Brixham hotels and self catering cottage accommodation in Brixham

Devon » Brixham accommodation

A charming fishing town, comprised of colour-washed houses and built around a busy working harbour, Brixham was once home to one of the UK’s biggest fishing fleets, now greatly diminished. It’s pleasure vessels that now make up the majority of boats in this harbour town, the least commercial one of the English Riviera region. The narrow streets of Brixham is filled with fish-markets, but also cafés, galleries and various craft shops.

The Brixham Museum features a collection of shipwreck and shipping-related objects and photographs from the past. Also related to the town’s sea travelling history is a replica of the Golden Hind, one of the ships of Sir Francis Drake, who visited the town in 1588, and a statue of William of Orange, who landed here to claim the throne from James II.

Berry Head Country Park, beyond the harbour, was once the site of a headland fort from the Iron Age, still featuring its earthwork embankments. More impressive is the vast fort built against the French in defence of Torbay. Its building, sadly, erased all trace of an ancient Roman encampment, which was once in its place. Berry Head Lighthouse, located at the very top, is both the smallest lighthouse in the UK, being only a couple of feet high, and the highest one, standing at 191 feet above sea level!

An endless assortment of birds and flowers can be found here, from the rarest to the most common. Many good beaches can be found along the coast, but St Mary’s bay beach is particularly noteworthy. The South Devon Coast Path runs through here, and then some beautiful National Trust owned land, including a World War Two battery, before you reach Kingswear.