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THE ENGLISH RIVIERA
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English Riviera The This stunning stretch of South Devon coastline, dotted with quaint little towns, comes into its own once the summer crowds have departed
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Previous page: Brixham harbour at sunset Top right: Torquay’s attractive harbour is a real haven for boat lovers Bottom right: The Dartmouth Steam Railway passes Goodrington sands beach, a favourite with holidaymakers
uel bon pays!”, exclaimed the Frenchman on first sighting this stretch of the English coastline: “What a beautiful country!” The foreigner was Napoleon Bonaparte. After his disastrous defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the military leader was held captive in a ship called the HMS Bellerophon, which dropped anchor for a couple of days near the Devon fishing village of Brixham. Like many before and after him, Napoleon was captivated by the particular light and beauty of this stretch of coast, with its steep wooded cliffs plummeting down to the sparkling English Channel.
Though Bonaparte didn’t actually set foot in Devon, the resorts along Torbay’s coastline have much to thank him for. In the early 19th century the Napoleonic Wars convulsed the continent, making it difficult for rich elites to escape for their ‘grand tours’ of Paris, Venice and Rome. With the sunny pleasures of France and Italy out of reach, the well-heeled of England looked closer to home – and the gaze of many fell on Torbay, an area of South Devon covering 22 miles of coastline. Its mild winters and long hours of sunlight meant the stretch was soon nicknamed ‘the English Riviera’, with palm tree-lined boulevards cultivated to rival the Croisette at Cannes.
It’s no surprise that summers here are busy, but the area’s balmy climate makes a visit in the autumn or spring just as appealing, allowing you to explore the Riviera’s picturesque harbours and quaint villages in relative peace. A quartet of delightful towns is threaded along the coastline. ‘Queen of the Riviera’ is Torquay, which has been attracting visitors to “take the cure” – also known as swimming in the sea – since Victorian times. Once Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s railway had snaked its way to the edge of the town, it boomed – to the consternation of some. In the early 19th century one local vicar declared that “two hotels in Napoleon was captivated by the the town would be detrimental to its moral light and beauty of this stretch of health”. He would blanch to coast, with its steep wooded cliffs visit Torquay today, with its large wedding cake-like plummeting down to the Channel hotels staring boldly out to sea, its swanky restaurants (one boasting a Michelin star) and jolly, hospitable air. The same delights that attracted the Victorians lure millions to Torquay each year: “healthful” air, a rare amount of English sun, and wide, breathtaking views of the Channel. On sunny days, when Torquay’s harbour is a forest of yacht masts, you could easily mistake the sweep of blue before you for the Mediterranean Sea. Just east of Torquay is Babbacombe, which boasts the highest clifftop promenade in England. This genteel spot
MICHAEL A HILL © MARK LAKEMAN PHOTOGRAPHY 2015. ILLUSTRATION: © PHOTO:
Clockwise, from top left: The Babbacombe Cliff Railway has shuttled passengers for almost a century; a replica of the Golden Hind sits in Brixham Harbour; local seafood is served at some of Europe’s best restaurants; a quaint cottage in Cockington
is furnished with bright flowers, welcoming benches and a telescope through which – when the skies are clear – you can see the Portland Bill lighthouse in Dorset. Running from the promenade down to Oddicombe beach is the Babbacombe Cliff Railway, a cream-and-burgundycoloured funicular which was built in 1926. Many a weary traveller has been thankful for its existence, for the forest-covered cliffs are too steep for many to scramble down and the beach too charming to miss. In 1846, Queen Victoria declared it “a beautiful spot... red cliffs and rocks with wooded hills like Italy and reminding one of a ballet or play where nymphs appear – such rocks and grottoes, with the deepest sea on which there was no ripple.” Today the eagle-eyed may spot one of the local dolphins frolicking in the waves.
Fifteen minutes down the coast is Paignton, which proudly offers all the elements of a traditional English
seaside holiday: beach huts painted all the colours of the rainbow, a broad sweep of sandy beach and a majestic pier stretching 250 metres into the sea. To the south of Paignton Sands, tucked behind a harbour wall is one of the area’s most enchanting beaches, Fairy Cove, a bay of clear water sheltered by russet cliffs.
Completing the quartet is Brixham, an impossibly pretty fishing town where pastel-coloured cottages jostle for space on a steep hillside overlooking the harbour. Known locally as ‘fishtown’, Brixham is defined by the industry that has sustained it for centuries. Early-bird visitors can book a tour of the local fish market and watch the day’s catch of bream and sole being auctioned off, destined for dinner service at some of Europe’s finest restaurants. Those rising at a more civilised hour can enjoy a coffee at the Breakwater Bistro, a waterfront café which offers the perfect perch to watch the trawlers, rowing boats and yachts coming and going.
