Brixham was and still is a fishing port. It was once home to the largest fleet of wooden fishing trawlers in the country.
Smuggling was very profitable in and around the area but if caught the guilty were hanged. A famous smuggler called Bob Elliot couldn’t run away from the Revenue men so he hid in a coffin – hence his nickname ‘Resurrection Bob’.
Between 1880’s to the 1920’s three hundred boats were built in Brixham shipyards. Only a few remain and six of these make up the Brixham Heritage Fleet.
Lots of ships have been wrecked on the rocks around the coast of Brixham. Fishermen know the dangers but storms can still catch them out.
The Torbay lifeboat is located in Brixham and has a history of bravery having received fifty-two awards for gallantry.
On the quay is a statue built in 1889 to commemorate the landing of William of Orange back in 1688.
The permanent site for the Replica of Sir Francis Drake’s ship the Golden Hind is in Brixham.
A mineral found in Brixham is Ochre and in 1845 it was used for the first time to stop iron from rusting. Iron was mined in the area until 1925.
Limestone was, at one time, quarried in Brixham and some used to be sent to Daggenham to make steel for Ford Cars.
The main church in town is St. Mary’s. It’s the third church to be built on the site which was an ancient burial ground. The first was a wooden Saxon church then a stone one was built by the Normans. It is considered unlucky to walk ‘widershins’ or anticlockwise round the church.
Brixham is a hilly town with beautiful scenery, with a wooded area, limestone cliffs and a lighthouse.
It’s a small town but it has several small unique shops and one or two department stores.
Property for sale prices on average are £249,990 for a 2 bed house and £269,300 for a 3 bed house.
|
