Rhenish Tower, Lynmouth

The Rhenish Tower on the pier at Lynmouth, Devon, is thought to have been built around 1832, perhaps as a beacon for ships entering the harbour. It was originally a squarish tower built of rubble stone. In c.1852 brick balconies with turret-like machicolations were added to make the plain tower more attractive. It acquired the title, the Rhenish Tower, because of similarities with towers by the River Rhine. A further use was made of the tower in the C19 when bathing water was collected there and piped to the nearby Bath Hotel for "therapeutic" sea-water bathing.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Coast near Lynmouth, Devon

click photo to enlarge
British local authorities are notoriously poor at creating small, roadside, "viewpoint" lay-bys. A place for road users to pull in briefly to admire a view. Driving on the coastal road near Lynmouth in Devon recently we took advantage of one of these rareties that had been created. It gave us a fine view of the steep coast and the small bays at its base. It appears to be called Sillery Sands.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Old concrete bridge and house, Axmouth

The nondescript bridge that spans the River Axe before it enters the sea at Axmouth in Devon is the earliest bridge made of mass concrete ("Historically, in Britain, mass concrete (is) designated early concrete with no reinforcement cast in situ using shuttering. It was used mainly between 1850 and 1900 on a variety of buildings, mainly as a walling material"- Wikipedia). The bridge was designed by Philip Brannon and built in 1877. It continues in use by pedestrians today but no longer carries motor vehicles. 

 Nearby is a small, rendered, single storey former toll house, also built by Brannon in mass concrete in 1877. It has an unusual tarred, arched roof and bracketed canopy. It is the oldest surviving concrete house in Britain and appears to be still inhabited today.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Boats at Beer, Devon

You get a great sense of the continuity of life when you see fishing boats sharing a beach with yachts and other recreational vessels. Many, if not most, of the small havens and ports of the UK's coast began life because of the need for fishing and it is good to see them still engaged in that activity. With reference to yesterday's post, the two fishing boats here are registered at Falmouth (FH) and Penzance (PZ).

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Paddle boarding

According to my research paddle boards have been around for longer than I imagined. However, they didn't become widespread, as far as I know, until twenty or so years ago, and in terms of me noticing them, about five years ago. Now I see them in all seasons apart from winter on the River Wye in Herefordshire, and when I go to any recreational river or seaside they are usually present. I've never tried one, but to me they seem to have few advantages over canoes apart from lower cost and easier transport. On our recent visit to the south coast they were everywhere including the cove at Beer, Devon.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Cliffs, beach and boats at Beer, Devon

The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site that stretches 96 miles from Exmouth, Devon to Studland Bay, Dorset. It is renowned for its cliff exposures of almost continuous geology from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, and particularly the range of fossils associated with those eras. Some of the earliest palaeontology took place on this coast. The cliffs at Beer feature chalk of the Cretaceous period.

The commercial fishing at Beer seems to feature a wide range of English Channel fish and shellfish.

 photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Beach at Beer, Devon

The oddly named coastal village of beer in Devon gets its name from the Old English bearu meaning a woodland grove. The present village is wooded and has a stream flowing through it down to the sea. Today the beach reflects the settlement's two main sources of income - fishing and tourism. In the past Beer was associated with smuggling that made use of the cove and the caves in the cliffs.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Rowing boats, Sidmouth, Devon

The answer to the question, "what is the difference between a boat and a ship", is much less clear cut than nautical folks would have us believe. For some (including me) it is all to do with size. I've seen 150 gross tons being quoted as the cut off point. I've also heard that you can put a boat on a ship but you can't put a ship on a boat, and that you can row a boat but you can't row a ship. Then there are those who see the distinction in the deck i.e. you work on the deck of a boat but below the deck of a ship. A technical distinction quoted by some is that a boat leans into a turn but a ship leans out. My conclusion is that the difference cannot be described without exceptions being found. All that being said, the pair above are boats!

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Beach at Sidmouth, Devon

The shingle beach at Sidmouth, Devon, is constrained by the presence of cliffs to the east and west. Like many towns along this coast its name derives from  its geographical location where a river flows into the sea. In this case the town is at the the mouth of the River Sid. The settlement, again like many of its neighbours, was principally a fishing village but today its prosperity derives from tourism. The attractive sea front with thatched houses on the cliffs now draws visitors who want to experience the beach and the water sports that are available.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Sea front at Sidmouth, Devon

The success or otherwise of a seaside town that relies for its livelihood on tourism is very dependent on what it offers for visitors to see and do. Attractive, interesting buildings contribute enormously. So too do activities connected with the sea. The small Devon town of Sidmouth has a good mixture of buildings and sea-linked activities, in fact rather more than you might expect in a settlement of its size.

 
The building shown is a fanciful mixture of styles and materials, something that is a feature of many British seaside towns.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2