Seaton, Devon
Encyclopedia
Seaton is a seaside town in East Devon
on the south coast of England. It faces onto Lyme Bay
, to the west of the mouth of the River Axe
with red cliffs to one side and white cliffs on the other. Axmouth
and Beer
are nearby. A sea wall provides access to the mostly shingle beach
stretching for about a mile, and a small harbour.
Seaton stands on the 95 miles (152.9 km) Jurassic Coast
of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Coastline. From here it is possible to visit rock strata dating from three geological periods in a 185 million-year ‘geological walk through time’.
arrived and there were Iron Age forts in the vicinity at Seaton Down
, Hawkesdown hill
, Blackbury Camp
and Berry camp
. During Roman times this was an important port although the town's roman remains have been reburied to preserve them. In Saxon times Seaton was known as Fluta or Fleet, the Saxon word for Creek. The town of Fleet was founded by Saxon Charter 1005 AD. The first mention of Seaton was in a Papal Bull
by Pope Eugenius
in 1146.
Seaton was an important port for several centuries, supplying ships and sailors for Edward I
's wars against Scotland
and France
. In the 14th century heavy storms caused a landslip which partially blocked the estuary, and the shingle bank started to build up. In 1868 the arrival of the railway reduced the use of the harbour.
main line from London Waterloo and Salisbury
to Exeter
. The line was constructed by the Seaton and Beer Railway which was absorbed by the L&SWR in 1885. The railway had a small terminus station, goods shed and locomotive depot
. The locomotive depot was closed by British Railways in November 1963, and the line closed in 1967. Part of the trackbed has been used to construct the Seaton Tramway
to Colyton
which has become a tourist attraction bringing in around 185,000 visitors a year.
In the 19th century Seaton developed as a holiday resort and many of the town buildings are Victorian
. Seaton lost its largest holiday camp at the beginning of 2009 when the site was purchased by a supermarket group who are in the process of regenerating the area. However, Seaton still has many accommodation providers including guest houses, hotels, a camping site and a caravan park.
The church on the edge of town was built in the 14th century, with a squat tower dating from the 15th century. Seaton is also notable for having one of the worlds first concrete bridge
s, built over the River Axe
in 1877. This is said to be the oldest surviving concrete bridge in the Britain.
Seaton is the birthplace of Victor Collins, Baron Stonham
and his son; pioneering surgeon Victor Collins
on its cliffs. Going East on the coast, there are Triassic
rocks with their characteristic red colour; but these rocks are not the best to fossil collect in, as the rocks are crumbly, like dry mud. Keep going East, and there will be chalk
Cretaceous
rocks, with their characteristic white colour. The cliffs in this area are particularly dangerous
, and there are numerous signs warning people of this.
, in the district of East Devon
.
The area around Seaton is rich in wildlife. The agricultural landscape supports areas of ancient woodland (often with
displays of bluebells), important networks of hedges, unimproved grassland and springline mires.
Around Beer there are remnants of flower-rich chalk grassland, a rare habitat in Devon. The Axe Estuary, with its areas of grazing marsh, and the River Axe itself, are of international importance for their aquatic communities. To the east lies the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve. This large area of coastal landslides and cliffs supports important woodland and grassland habitats and is of considerable significance for its geology, as witnessed by its inclusion in the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
Otter
s are present on the River Axe, and at the end of 2009 are being seen regularly on Seaton marshes/Colyford Common. Dormice are present throughout the area. To the west, near Beer, are man-made caves of importance for a diversity of hibernating bat
s, including the very rare Bechsteins bat. The Axe Estuary and its marshes are important for wintering wildfowl and waders, such as Eurasian Curlew
and Common Redshank
, while in the summer butterflies and dragonflies abound.
The bird-watching and wildlife areas of the Axe Vale have been enhanced by the establishment of the Seaton Marshes Local Nature Reserve, work to establish it was carried out by the Axe Vale and District Conservation Society. In 2007, an Audouin's Gull was seen here - the fourth British record of this bird.
