Brixham

Brixham is a coastal town in the South West of England with a population of around 16,000, somewhat more than disclosed in the Domesday book of 1086 when there were 39 registered inhabitants.

Brixham has developed around a natural harbour and has long been home to a fishing fleet although it had more or less ceased by the outbreak of WWII. However the war served to boost the industry which has grown since then particularly with the advent of larger trawlers in the 1960s and Brixham is now one of England's main fishing ports. Some of the old heritage trawlers of 100 years or so ago have been preserved within the port as historic vessels.

Also to be found in the port is a replica of Golden Hind although, unfortunately, is was closed on the day of our visit for reasons unknown.

The port has also has a military history with a protective gun emplacement built a little over two hundred years ago which is now the Battery Gardens and in 1943 US forces built new slipways which, ultimately, were used for loading amphibious tanks that departed from Brixham as part of the D-Day landings in 1944 and this is chronicled at different points around the port.

Overall Brixham is a picturesque place with an interesting history and is worth spending some time wandering around, especially if you get lucky with the weather like we did.