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 Quietly
sitting on the south Devon coast is the pretty little seaside resort
of Dawlish, previously the haunt of Jane Austen, as well as Charles
Dickens who went on to use the seaside town as the birthplace of
the character Nicholas Nickleby. Made up of mainly Victorian and
Georgian buildings, Dawlish has a fine collection of architecture
from both periods, which combined with some earlier buildings, give
it that special charm.
In the heart of Dawlish is “The Lawn”, an attractive, tranquil park
with its’ avenue of mature chestnut trees, dappled shade and
colourful flower beds, a perfect spot where families can play or
relax in the shade.
“Dawlish Water”, or “The Brook” as it is affectionately called,
travels through the centre of “The Lawn” cascading down a series of
small waterfalls towards the front. If you walk along the edge of
this little river, you can watch the large numbers of trout feeding
in the river, as it gently flows towards the sea. As darkness falls
a myriad of coloured lights running the length of the water course
come on, creating an area where you can enjoy a romantic evening
stroll.
The famous Dawlish black swans can be seen gently swimming along
“The Brook”, their cygnets paddling behind them. Originally imported
from New Zealand by John Nash, a Dawlish born man, they are symbolic
of Dawlish and have been the town emblem for over 40 years. Some
time between the two World Wars their line was lost but towards the
end of the 1940s Captain CRS Pitman, a game warden in Uganda,
presented a pair to the town in memory of his late parents, who had
resided at Greystoke in Dawlish.
 The
river is home to many other breeds of duck and rare wildfowl, plus
on the park’s edge there are purpose built enclosures where the
really young hatchlings can be observed. They can be fed from the
small weirs where the water steps down, or maybe one of the many
benches littered along the Brook’s edge but, please, only brown
bread or greens!
Dawlish offers a wide range of eateries, including cafes,
restaurants, pubs and takeaways. There is a comprehensive programme
of events running through the summer months, based around the
bandstand on the Lawn, as well as a theatre, museum, art gallery and
a selection of shops. For some leisurely exercise a game of obstacle
golf or perhaps a boat trip, be it fishing or bird watching!
The town itself is worth exploring, with it’s mainline trains
running along the edge of the main beach! And of course, there’s
Dawlish’s three beaches too.
 To
the north of Dawlish Warren lies the village of Cockwood. This
picturesque little village climbs up from the harbour, with views of
the exe estuary and offers a choice of restaurants and fine real ale
pubs. Running inland from Cockwood is an area of wet marshland and
the surrounding villages have preserved medieval features.
The bigger resorts of Shaldon,
Teignmouth, plus the large beach
and nature reserve at Dawlish Warren, and the county capital of
Exeter, are all just down the road. And then there’s Torquay and
Paignton… Dawlish’s excellent rail and road links make it an ideal
base for touring this part of the country.
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devonholidayhomes.com
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