The area to the east of the retail area to the River Axe (mainly floodplain) has been the subject of a regeneration plan formulated in 2003 and approved in detail in 2009, despite local opposition. As of early 2011, the level of the site has been raised above flood level using a million tons of sand brought in by sea. A large supermarket and filling station is to be built on one half of this site: the other half is to be offered for residential development. Plans are being made for a Jurassic Coast Discovery Centre nearby. A further residential development is planned along the riverside.
takes visitors across country to Colyford
and Colyton
, this used to be the link to mainline services and runs alongside the estuary giving views of the nature reserve on one side and the estuary wildlife on the other.
At Beer
, about 2 miles west of Seaton, is the Beer Heights Light Railway
; along with numerous model railways this is part of Pecorama, a tourist attraction provided by the model railway manufacturer Peco
.
In 2010 redevelopment of a large portion of the town commenced with new business sites providing a much needed surge in non seasonal employment.
in Normandy since 1982.
stretches over a distance of 153 kilometres (95 mi),
from Orcombe Point
near Exmouth
, in the west, to Old Harry Rocks
on the Isle of Purbeck
, in the east. The coastal exposures along the coastline provide a continuous sequence of Triassic
, Jurassic
and Cretaceous
rock formations spanning approximately 185 million years of the Earths history. The localities along the Jurassic Coast includes a large range of important fossil
zones.
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Sidmouth, and the largest town is Exmouth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Honiton with the urban districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Seaton, Sidmouth...
on the south coast of England. It faces onto Lyme Bay
Lyme Bay
Lyme Bay is an area of the English Channel situated in the southwest of England between Torbay in the west and Portland in the east. The counties of Devon and Dorset front onto the bay,-Geology:...
, to the west of the mouth of the River Axe
River Axe, Devon
The River Axe is a river in Dorset, Somerset and Devon, in the south-west of England.It rises near Beaminster in Dorset, flows west then south by Axminster and joins the English Channel at Axmouth near Seaton in Lyme Bay...
with red cliffs to one side and white cliffs on the other. Axmouth
Axmouth
Axmouth is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, near the mouth of the River Axe. The village itself is about 1 km inland, although the parish extends to the sea. The village is near Seaton and Beer...
and Beer
Beer, Devon
The village of Beer is in south-east Devon, England, on Lyme Bay.- Location :The village of Beer is situated on the 95-mile long Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage Site and its picturesque cliffs, including Beer Head, form part of the South West Coast Path.Beer lies about two...
are nearby. A sea wall provides access to the mostly shingle beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
stretching for about a mile, and a small harbour.
Seaton stands on the 95 miles (152.9 km) Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Coastline. From here it is possible to visit rock strata dating from three geological periods in a 185 million-year ‘geological walk through time’.
History
A farming community existed here 4,000 years before the RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
arrived and there were Iron Age forts in the vicinity at Seaton Down
Seaton Down
Seaton Down is the location of an Iron Age hill fort that takes the form of an earthwork with a large linear rampart cutting a promontory of land at the northeast end of the down off as a defensive fortification. It is slightly unusual in this layout when compared with other forts in the area. The...
, Hawkesdown hill
Hawkesdown Hill
Hawkesdown Hill is an Iron Age Hill fort close to Axmouth in Devon situated on a prominent hillside above the Axe Estuary. It is approximately 132 Metres above Sea Level....
, Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp is an Iron Age hill fort situated near Seaton, Devon, England. The ramparts are still relatively high, showing an unusual entrance feature. The fort occupies the end of a large ridge at some above sea level. It was defended by a single bank and ditch, forming a roughly D-shaped...
and Berry camp
Berry camp
Berry Camp or Berry Cliff, is an Iron Age Hill fort on a partially eroded Cliff Top close to Branscombe in Devon. The Cliff is situated some 140 Metres above Sea Level....
