The second greatest Briton of all time...

Work, the weather & DIY have scuppered any plans to get to the coast this week, so my latest walking / history / South West England / Devon blog is focusing on history and the influence of the second greatest Briton of all time (allegedly!) on South Devon.

Every time I drive over the Clifton Suspension bridge, sit on a train as it glides over the Royal Albert Bridge on the way to Cornwall, or stroll along the sea wall at Dawlish, I remember an iconic image of the man who designed and built these amazing structures over 150 years ago. 

The image I remember is of a man in a top hat, standing in front of the chains of a huge ship (below), and I first remember seeing it at school. The man was the incredible and prolific engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel - voted the second greatest Briton of all time (after Winston Churchill) in a BBC poll, beating Darwin, Shakespeare, and even Princess Diana!

The iconic image of Brunel by the launching chains of his final project,
the Great Eastern in 1857. Image courtesy of Wiki Commons. 

Brunel was born in 1806, and being the son of an accomplished French engineer he had already understood the basics of engineering by the time he was eight years old. It was with his father in 1823 at the tender age of 17 that he begin his career in engineering, helping to design and build  the Thames Tunnel. This was just the start of an amazing career, and during his short life (he died at the age of 53) Brunel was to go on to be one the the 19th century's engineering giants, playing a pivotal role in the industrial revolution and leaving a legacy of beautifully designed yet practical structures that are still part of our everyday lives 150 years on. 

One of Brunel's early projects was the now iconic Clifton Suspension bridge, which spans the River Avon at Bristol, which he designed in 1829 and had the longest span of any bridge at the time. However, his status as a brilliant and innovative engineer was secured by his years of work on the Great Western Railway. The GWR was one of the first major railway routes in the world and is still used by millions of passengers every year on train journeys from London to the South West of England along the iconic coastal line at Dawlish.

Brunel's iconic coastal railway at Dawlish - still carrying
passengers to South Devon 150 years on. 

The arrival of the GWR was to have a major impact on the coast of South Devon, especially the growth of tourism. The story of Brunel's Great Western Railway is told in an extract from my book below... 

The coming of the railways

The Great Western Railway (GWR) was one of the wonders of Victorian Britain, and had a huge impact on the South Devon coast when it arrived in the mid-19^th century. It began life in 1833 when Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed chief engineer to design a railway from Bristol to London. Although Brunel had no previous experience of railway construction, he had already had his design for the now iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge accepted, and was fast becoming recognised as an innovative and accomplished engineer. The GWR project demanded that Brunel overcome immense engineering challenges, such as the construction of the two mile long Box Tunnel between Bath and Chippenham. The longest tunnel in the world at the time, it took three years to complete and cost the lives of more than 100 navvies. Despite these huge challenges, the railway from London to Bristol opened in 1841.

Bristol merchants were keen to extend the rail link to Exeter, an important commercial centre near to South Devon's ports, and a critical trade link to Europe. In 1836 an act of Parliament authorised the Bristol and Exeter Railway company to build and extension south of Exeter, and Brunel was appointed as chief engineer. The extension was completed in 1844, and the first train, consisting of six carriages and a steam engine called Actaeon. The train arrived in Exeter on the 1^st of May after a five hour journey from London, and was greeted by vast crowds who had travelled from far and wide to see the latest wonder of modern science. By 1846 the line had been extended from Exeter to Newton Abbot, and by 1849 had reached Plymouth, linking much of South Devon directly to London. By 1865 the mainline was extended into Cornwall, and Brunel completed another major engineering feat with the construction of the Royal Albert Bridge. In addition to the mainline, branch lines were built to link it to a number of coastal towns including Torquay, Paignton, Kingswear, Brixham and Exmouth.

The South Devon Railway was built along the banks of the river Exe as far as Dawlish Warren, then it hugged the coast beneath the cliffs to Teignmouth, where it then travelled inland along the river Teign to Newton Abbot. A particularly impressive stretch runs along the sea wall for several miles between Dawlish Warren and Teignmouth, where the railway is wedged between the sea and dramatic red sandstone cliffs. As early as 1859 when the sea broke through defences at Teignmouth, there has been a constant battle to protect the exposed railway line from the power of the sea. After frequent landslips from the cliffs above and breaches by the sea below, several alternative inland diversions were considered in the 1930's, but the outbreak of war meant that these plans came to nothing, and those maintaining the line continue their battle with the elements to this day.

