is located in Devon
Dawlish
Dawlish
Location withinDevon
Population15,257 (2021 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSX963767
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDAWLISH
Postcode districtEX7
Dialling code01626
PoliceDevon and Cornwall
FireDevon and Somerset
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Devon
50°34′52″N3°27′58″W/ 50.581°N 3.466°W/50.581; -3.466

Description

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Black swansinDawlish Water2010

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 theSouth Devon Railway sea walland theRiviera Linerailway above. Behind this is a central public park, The Lawn, through whichDawlish Waterflows.

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. There is an Italian food kiosk there. To the north-east, via the beach or seawall, the coast can be followed for some 2 km to Langstone Rock and the resort ofDawlish Warrenbeyond.

Dawlish is also known for itsblack swans(Cygnus atratus), introduced from Western Australia, which live with other exotic waterfowl in a small urban sanctuary on Dawlish Water.[4]There are several attractions in and around the town, such as beaches, safari mini-golf, a waterfowl centre, a theatre, a leisure centre with a pool, a countryside park, and the Dawlish Museum.

Toponymy

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The nameDawlishderives from a Welsh river name meaningblack stream.There was also a Roman translation of Dolfisc, meaning 'Dark river' and 'The Devils Water'. It was first recorded in 1044 asDoflisc.By 1086 it wasDovles;in 1302,Dovelish;and by 1468 it had become the more recognisableDawlisshe.[5]

History

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Before Dawlish itself was settled, fishermen and salt makers came down from the higher ground where they lived, to take advantage of the natural resources available on the coast hereabouts. They builtsalternsto produce salt and stored it in sheds nearby. The unpredictable nature of the stream,Dawlish Water,during floods is likely to have led to nearbyTeignmouthbeing the preferred site for salt-making, and the practice stopped at Dawlish during theAnglo-Saxonperiod (400–1000 CE).[6]

The earliest settlement at Dawlish grew up almost a mile away from the coast, around the area where the parish church is today.[7]There is evidence of early settlements at Aller Farm, Smallacombe, Lidwell and at Higher and Lower Southwood, where the ground would have been fertile and not subject to flooding.[6]

The land that includes present-day Dawlish was granted byEdward the Confessorto Leofric, later the firstBishop of Exeter,in 1044. After the Norman Conquest, Leofric gave the land to theDiocese of Exeter,which held it until it was sold,[8]in 1802.

A goldhalf-noblecoin ofEdward III,mintedc. 1351– c. 1361and found in Dawlish[9]

Little of note happened at Dawlish until the end of the 18th century,[8]when seaside locations on the south coast started to become popular with the wealthy, mainly caused byGeorge IIImakingWeymouthin Dorset his summer holiday residence from 1789. In May 1795, the antiquarian and topographerJohn Swetespent some time in Dawlish and reported that although not long ago it had been no more than a fishing village, and the best lodging house would not cost more than half a guinea per week, it was now so fashionable that "in the height of the season, not a house of the least consequence is to be hired for less than two guineas a week, and many of them rise to so high a sum as four or five."[10]

In the first decade of the 19th century the land between the original settlement and the sea was "landscaped"; the stream was straightened, small waterfalls were built into it, and it was flanked by a broad lawn and rows of new houses: The Strand on the north side and Brunswick Place on the south. The layout survives remarkably unchanged today,[7][11]despite severe damage from a torrent of water coming down Dawlish Water from theHaldon Hillson the night of 10 November 1810.[8]

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 is documented at the Dawlish Museum.

View of Dawlish beach in May 1881.

Brunel's railway

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In 1830,Isambard Kingdom Bruneldesigned anatmospheric railway,which operated on apneumaticprinciple,[12]using a 15-inch iron tube. One of thepumping stationswas in this town. The line ran right along the seafront, but Brunel ensured that the line was carried across the mouth of the stream on a small granite viaduct, leaving access to the beach.[7]

The railway opened on 30 May 1846 betweenExeter St DavidsandNewton Abbot.The first passenger train ran in September 1847, but the project was besieged with problems mainly with the leather sealing valve, which after 12 months of use needed replacing at a cost of £25,000.South Devon Railwaydirectors abandoned the project in favour of conventional trains.

Literary connections

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After visitingSidmouthin 1801,Jane Austenspent a long holiday at Dawlish in 1802, later complaining about its "particularly pitiful and wretched library".[13]She mentioned it several times in her 1811 novelSense and Sensibility.[14]In Charles Dickens'Nicholas Nickleby(1838–39), the protagonist inherits a small farm near Dawlish. The novelist and poetMargaret Holforddied in Dawlish on 11 September 1852, aged 84. On 23 March 1818, the Romantic poetJohn Keatswalked the three miles fromTeignmouthto Dawlish to visit the Easter Monday fair and subsequently wrote a poem entitledDawlish Fair,which details a fantasy of seducing a Devon woman.

