Cliffs of Teignmouth

View from Shaldon

Local coastline

About Teignmouth

Teignmouth Town

The town of Teignmouth can trace its origins to Saxon times. It enjoys a superb location nestling at the foot of the Haldon Hills by the mouth of the River Teign with the magnificent Lyme Bay beyond.

Like most towns over the years its fortunes have ebbed and flowed. In early years fishing was its backbone with ships sailing as far as the Grand Banks off Newfoundland to bring back cod. For a time granite quarried on Dartmoor was barged down the River Teign to be shipped up to London to build London Bridge, the British Museum and other important buildings. In 1690 Teignmouth was ransacked by the French (the last invasion of mainland Britain), little of the original town survived, but such was the outcry and sympathy the town was rebuilt by national public subscription. Towards the end of the 18th Century the town became very fashionable attracting retired naval officers and many other well to-do people explaining the high proportion of large houses and villas. In the early 19th Century the Yacht Club was formed and with the advent of the railway the town's fortune blossomed further. The main railway line built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel is a wonderful feat of engineering. His first railway system 'The Atmospheric Railway' was revolutionary in its concept but was unfortunately ahead of its time. The first half of the 20th Century saw Teignmouth go into decline. The town was badly bombed in the 2nd World War, motor torpedo boats being built were the target in Morgan Giles Shipyard - now Morgans Quay, and with the advent of the package holiday the British seaside holiday came second best to the likes of the Spain and Greece. However, in recent years Teignmouth has been finding its feet again, it has a bustling port while the image of a slightly old fashioned and genteel resort is again proving to be a lure for visitors.

Teignmouth People

The rise and fall of Teignmouth as a fashionable resort and latterly its rise again as an 'old fashioned and genteel resort' can be traced by studying a list of its inhabitants, some born here, some merely visitors.

In the second half of the 18th Century one of the leading lights of the town was Edward Pellew, later Sir Edward Pellew, Lord Exmouth, who had a distinguished naval career during the war with France. As a result of his success and of other naval officers settling in Teignmouth, Thomas Luny, the celebrated Marine Artist, moved here from London in 1800, receiving many commissions from the Admiralty and Lord Pellew, building himself a magnificent house (Thomas Luny House) and dying here in 1837. Some of his pictures can be seen in Teignmouth Museum. Another Teignmothian born in 1808 was Elias Parish Alvars. It is only in recent years that his importance has been fully realised. He was a supreme harpist and composer and was buried next to Mozart in Vienna in 1849. He is now known as the 'King of Harpist's' and is the only person to have had a harp string named after him. With the town becoming fashionable it attracted the likes of John Keats who brought his brother Tom on a recuperative holiday. Although the weather was unkind he is reputed to have penned part of Endymion while here. Charles Babbage 1791 - 1871 the father of the computer was also seduced by the charms of Teignmouth making his home here for some time. More recently the well know concert pianist Moira Lympany was born here, while John Harvey Jones chairman of ICI and the BBC's 'Trouble Shooters' spent many happy childhood holidays at his grandparents' home and more recently still Andrew Motion, the Poet Laureate, used to bring his family here on holiday. In 1968 Teignmouth was the centre of national interest when Donald Crowhurst set off sailing solo around the world. Little did anyone know that the voyage was an intended hoax, nor did Donald Crowhurst know it would lead to his death. Teignmouth Museum has his story in full.

Today Teignmouth continues to attract a growing colony of artists, plays host every autumn to a thriving Jazz Festival and is as popular as ever with people wishing either to live here or just visit.

Teignmouth Pier

Town of Teignmouth