The growth of tourism

The railways were instrumental in bringing affordable travel to ordinary people, and the tourists that came fuelled the developing tourist industry and the growth of many of South Devon's seaside resorts. Although most of the railways were constructed and run by small independent companies, they were gradually taken over by the Great Western Railway. By 1876, the GWR dominated the railways of South Devon, and this heralded the start of mass tourism and a boom time for South Devon's coastal resorts. As a sign of the importance of tourism to both the South West and to the GWR, in 1908 the GWR company began promoting itself as “The Holiday Line” through a series of posters and books. Although a number of South Devon's branch lines failed to survive the Beeching closures of the 1960's, the core of the rail network survived and continues to deliver holiday-makers to South Devon right up to the present day.

If you'd like to find out more about the history of this beautiful part of the South West, then why not consider buying a copy of my book Britain's Heritage Coast, Exmouth to Plymouth (available from www.garyholpin.co.uk). A share of the proceeds goes to help support the South West Coast Path Association, a charity which helps to maintain & improve the South West Coast Path for the benefit of the millions who use it every year, and the many local businesses that benefit from visitors to the Path.  

Sunshine, scenery & Napoleonic flags

It's been a fabulous week - and I'm not just talking about the beautiful sunny weather. For me the start of the week involved finally continuing the adventure of walking all 630 miles of the South West Coast Path for the second time, after a year off writing my book about the South Devon Coast. My journey started in Penzance, and over 3 days I rounded Lands End, passed Cape Cornwall, before finishing at a busy St Ives in the spring sunshine. 

It was three fantastic days - a perfect temperature for walking and the fantastic blue skies and sunshine made the beautiful Cornish scenery sparkle in the spring sunshine. The views on this amazing stretch of the South West Coast Path did come at a cost however, with 23 hours of often hard walking over 3 days, covering 41 miles (over 13 miles a day) and more than 2,600 metres of climb, the equivalent of climbing Ben Nevis twice! I finished the fantastic if short walking holiday with aching feet and legs, but also a wonderful feeling of well being that comes from exercise in the outdoors on some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Britain.

Azure seas and fantastic scenery near Zennor, Cornwall

An already fabulous week was topped off by arriving home to find boxes and boxes of my books (Britain's Heritage Coast, Exmouth to Plymouth) had finally arrived from the publisher! As my house is now full of boxes full of books, it would be great if you would visit www.garyholpin.co.uk and buy one so I can have my spare bedroom back! ;-)

A celebration of the history & natural beauty of the South Devon coast - out now!

In the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path there are countless fantastic views, but there are some that I love so much that I find myself going back to them again and again. One of my favourite short walks involves starting in the scenic town of Salcombe, rounding Bolt Head to emerge at the beautiful Starehole Bay. A little further on, a short way inland from majestic cliffs is the Admiralty signal station at West Soar. When I first saw this strange building, stranded in the middle of a field, I had no idea what it was but it immediately became a favourite spot for it's photographic potential (as hopefully demonstrated in the photo below!).

Admiralty signal station at West Soar, between Bolt Head & Bolt Tail

It was only later, during research for my book that I discovered the amazing history of this strange little building.  Around 300 years old, the building is a rare survivor from the Napoleonic wars with France and was originally built as one of a chain of lookouts whose purpose was to spot any potential invasion fleet and alert nearby naval bases. 

The coastline of the South West has a long history of helping in the defence of the nation, with one of the most well known being the use of fire beacons to warn of the approach of the vast Spanish Armada invasion fleet in 1588, which was ultimately defeated by Sir Francis Drake, after he had famously finished his game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe.