. During Roman times this was an important port although the town's roman remains have been reburied to preserve them. In Saxon times Seaton was known as Fluta or Fleet, the Saxon word for Creek. The town of Fleet was founded by Saxon Charter 1005 AD. The first mention of Seaton was in a Papal Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
by Pope Eugenius
Pope Eugene III
Pope Blessed Eugene III , born Bernardo da Pisa, was Pope from 1145 to 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become Pope.-Early life:...
in 1146.
Seaton was an important port for several centuries, supplying ships and sailors for Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
's wars against Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In the 14th century heavy storms caused a landslip which partially blocked the estuary, and the shingle bank started to build up. In 1868 the arrival of the railway reduced the use of the harbour.
Railway
Seaton was served by a branch line from Seaton Junction some 6 miles to the north on the London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
main line from London Waterloo and Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
to Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. The line was constructed by the Seaton and Beer Railway which was absorbed by the L&SWR in 1885. The railway had a small terminus station, goods shed and locomotive depot
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
. The locomotive depot was closed by British Railways in November 1963, and the line closed in 1967. Part of the trackbed has been used to construct the Seaton Tramway
Seaton Tramway
The Seaton Tramway is an narrow gauge electric tramway which operates over the route of a a former British Railways branch line in Seaton, Devon...
to Colyton
Colyton, Devon
Colyton is a small town in Devon, England. It is located within the East Devon local authority area. It is 3 miles away from Seaton and 6 miles away from Axminster. Its population in 1991 was 2,783.-History:...
which has become a tourist attraction bringing in around 185,000 visitors a year.
Holiday resort
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
. Seaton lost its largest holiday camp at the beginning of 2009 when the site was purchased by a supermarket group who are in the process of regenerating the area. However, Seaton still has many accommodation providers including guest houses, hotels, a camping site and a caravan park.
The church on the edge of town was built in the 14th century, with a squat tower dating from the 15th century. Seaton is also notable for having one of the worlds first concrete bridge
Concrete bridge
Concrete bridges only started to appear widely in the early 20th century. Early examples include:- Finland :* Ylivieska .* The second oldest concrete bridge in Finland, built 1912 and named humorously as Savisilta is located in Ylivieska...
s, built over the River Axe
River Axe
River Axe may refer to:*River Axe , an English river flowing south through Axminster to the English Channel in Lyme Bay near Seaton*River Axe , an English river flowing west from the Mendip Hills to the Bristol Channel near Weston-super-Mare...
in 1877. This is said to be the oldest surviving concrete bridge in the Britain.
Seaton is the birthplace of Victor Collins, Baron Stonham
Victor Collins, Baron Stonham
Victor John Collins, Baron Stonham PC was a British Labour Party politician.Born in Whitechapel, London, he was elected at the 1945 general election as Member of Parliament for Taunton, in Somerset. He lost his seat at the 1950, to the Conservative Henry Hopkinson...
and his son; pioneering surgeon Victor Collins
Geology
Seaton holds an interesting collection of rockRock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
on its cliffs. Going East on the coast, there are Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
rocks with their characteristic red colour; but these rocks are not the best to fossil collect in, as the rocks are crumbly, like dry mud. Keep going East, and there will be chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
rocks, with their characteristic white colour. The cliffs in this area are particularly dangerous
Dangerous
Dangerous describes something that encompasses danger. It may also refer to:-Artists:*Dangerous!, an Australian hardcore punk band currently signed to Epitaph Records-Albums:*Dangerous...
, and there are numerous signs warning people of this.
Present
There are 3,300 homes in the parish, of which approximately one third are of single person occupancy. The majority of those persons are of pensionable age. Politically, Seaton is a civil parish and townTown
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
, in the district of East Devon
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Sidmouth, and the largest town is Exmouth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Honiton with the urban districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Seaton, Sidmouth...
.
The area around Seaton is rich in wildlife. The agricultural landscape supports areas of ancient woodland (often with
displays of bluebells), important networks of hedges, unimproved grassland and springline mires.
Otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s are present on the River Axe, and at the end of 2009 are being seen regularly on Seaton marshes/Colyford Common. Dormice are present throughout the area. To the west, near Beer, are man-made caves of importance for a diversity of hibernating bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, including the very rare Bechsteins bat. The Axe Estuary and its marshes are important for wintering wildfowl and waders, such as Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Curlew
The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia...
and Common Redshank
Common Redshank
The Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...
