With a population of under 18,000, Brixham is a small fishing town located in the county of Devon, England. The two biggest industries in the area are fishing and tourism. The town has a busy harbour and houses are built over hilly landscape surrounding the harbour of Torbay.
Although the first confirmed evidence of a settlement in the area comes from the Saxon times, it is widely believed that there have been people living there since the Bronze Age and before, perhaps even as far back as the Ice Age. The Saxon settlement was always very small and revolved entirely around the fishing business.
The town was first formally mentioned in the Domesday Book, at which time it was quite tiny with a population of only 39. The town grew in size over the coming centuries reaching 8000 at the turn of the 20th century. It has since grown into a busy little town offering a number of significant attractions for historians and tourists.
During its history, Brixham enjoyed a prolific role in Medieval England as being the largest fishing town in the entire south-western area of the country. Smuggling was also popular at this time, since it bought in a great deal more money than fishing did.
One of the most famous tourist attractions in the town is the replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship, the Golden Hind. The town enjoys an especially rich maritime heritage and boasts a genuine traditional way of life and a wealth of attractions considering its size. Other attractions and popular pastimes for visitors include river cruises nearby and cycling and hiking are also popular. Also in the area to see is the Berry Pomeroy Castle, an English Heritage protected site located near the town. Other popular things to do in the area include diving and ballooning amongst other things.
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For accommodation in Brixham check this list of Brixham hotels. |