By the 18th century, a number of the prominent headlands of the South West coast were to play a new role in defending the nation during the wars with Napoleon's France. The Navy's traditional method of communication up to the 18th century was by messengers on horseback, but this was painfully slow, and a better solution was considered essential to ensure that the Admiralty could react quickly to any potential invasion.  

Around 1795 a new Admiralty communication network was established with the building of a series of Admiralty signal stations on prominent hills and headlands all along the English Channel coast. The stations were built close enough together to be seen by adjacent stations and were manned by a Navy Lieutenant and staff who kept watch 24 hours a day. Signalling was done by displaying various flags and balls on masts above the buildings and this visual message was passed from one station to the next, until it finally reached the main Admiralty fleet ports (of which nearby Plymouth was one). At night fires and lights were used to communicate the message.

As well as warning of enemy activities, the signal stations were also used to warn of possible smuggling activities nearby, and the station staff were incentivised to help local coast guards in the battle with the smugglers by receiving a reward for any smugglers captured as a result of their tip offs. 

The long and colourful history of this strange little building which now sits in the middle of a field on a remote headland near Salcombe only adds to the scenic beauty of this fantastic stretch of the South Devon coast. If you'd like to find out more about the history of this beautiful part of the South West, then why not consider buying a copy of my book at www.garyholpin.co.uk. A share of the proceeds goes to help support the South West Coast Path Association, a charity which helps to maintain & improve the South West Coast Path for the benefit of the millions who use it every year, and the many local businesses that benefit from visitors to the Path.    

Coast Paths & Pirates

The South West Coast path has been a major part of my life for more than seven years now. I had been living in Devon since 2003, but it wasn't until 2007 that I realised that despite having been here for several years, I hadn't really seen any of it!  So, armed with a heavy rucksack and significant apprehension, one sunny spring day I set off along the seafront at Minehead on a walk that was literally to change my life. I soon became addicted to the stunning beauty of the coast of the South West, and the peace and tranquillity of standing on remote headlands looking out to sea with only my thoughts for company. Having started the journey, it seemed obvious that I had to finish it and complete all 630 miles of the fabulous, wonderful, sublime South West Coast path - and two years later I stood drinking champagne with friends at the end of the journey at Poole in Dorset. 

Completing the Coast Path, undoubtedly one of the most fantastic walking trails in the world, was the most amazing experience of my life, and I was filled with pride at completing such an enormous challenge. I was also full of disappointment that such an amazing journey was over, but in some ways it was just the start of a new journey - if it wasn't for the Coast Path I would never have got interested in photography to try and capture just a little of the stunning scenery, and that wouldn't have led me to become an author by writing my first book. The amazing South West Coast Path really has changed my life in many ways over the last 7 years, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where it takes me next.  

Me at the end of an amazing 630 mile journey along the South West Coast Path

People of have been attracted to the Devon coast for many thousands of years, in fact a human jaw bone discovered in Kents Cavern in Torquay has been dated to 44,000 years old, suggesting truly ancient occupation. For much of this time however, humans would generally visit the coast for its resources such as fish and salt, but usually chose to live further inland away from the sea. They avoided living by the sea for a number of very good reasons; both the awesome and dangerous power sea and storms, and the danger of frequest coastal raiders, as discussed in the following snippets from my book...

Coverdale tower, Paignton. Built to Defend the Bishop's Palace against Viking attack

Viking long-ships

The Vikings were infamous seafaring raiders and settlers from Scandinavia, and their iconic wooden long-ships took them across Europe and Asia from the 8^th to the 11^th century. The Vikings became a major threat to peace in Saxon England, when they began raiding English coastal communities around 835 AD. The Anglo Saxon Chronicles report of Viking forces being defeated by the people of Devon during one raid on Paignton in 851 AD, and in 876 AD Vikings went on to capture Exeter, holding it for over a year before being evicted by King Alfred. The Danes once again tried to capture Exeter in 1001 AD, but after failing to take the town they fought local forces at nearby Pinhoe and went on to raze the village to the ground.

Although Eastern England saw widespread Viking settlement, Devon saw little of this and only briefly came under Danish rule in 1016 AD. The Viking invaders chose to target Devon communities merely for plunder, from their nearby base on Lundy Island (meaning 'Puffin Island' in the Old Norse language).