, while in the summer butterflies and dragonflies abound.
The bird-watching and wildlife areas of the Axe Vale have been enhanced by the establishment of the Seaton Marshes Local Nature Reserve, work to establish it was carried out by the Axe Vale and District Conservation Society. In 2007, an Audouin's Gull was seen here - the fourth British record of this bird.
The area to the east of the retail area to the River Axe (mainly floodplain) has been the subject of a regeneration plan formulated in 2003 and approved in detail in 2009, despite local opposition. As of early 2011, the level of the site has been raised above flood level using a million tons of sand brought in by sea. A large supermarket and filling station is to be built on one half of this site: the other half is to be offered for residential development. Plans are being made for a Jurassic Coast Discovery Centre nearby. A further residential development is planned along the riverside.
Attractions
The Seaton TramwaySeaton Tramway
The Seaton Tramway is an narrow gauge electric tramway which operates over the route of a a former British Railways branch line in Seaton, Devon...
takes visitors across country to Colyford
Colyford
Colyford is a village in East Devon, England. It is adjacent to the town of Colyton to the north and lies within its civil parish boundaries.-Features:...
and Colyton
Colyton, Devon
Colyton is a small town in Devon, England. It is located within the East Devon local authority area. It is 3 miles away from Seaton and 6 miles away from Axminster. Its population in 1991 was 2,783.-History:...
, this used to be the link to mainline services and runs alongside the estuary giving views of the nature reserve on one side and the estuary wildlife on the other.
At Beer
Beer, Devon
The village of Beer is in south-east Devon, England, on Lyme Bay.- Location :The village of Beer is situated on the 95-mile long Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage Site and its picturesque cliffs, including Beer Head, form part of the South West Coast Path.Beer lies about two...
, about 2 miles west of Seaton, is the Beer Heights Light Railway
Beer Heights Light Railway
The Beer Heights Light Railway operates of minimum gauge track at Beer, Devon, England. It is part of Pecorama, an exhibition owned by Peco....
; along with numerous model railways this is part of Pecorama, a tourist attraction provided by the model railway manufacturer Peco
Peco
Peco is a UK-based manufacturer of model railway accessories, especially trackwork, based at Pecorama, Beer in South Devon.Peco is the collective name for the Pritchard Patent Product Company Ltd, Peco Publications and Publicity Ltd, and Pecorama...
.
Industry
Its position next to floodplains and hemmed in by hills on either side means expansion is difficult and has hampered growth of local employment.In 2010 redevelopment of a large portion of the town commenced with new business sites providing a much needed surge in non seasonal employment.
Twin town
Seaton Devon has been twinned with the French town of Thury-HarcourtThury-Harcourt
Thury-Harcourt is a French commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Situated in the Orne valley, its surroundings are much like Clécy, but the Rock of Oëtre contrasts with the plateau of Caen to the north....
in Normandy since 1982.
See also
The Jurassic CoastJurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
stretches over a distance of 153 kilometres (95 mi),
from Orcombe Point
Orcombe Point
Orcombe Point is a coastal feature near Exmouth, Devon, on the south coast of England. It lies about south of the city of Exeter, southeast of Exmouth town centre and about southwest of Sidmouth....
near Exmouth
Exmouth, Devon
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...
, in the west, to Old Harry Rocks
Old Harry Rocks
The Old Harry Rocks are two chalk sea stacks located at Handfast Point, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, southern England.- Location :Old Harry Rocks lie directly east of Studland, about 4 kilometres northeast of Swanage, and about 10 kilometres south of the large towns of Poole and...
on the Isle of Purbeck
Isle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well...
, in the east. The coastal exposures along the coastline provide a continuous sequence of Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
, Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
and Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
rock formations spanning approximately 185 million years of the Earths history. The localities along the Jurassic Coast includes a large range of important fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
zones.