Seaton
Seaton nestles between Beer Head and Haven Cliff and is the gateway for exploring the Jurassic Coast. The town appeals to holidaymakers of all ages with its variety of independent shops, pubs and cafes. Seaton Marshes also provide great places to explore by the famous Electric Tramway or on foot, with kingfishers, herons, foxes and little egrets to name but a few. Situated at the mouth of the River Axe, overlooking the magnificent blue waters of Lyme Bay, Seaton offers a wonderful pebble beach with safe swimming areas and a haven for yachtsmen at the idyllic harbour at Axmouth. The South West Coast Path takes you along the magical cliff walk to Lyme Regis, just 6 miles away.
We headed to Seaton to have a go on the Electric Tramway, which is surprisingly modern and has stood the test of time. The tramway operates between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton in the Axe valley. We travelled along the river Axe estuary, through two nature reserved we had an unrivalled view of the abundant wildlife. The journey was 3 miles each way and took around 25 minutes, so it was around an hour in total. You could hop-off at the half way point, Colyford, if you wanted to explore a bit of the area. We absolutely loved it and judging by all the waving from the other people on the trams that passed us by and from the onlookers passing in their cars and sitting around in pubs or bird watching, so did everyone else.
Beer
The beautiful, picturesque fishing village of Beer is located on the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast. Surrounded by white limestone cliffs, the shingle beach is lined with fishing boats still bringing in their daily catches and is famous for its mackerel.
Beer beach is a natural suntrap and the waters in the bay are very sheltered with the imposing cliffs giving protection from the wind. Because it is a ‘working beach’ the picturesque paraphernalia of the fishing industry with its brightly coloured wooden boats, nets, winches and neon-coloured floats adding to its charm.
Sidmouth
The Sidmouth coastline is dominated by the vivid red sandstone cliff which date back to the Triassic period. Along the front is the Millennium Walkway which stretches the length of the beach, which is made of pebbles, providing the perfect background for an afternoon stroll. Sidmouth Beach is a perfect family friendly beach, ideal for safe swimming and rock pooling at low tide with great on site facilities.
Sidmouth is a great town for walking, to the east of town the South West Coast path leads to the picturesque villages of Branscombe and Beer and on to Seaton, to the west the coastal path leads to Ladram Bay with its stunning red rock stacks and Budleigh Salterton.
We took some time to explore the town centre, rich in royal and architectural history, as well as discovering a great range of shops, cafe’s and restaurants. Sidmouth sits in the middle of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is surrounded by spectacular scenery and vista’s. The landscape is a wonderful mix of wooded combes, heathland and hilltops. Sidmouth has much more going on than the surrounding more sleepy villages, so if you are looking for a place that’s a bit more lively why not pay a visit.