The golden age of piracy

One of the many things that the West Country is famous for is as the traditional home of pirates. Just as the remote coves and inlets of the South Devon coast were perfect for helping smugglers evade customs men, they were also perfect for helping pirates ply their trade. The typical on-screen pirate even tends to talk in a West Country accent, which may be partly due to some of the most infamous pirates in history being from these parts, but is more likely to be due to early on-screen pirates choosing to adopt a classic West Country accent. One of the most likely suspects is Robert Newton who chose to use a West Country when playing Long John Silver in the 1950's movie 'Treasure Island'.

By the 17^th century, the main pirate threat to the shores of South Devon came from Barbary Corsairs from North Africa. These pirates from the Barbary Coast of present-day Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia were known to have captured 466 British ships between 1609 and 1616, selling the sailors into a life of slavery. Coastal communities along the South Devon coast were also at risk, and lived in constant terror from the Corsair's raids. An estimated 9,000 British people were kidnapped between 1677 to 1680, and many would have met horrible deaths as slaves on the Barbary Coast.

The golden age for West Country pirates came between 1620 and 1720, as South West ports became a focus for the growing trade with Europe and naval operations in the many wars with France. Life as a merchant or navy seaman was harsh and poorly paid, and conditions on-board ship were often terrible. Unsurprisingly, many were attracted to an alternative life of piracy, where crews were better treated and ordinary seamen could quickly become rich from the spoils that were often shared amongst the pirate crew.

Although some pirates were blood-thirsty, piracy during its golden age was often a rather bloodless affair, with pirates often using flags to frighten ships to surrender without the need for a fight. The first flags were blood red, indicating that no mercy would be shown if pirates had to board and fight for the ship. Some pirates developed their own flags, the most famous of which was the Jolly Roger (a skull and crossbones), which is still synonymous with pirates to the present-day. Once captured, pirates would take the ship's cargo, which often included silk, spices, brandy, wine and slaves, and the ship's crew would be taken as slaves or given the opportunity to join the pirate crew. 

If you want to read more about the history of South Devon, why not subscribe by email to be notified when a new blog entry is available, or consider buying my book at http://www.garyholpin.co.uk 

Under tropical seas

It's been a warm and sunny afternoon here in the South West, and there are signs that spring is really here with the bluebells finally starting to flower. It's also been an important day for the South West with trains finally returning to the South Devon line through Dawlish, following the devastation brought by the winter storms. The amazing power of the sea took a matter of hours to demolish whole sections of the sea wall, leaving parts of the track dangling in mid air. 55 days and £35 million pounds later it's finally fixed - phew!

I'm no train spotter (honest!), but I reckon one of the best train journeys in Britain must be the journey from Exeter to Teignmouth, hugging the coast on Brunel's fabulous railway.If you've not done it then you really must - just make sure you choose a sunny day and sit on the left hand side of the train for the best views. On approaching Starcross, you get the first stunning views across the sparkling waters of the river Exe across to Exmouth. The journey then continues along the coast towards Dawlish Warren with views across Lyme Bay, before travelling along the sea wall (badly damaged in last winters storms) towards Dawlish, with fabulous sea views to one side, and amazing red sandstone cliffs to the other. After Dawlish, the line passes through a number of short tunnels, before arriving at Teignmouth, before heading inland towards Newton Abbot along the banks of the River Teign.

The stunning sandstone cliffs of Dawlish are just one clue to the amazing story of how Devon itself was formed 400 million years ago under tropical seas, as explained in the following extract from the book, Britain's Heritage Coast, Exmouth to Plymouth...

Under tropical seas

The story of its rocks is the earliest possible history of Devon. A story of how the very earth on which we stand was created within ancient ocean sediments, drifting over unimaginable time-scales to where we see them today by the endless journey of the Earth's tectonic plates across the surface of our planet.

