Salcombe

Template:GBthumb Salcombe is a town in the South Hams district of Devon, England.

There is another town named Salcombe, also known as Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth in east Devon.

The town is close to the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary, built mostly on the steep west side of the estuary. The town's extensive waterfront and the naturally sheltered harbour formed by the estuary gave rise to its success as a boat- and ship-building and sailing port and, in modern times, tourism especially in the form of pleasure sailing and yachting. There is also a small crabbing industry.

History

During the English civil war the town sided with the Royalists and held out against the Roundheads. The ruins of Fort Charles remain towards the south of the town.

The Estuary

Salcombe estuary from Sharpitor Salcombe is on the left, Sunny Cove beach is visible to the right and in the middle distance the estuary meanders towards Kingsbridge

The "estuary" is actually a ria or drowned valley caused by rising sea levels rather than a true estuary: its size is out of proportion to the few streams which discharge into it. It may have been carved out by glacial melt water at the end of the ice age

The Bar

Towards the mouth of the estuary is the Bar, a spit of sand protruding from the east bank which is exposed at low spring tides. In this state of tide and with strong southerly winds the bar can make the entrance to the estuary nearly impassible.

It is believed that Lord Tennyson's famous poem "Crossing the Bar" was inspired by a visit to Salcombe during the 19th century. The poem begins with the lines,

Sunset and evening star and one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,...

The moaning refers to the noise of the water breaking over The Bar. In 1916 the Salcombe lifeboat, an open rowboat, was capsized crossing The Bar resulting in loss of life.

Beaches

Further into the estuary on the east side are a series of popular sandy beaches: Sunny Cove (nearest the bar), the large Mill Bay, Cable Cove (the landing point of a transatlantic cable), Small's Cove and Fisherman's Cove. Adjacent to Fisherman's Cove is a landing slip used by the ferry - open-topped clinker-built motorboats - from Salcombe directly across the estuary, communicating with the hamlet of East Portlemouth (and much used by tourists for access to the beaches).

Opposite the Bar on the west side of the estuary are the beaches of South Sands and North Sands. A picturesque ferry operates between Salcombe and South Sands, with a Sea Tractor ferrying passengers between the boat and the South Sands beach.

North of North Sands Salcombe town begins, occupying the steep west side of the estuary opposite the beaches and East Portlemouth and extending north and west into the first of the estuary's many creeks: Batson Creek. Others including Southpool Creek and Frogmore Creek branch off to the east and north east, while the main channel continues to Kingsbridge itself. A larger boat operates as a ferry between Salcombe and Kingsbridge when the state of the tide permits.

Economy

The view from Salcombe waterfront

Probably due to its popularity for pleasure sailing and yachting Salcombe has the second highest property prices in the UK outside of central London (after Sandbanks, Poole). Many of the shops, bars and restaurants in the town, especially towards the waterfront, cater for a predominantly well-off, fashionable and nautically-inclined clientele, with prices to match.

External links

• Salcombe history (Tourist Information website)
• Salcombe Tourist Information
• Salcombe Online more tourist information