Notable people

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Sir John Michel,1866

Transport

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Railway

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The view from Dawlish station to the south-west, towards the scenic coastal and tunnelled section of line

Dawlish railway station,situated in the town centre and next to the beach, is served by twotrain operating companies:

The line includes one of the most memorable stretches of British track for its natural environment, but at high cost; a constant battle with seaerosionmakes it one of the dearest lines in the country to maintain.[21][22][23]For example, a storm in 1974 washed away much of the station's down platform;[24][25]also, in theUK storms of January–February 2014,wavesbrought down the sea wall and washed away a section of line, leaving the permanent way suspended.[26]

The 2014 storm raised questions about the vulnerability of theSouth Devon Railway sea wallto storm damage and proposals were made to route Plymouth-bound rail services further inland, by re-opening thedisused railway line via Okehampton and Tavistock,reopening the formerTeign Valley Lineor reviving a 1930s GWR project to construct theDawlish Avoiding Line.[27]In May 2019,Network Railbegan a project to improve the sea defences along the sea wall at Marine Parade, south of the station, promising a wider, more accessible walkway with seating and lighting, and greater protection from the sea;[28]it was completed on 3 July 2023.[29]

Roads

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TheA379 roadbetweenExeter,Teignmouth,Torbay,DartmouthandPlymouthruns through the town, parallel to the railway line.

Buses

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Buses in the town are operated predominantly byStagecoach South West.Key routes are:[30]

Climate

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Dawlish has a mild, oceanic climate bordering on a warm to coolMediterranean climate,according to theKöppen climate classification,with low precipitation in the summer period and high rainfall in the winter. Often termed the "English Riviera" along withTeignmouthandTorbay,Dawlish rarely has snow or frost and grows outdoor subtropical plants such as palms, olives, bananas andlemons.[31]Temperatures over 30C or under 0C are infrequent. It is one of the sunniest places in Britain, with an average of nearly 1800 hours a year. Despite more favourable conditions in the summer, the wet autumn and winter can bring copious amounts of rain, and when areas of low pressure move up theEnglish Channel,easterly winds with dramatic storm surges and waves along the seafront.[32]

Local produce

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During the early and middle part of the 20th century, Dawlish became known for Devon Violets perfume. 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 growingdianthus,freesias,daffodils,tomatoesandstrawberries.[citation needed]

Retail and employment

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Take away cream teas

Centred on The Strand, Queen Street, Brunswick Place and Park Road, Dawlish has typical retail facilities for a resort town with gift shops, cafes, a fishing tackle shop, beach/toy shops, bakeries, restaurants and pubs, haberdasheries, ice-cream shops, national chains and many independent retailers. Along Piermont Place, byDawlish railway stationand the seafront, are further ice-cream shops, a restaurant, a cafe and a sports-bar with outdoor seating areas. In recent years, a number of art, craft and antiques shops have opened. At the north-eastern end of the town there is aSainsbury'ssupermarket with an Argos facility and a petrol station.

The largest employment sector in the town is health and social work (23 per cent), due to a large number of care homes, followed by accommodation and food services (20 per cent).

Religion

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The town's places of worship:

Schools and education

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The primary schools in Dawlish are Gatehouse Primary School,[39]Westcliff Primary School andOrchard Manor School.[40]Dawlish College[41](formerly Dawlish Community College) in Elm Grove Road is the main secondary school.Oakwood Court Collegeis a specialist residential college based in Dawlish, with a satellite college inTorpoint.

Governance

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Locally, Dawlish is governed by Dawlish Town Council, which is currently controlled by theLiberal Democrats,as is the next local-government layer above,Teignbridge District Council.Dawlish lies in theparliamentary constituencyofNewton Abbotand is currently represented byConservativeMPAnne Marie Morris,who retained her seat at the2019 general election.

