44East Devon Coast & Country

Salcombe a Visit...by Philip Hawkins

Question: What do the following people have in common?

Former Rugby player and England coach Sir Clive Woodward, singer Kate Bush, chat show legend Sir Michael Parkinson and members of the band Led Zeppelin.Well, apart from the obvious that Sir Michael Parkinson has probably interviewed them all at some point; all have or have had holiday homes in Salcombe.

photography: Nigel Jones

45A Celebration of Life in East Devon

This popularity among the rich and famous has definitely had its effect on the housing market in Salcombe, where some of the properties that enjoy estuary or sea views can easily be worth around £1.5 million pounds and some can be rented for as much as £12,000 per week during the peak summer season.

One might be forgiven for deducing that Salcombe has an air of exclusivity about it. On the one hand it most certainly does but on the other this does not mean that we ordinary mortals cannot enjoy this most beautiful South Devon town.

So, what is the great attraction of Salcombe? The phrase ‘situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty’ is a very good indication and together with its almost Mediterranean micro climate and perfect sea conditions for sailing and water sports in general, we definitely seem to have a tourist hotspot. It would appear however that Salcombe has not always been so attractive or indeed well known. There seems to be no written record of the town until 1244, whilst this appears to be

comfortably way back in our history, it is in fact rather late, considering that most settlements in the area had already been identified centuries before.

I do not believe that we need to consider that Salcombe deliberately kept itself anonymous to hide a history of smuggling and piracy nor to intentionally deter tourists! The more likely cause is a lack of literate inhabitants (the illiterate leave no records). It is also likely that Salcombe was

but a small fishing hamlet in its very early days. However archaeologists have identified Stone Age settlements on the cliff tops on both sides of the estuary mouth and a recently discovered shipwreck demonstrates the existence of intercontinental trade. Today’s tourists can envelop themselves in nautical history through wreck diving, which is a very popular pursuit in Salcombe.

By the 1790’s Salcombe had begun to develop a significant ship building industry. Around 300 sailing vessels and a handful of steamers were built in Salcombe and around the estuary area during the 19th century, almost all for local owners. Today many local residents still own their own boats but these are mainly used for sport and pleasure, not for trading.

In Salcombe’s early days there was a thriving coastal trade; salt to Newfoundland in Canada and salted fish to Europe. In 1815 the fruit trade developed and with it the ‘Fruit Schooner’ ships were developed – speed being the key factor. Transporting perishable fresh cargo from Spain

Messing around in boats, the order-of-the-day at Salcombe