Sidmouth is one of our favourite seaside resorts and much of it has been designated as a conservation area.

The town’s origins are surrounded in mystery and the Sid valley dates back to at least the iron age.

It was given to the Benedictines of the Mont Saint Michel until being confiscated by Henry V.

Down on the shingle beach
Down on the shingle beach (Richard Harding)

Sidmouth appears in the 1086 Domesday Book as ‘Sedemuda’ meaning Mouth of the Sid and began as a fishing village before expanding into a market town by the 1200s.

It prospered thanks to the wine trade of the 14th century.

The red cliffs
The red cliffs (Richard Harding)

A number of attempts to construct a harbour all failed.

Some of the Georgian and Regency buildings along the sea front
Some of the Georgian and Regency buildings along the sea front (Richard Harding)

Fast forward to the 18th and 19th centuries and a fashion for coastal resorts led to a number of Georgian and Regency houses being built, some of which remain today.

The fishing industry dates back many centuries
The fishing industry dates back many centuries (Richard Harding)

It’s well worth a walk along the wide esplanade and admiring the beautiful red rock of the cliffs.

Flying a kite
Flying a kite (Richard Harding)