Twinning

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Dawlish istwinnedwith theBretoncommune ofCarhaix-PlouguerinFrance.[42]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Dawlish".City population.Retrieved25 October2022.
  2. ^"Dawlish Town Council".Archivedfrom the original on 6 January 2020.Retrieved21 November2019.
  3. ^"Dawlish (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".citypopulation.de.Retrieved15 January2025.
  4. ^Black Swans and other waterfowlArchived23 April 2015 at theWayback Machine,Dawlish Town Council website.
  5. ^Watts, Victor (2010).The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-names(1st paperback ed.).Cambridge University Press.p. 180.ISBN978-0-521-16855-7.
  6. ^ab"Dawlish History Introduction".dawlish.Archivedfrom the original on 30 June 2012.Retrieved17 June2012.
  7. ^abcHoskins, W. G. (1972).A New Survey of England: Devon(New ed.). London: Collins. pp.386–387.ISBN0-7153-5577-5.
  8. ^abcWorth, R. N. (1895).A History of Devonshire.London: Elliot Stock. pp.314–315.
  9. ^Robinson, A."Finds record for: PUBLIC-162E15".The Portable Antiquities Scheme.Retrieved27 August2022.
  10. ^Peter Hunt, ed. (1984).Devon's Age of Elegance.Devon Books. p. 128.ISBN0-86114-750-2.
  11. ^Cherry, Bridget;Pevsner, Nikolaus(1989).The Buildings of England – Devon.Harmondsworth: Penguin. pp.329–333.ISBN0-14-071050-7.
  12. ^Hadfield, Charles (1967).Atmospheric Railways.David & Charles.ISBN0-7153-4107-3.
  13. ^"Jane Austen... Dawlish and Sidmouth"(PDF).Devon Libraries. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 March 2016.Retrieved17 June2012.
  14. ^"Jane Austen Gazetteer – Sense and Sensibility – Dawlish, Devonshire".The Republic of Pemberley.Archivedfrom the original on 1 July 2011.Retrieved17 June2012.
  15. ^"Short, Thomas Vowler".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 52. 1897. p. 155.
  16. ^"Merivale, Herman".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 18 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 169.
  17. ^"Shuttleworth, Robert James".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 52. 1897. pp.176–177.
  18. ^"Arnold-Forster, Hugh Oakeley".Dictionary of National Biography(2nd supplement).Vol. 1. 1912. pp.61–64.
  19. ^"Train Times".Great Western Railway.2 June 2024.Retrieved28 July2024.
  20. ^"Timetables".CrossCountry.2 June 2024.Retrieved28 July2024.
  21. ^"Railway cliff scheme 'on target'".BBC News.13 October 2004.Archivedfrom the original on 23 July 2021.Retrieved31 March2008.
  22. ^"Weather could wash away rail link".BBC News.27 October 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 13 November 2005.Retrieved31 March2008.
  23. ^Chris Ledgard (27 May 2006)."Brunel railway faces up to the sea".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 23 July 2021.Retrieved31 March2008.
  24. ^Kay, Peter (1991).Exeter – Newton Abbot: A Railway History.Platform 5. p. 108.ISBN1-872524-42-7.
  25. ^"Dawlish railway repairs halted over safety fears".BBC News.13 October 2004.Archivedfrom the original on 6 February 2014.Retrieved31 March2008.
  26. ^"UK storms wash away railway line and leave thousands without power".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 5 February 2014.Retrieved5 February2014.
  27. ^Turner, Lauren (7 February 2014)."How do you fix the Dawlish problem?".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 8 February 2014.Retrieved8 February2014.
  28. ^"Find out more about plans to protect vital railway artery to the South West".Network Rail.Archivedfrom the original on 5 June 2019.Retrieved5 June2019.
  29. ^"Works complete on vital £82 million sea wall to protect coastal Dawlish rail route".Gov.uk.3 July 2023.Retrieved28 July2024.
  30. ^"Dawlish Bus Services".Bus Times.2024.Retrieved28 July2024.
  31. ^Almond, Chris (2021)."Devon lemons: The micro-climate of South Devon and citrus fruit cultivation".Weather.76(4):136–137.Bibcode:2021Wthr...76..136A.doi:10.1002/wea.3942.S2CID233610059.Archivedfrom the original on 15 April 2021.Retrieved15 April2021.
  32. ^Dawlish weather siteDawlish Climate Averages (2005–2018)Archived3 February 2017 at theWayback Machine
  33. ^"Hope Church Website".Archivedfrom the original on 4 June 2017.Retrieved5 June2017.
  34. ^"Retrieved 5 June 2017".Archivedfrom the original on 21 May 2017.Retrieved5 June2017.
  35. ^"Retrieved 5 June 2017".Archivedfrom the original on 25 January 2017.Retrieved5 June2017.
  36. ^"Retrieved 5 June 2017".Archivedfrom the original on 2 March 2017.Retrieved5 June2017.
  37. ^A Church Near YouRetrieved 5 June 2017.Archived18 June 2012 at theWayback Machine
  38. ^"Diocese of Exeter"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 19 February 2014.Retrieved2 June2024.
  39. ^School siteRetrieved 15 January 2017.Archived29 September 2007 at theWayback Machine
  40. ^"Retrieved 15 January 2017".Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2007.Retrieved2 October2007.
  41. ^"School website".Archivedfrom the original on 6 May 2021.Retrieved23 July2021.
  42. ^"British Towns Twinned with French Towns".Complete France. Archived fromthe originalon 5 July 2013.Retrieved4 July2016.
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