Brixham’s most famous boat doesn’t go anywhere. For 50 years the harbour has been home to the Golden Hind, a replica of the galleon in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe in the 16th century. Visitors
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can explore its five levels, inspect the rigging and gaze out to sea from its prow, marvelling at how this small vessel made it through the stormy Atlantic and vast Pacific and returned in one piece. Try not be alarmed if you find yourself eye to eye-patched eye with a cutlass-bearing character; each spring Brixham holds a Pirate Festival at which locals dress up, sing sea shanties and enjoy displays of naval firepower along the sea front.
Four miles inland from Brixham you’ll find “the loveliest place in the world”, the title bestowed on Greenway House by its former owner, Agatha Christie. The wildly successful crime novelist is the English Riviera’s most famous daughter. Born in Torquay, she worked in its
military hospital during World War One, honeymooned in the Grand Hotel, and spent holidays in her estate overlooking the banks of the River Dart. It is easy to see why Christie adored Greenway, a large white Georgian villa which with its perfect symmetry might be mistaken for a doll’s house. Sunlight pours through its huge sash windows onto the faded sofas in the cosy library and drawing room, which are just as the Queen of Crime left them; on a quiet day you can almost hear the clack of the typewriter keys.
Greenway has its own railway station – Greenway Halt – on the Dartmouth Steam Railway, a heritage line that allows visitors to travel back in time onboard lovingly maintained steam engines as they puff along the coast
The rooms are just as Agatha Christie left them; on a quiet day you can almost hear the clack of the typewriter keys
Above:The library at Greenway House, the former holiday home of author Agatha Christie, now owned by the National Trust Right: Thatcher Point at Torbay, which provides views out towards the island of Thatcher Rock
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from Kingswear to Paignton. The same company operates boat trips and vintage paddle steamers, with the popular Round Robin excursion taking in towns along the coast by steam train, ferry and river cruise.
Not all of the English Riviera’s treasures are found on the coast. A few miles inland is Cockington, which could stake a claim for being the prettiest village in Devon. Dating back beyond the Domesday Book, the village is rich with exceedingly old buildings, from a thousandyear-old church to a 14th century blacksmith’s forge, which might have sprung out of the pages of a Brothers
Grimm storybook. Cob-and-thatch cottages line narrow streets, giving the impression that the clock stopped here over a couple of centuries ago. Weavers Cottage Tea Shoppe offers the perfect spot to sample the must-eat local delicacy: warm scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Remember, though, that this being Devon and not Cornwall it is essential that the cream is spread before the jam…
No trip to the English Riviera would be complete without a visit to the Berry Head National Nature Reserve, a promontory at the southern end of the bay offering spectacular views of the sea on three sides. Visitors can wander among the ruins of several 19th century military forts, remnants of the days when the threat of French invasion menaced the British Isles. Today children scamper along their walls and sit astride cannons that point out to sea – and to the ghost of Napoleon himself.
In pretty Cockington, cob-andthatch cottages line narrow streets, giving the impression that the clock stopped here centuries ago
Above: Paignton Pier first opened to the public in 1879 and is one of the most popular attractions on the English Riviera
THE PLANNER
GETTING THERE Trains from London Paddington to Torquay take around three hours. The area is well served by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company and by an efficient local bus network. www.thetrainline.com; www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk
WHERE TO STAY The Cary Arms Hotel and Spa is the last word in luxury accommodation on the Riviera, situated under Babbacombe Downs and near a shingle bay with its own resident seal. Its charming inn serves exemplary seafood caught a stone’s throw from the hotel, sometimes to the accompaniment of a live pianist. Rooms are decorated in fresh, contemporary style, while the spa offers all the modern treatments you could wish for. In Torquay, the Grand Hotel is a much-loved favourite right next to the town’s railway station. Its seafront bar and lounge offers spectacular views of the bay through floor-to-ceiling windows, while the outdoor pool is a perfect place for a splash in the summer months. www.caryarms.co.uk; www. richardsonhotels.co.uk
WHERE TO EAT
AND DRINK As well as the Cary Arms restaurant, the area offers several seriously good restaurants, often – unsurprisingly – with an emphasis on local seafood. In Brixham, Rockfish is a local favourite, offering spectacular harbourside views and the freshest catch. Serious foodies will want to check out The Elephant overlooking Torquay harbour, recipient of the town’s first Michelin star, which excels in imaginative dishes such as monkfish grilled over embers. Those looking for the perfect platter of old-fashioned fish, chips and mushy peas should head to the hugely popular Hanbury’s in Babbacombe. www.therockfish.co.uk; www.elephantrestaurant.co.uk; www.hanburys.net
iFURTHER INFORMATION www.visitdevon.co.uk
