Travel & Holidays in later life

As the sea-gull flies, the south Devon resorts of Sidmouth and Dawlish are only 12 miles apart. But in between is the River Exe, and the two seaside towns have developed in totally different styles.

In the early 19th century, the four main Devon resorts were the fishing villages of Sidmouth, Exmouth, Dawlish and Teignmouth. Torquay didn't blossom till later. 

Early visitors were wealthy long-stay health-seekers who came on doctors' orders to drink and bathe in the sea water, and breathe unpolluted air. 

Many more came as a seaside spin-off from aristocratic London and Bath, and they soon created a similar leisured social life in miniature. Even the Prince Regent himself came to stay, along with courtiers and all their mistresses.

A simple fishing village like Sidmouth developed into a Regency-type seaside resort with architecture to match.

Meanwhile the locals went on fishing. The men sailed to the Great Banks off Newfoundland to harvest cod. When the fishermen returned, they were rolling in money from a triangular trade - fishing for cod, sailing to Portugal and Spain to sell the catch, and then home laden with wine for John Bull. 

Their sturdy village houses were built well back from the shore. They weren't interested in sea views or the healing values of sea water and sea breezes. They preferred shelter from the elements.

So the Regency houses, terraces and lodgings built for short-stay or long-term visitors had space to cluster in-depth along the Esplanade. That's the key to the present-day charm of Sidmouth. 

A superb group of lodging houses was built near the promenade by a fisherman who cashed in with another type of Sidmouth architecture known as cottage orne, with thatched roofs and very attractive windows. 

You can read much of Sidmouth's history from the Blue Plaques on houses that were occupied by the nobility. Many of these buildings are still intact, while others have become hotels without losing their Regency charm. 

Sidmouth has over 500 listed buildings - mostly Regency style with elegant wrought iron balconies sheltered by canopies, and white painted house facades.

In the early 19th century, Dawlish had developed in similar style. But in 1846 a railway line reached out from Exeter and along the coast to Dawlish, which boomed throughout the next 50 years as an easily-reached holiday destination. The character of Dawlish totally changed, catering entirely for the up-and-coming summer holiday industry.

In contrast, Sidmouth - east of the River Exe estuary - had no branch line until 1874. Even then the town's holidaymaker development wasn't helped when the line stopped over a mile out of town. That was deliberate local policy. Upper crust Sidmouth wanted the railway, but didn't want day trippers who couldn't afford to hire carriages for transport to the front.

As a result Sidmouth - hemmed in by dramatic red sandstone cliffs - stayed secluded in a time warp compared with Devon resorts to the west.

In 2004 team that had managed it for many years decided to call it a day. They were replaced by a locally-organised volunteer committee and the event re-named the Sidmouth Folk Week. It's still one of the finest events in England as can be seen from the current guest line up available via the festival website.

Check out these alternative West Country destinations:

BATH - weekend in Jane Austen territory

CORNWALL - choosing low season

CORNWALL - NORTH for beaches, cliffs & legends

DARTMOOR - Freedom to roam and explore

DAWLISH - Pioneer railway age resort

EXETER/EXMOUTH - Tour base for South Devon

ILFRACOMBE & NORTH DEVON - The Heritage coast

LYNTON & LYNMOUTH - Devon's Siamese-twin resorts

SOMERSET - Choosing a farm cottage for a walking holiday

UP THE OTTER IN DEVON - A winter cottage haven

The Rough Guide to Devon and Cornwall  - Robert Andrews - Packed with accommodation recommendations, especially in the lower-cost sector.

South Devon and Dartmoor Walks  - Brian Conduit - Explores the hills and valleys of South Devon.

AA 50 Walks in Devon - Sue Viccars - An AA guide in a handy pocket format.

The Hidden Places of Devon - David Gerrard, Sarah Bird (Illustrator) - This book focuses on the more off-trail areas of Devon.

Ordnance Survey - Exeter & Sidmouth - No. 192 in the Landranger Map series, covering the area described in the article.