Devon's story begins relatively recently in geological terms, only 400 million years ago in the Devonian period. At the time, what was to become the landmass of Devon was located south of the Equator, under the shallow tropical waters of the Rheic Ocean, where they lapped the shores of an ancient continent called Laurussia. Early life such as sponges and ammonites thrived in these warm waters, and their remains gradually accumulated on the sea floor. Over millions of years these were buried and compressed by enormous geological forces to eventually form the Devonian limestone rocks which can be seen today around Berry Head and Hope's Nose. In deeper waters, ash from nearby volcanoes settled on the seabed to eventually form the Devonian shale and slates that can be seen today around Torquay at Thatcher Point and Meadfoot beach.

The remains of ancient sand dunes: the Permian sandstone
cliffs overlooking Brunel's railway at Dawlish

Mountains and deserts

By the Permian period of 280 million years ago, Devon's landmass lay near the present-day Sahara desert in an arid part of the Pangaea super-continent as it drifted slowly north of the Equator. Gradually the power of wind and weather would erode the huge mountain chain, gradually exposing the Devonian rocks buried within them. During dry periods, desert sands would pile up into ancient sand dunes, which millions of years later would become the classic red sandstone cliffs seen today around Dawlish, where the curving lines of ancient windblown dunes are still easily visible. During wetter periods, floods washed debris down from the mountains and into the desert plains, producing a mixture of desert sand and pebbles. This would form the Breccia rocks which can now be seen in many places around Dawlish and Torquay.

If you want to read more, why not visit my website at www.garyholpin.co.uk and buy the book?

:-) 

Coast gaurds & postmen

So, the bad news is that the postman still hasn't arrived with the first copies of my book 'Britain's Heritage Coast, Exmouth to Plymouth'. The good news is that means I have time to share a little more of South Devon's history!

One of the most evocative aspects of South Devon's long and eventful history is the story of its central role in the boom in smuggling in the 18th and 19th centuries, as described in my book, an excerpt of which is shared below, long with a picture of the atmospheric smugglers tunnel in Shaldon.

Smugglers tunnel, Shaldon

A life of smuggling

As long as there have been taxes on goods, there have been smugglers trying to avoid them, and the story of smuggling stretches a long way back into history. However, by the late 18^th and early 19^th century, what had traditionally been a small-scale local trade had exploded into a major industry and huge quantities of contraband was flooding into Britain. Devon's ports were at the centre of this industry, and the livelihood of many Devon residents became intimately linked to smuggling.

The boom in smuggling was the inevitable result of huge increases in customs and excise duties, which were applied to imported goods by successive governments struggling to pay for the endless wars with France. Duties increased steadily during the early 18^th century, and were applied to more and more imported goods, putting an increasing number of everyday items outside the meagre means of ordinary people. Historically, import duties had been collected by customs men based at Britain's major ports, and although this system worked well for centuries, it was ill-prepared for the explosion in smuggling that was to come. Some estimates suggest that at its peak in the late 18^th century, as much as a quarter of all the goods imported into Britain were illegal, and for some items such as tea, the figure was nearly two thirds. The coast of South Devon was perfect for smugglers, with its proximity to the main sources of contraband in the Channel Islands and France, its secluded beaches and coves, and the logistical problems of policing such a remote coastline.

With smuggling more profitable than fishing, and despite the risk of death by hanging if caught, many skilled sailors turned to smuggling as a way of making a good living. They crammed their ships with smuggled goods, and used their sea-faring skills to spirit them secretly across the English Channel, often in bad weather and at night to increase the chances of evading the Excise Men. Landing in secluded bays, they would be met by land-based smugglers, who would unload the boats and haul the goods up cliffs and through smugglers tunnels to secret hiding places ready for distribution. Even the gentry of society, including MPs, Magistrates and Clergymen were known to have been involved as customers of smuggled goods, and sometimes even as the coordinators and funders of major smuggling operations.

Now that the horrendous grey skies and endless rain are finally behind us, and spring has finally arrived I'm finally hoping to get out on the South Devon coast soon, taking in the sea air and take some more photos of the stunning coastline to share soon. In the mean time, if you've enjoyed this and want to read more, then my book is available for sale now at www.garyholpin.co.uk