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Brixham's History

1688

: On 5th November 1688 Prince William of Orange landed in Brixham. Before moving onto Exeter and later to London, his army camped on the high ground around Brixham, whilst William ‘went down the hill unto the Fishermen's little house; one of which he made into a Palace for that time‘. He later went on to be crowned King William III of England.

1781

: Plans were drawn up for a Naval reservoir which came into use around 1800, just in time for ships engaged in the blockade of France to have access to Torbay waters. The Royal Navy used Torbay as an anchorage during the Napoleonic Wars and it was here that a British Man-of-War brought Napoleon as a prisoner on his way to exile.

1803

: Forts were built at Berry Head to guard the approach to Tor Bay during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1809 Berry Head House (now the Berry Head Hotel) was built as a military hospital.

1816

: All Saints Church was built as a ‘chapel of ease’ for Lower Brixham. Henry Francis Lyte was at one time the Vicar of All Saints Church and became famous for writing hymns such as Abide with Me.

1858

: Windmill Hill Cavern was excavated by the Royal Geological Society who unearthed the remains of twenty species of prehistoric animals. The results of this discovery established that ‘the universe had a prehistory and proved the antiquity of man in it‘.

1866

: The ‘Great Storm’ destroyed over 60 ships and 100 lives were lost in one night. Following this catastrophe the town acquired its first lifeboat.

1916

: Brixham breakwater was eventually completed from a design submitted by James Meadows Rendel in 1843!

1933

: With the fishing industry in decline, the last trawler built in Brixham was launched and named Our Boy. Mainly used as a yacht and renamed Regard, it is now a member of the Brixham Heritage Fleet.

1946

: The Western Lady Ferry Service between Brixham and Torquay began using four converted motor launches built for the Royal Navy at Galmpton Creek.

1956

: Mayflower II - a replica of the Pilgrim Fathers’ ship was launched and the following year successfully crossed the Atlantic to a permanent berth in New England. The vessel was built at Upham’s Shipyard which flourished from 1817 until closure in 1984.

1969

: Torbay Council purchased Berry Head for designation as a Country Park. Pronounced an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and one of England’s 200 National Nature Reserves the management passed to Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust in 2002.