Teignmouth
| |
|---|---|
 Teignmouth | |
  Teignmouth Location withinDevon | |
| Population | 14,932 (2021 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SX945735 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TEIGNMOUTH |
| Postcode district | TQ14 |
| Dialling code | 01626 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
| 50°33′05″N3°29′19″W / 50.5515°N 3.4886°W /50.5515; -3.4886 | |
Teignmouth (/ˈtɪnməθ/TIN-məth) is a seaside town,fishing port andcivil parish in the English county ofDevon. It lies on the north bank of the estuary mouth of theRiver Teign, about 12 miles (19 km) south ofExeter. The town had a population of 14,932 at the 2021 census.[2]
From the 1800s onwards, the town grew rapidly in size from afishing port associated with theNewfoundland cod industry to a fashionable resort of some note inGeorgian times; there was further expansion after the opening of theSouth Devon Railway in 1846. Today, its port still operates and the town remains a popular seaside and day-trip holiday location.
The first record of Teignmouth,Tengemuða, meaningmouth of the stream, was in 1044.[3] Nonetheless, settlements very close by are attested earlier, with the banks of the Teign estuary having been inSaxon hands since at least 682; a battle between theAncient Britons and Saxons was recorded onHaldon in 927 andDanish raids having occurred on the Teign estuary in 1001.
There were originally two villages, East and West Teignmouth, separated by a stream called the Tame, which emptied into the Teign through marshland by the current fish quay.[4] Neither village is mentioned in theDomesday Book, but East Teignmouth was granted a market bycharter in 1253 and one for West Teignmouth followed a few years later.[5] The Tame now runs under the town inculverts and is visible only higher up the town as Brimley Brook, joined by smaller streams such as the Winterbourne (an intermittent stream, which flows only in winter or after heavy rain).
Documents indicate that Teignmouth was a significant port by the early 14th century, second in Devon only toDartmouth.[6] It was attacked by the French in 1340 and sent seven ships and 120 men to the expedition against Calais in 1347.[7] Its relative importance waned during the 15th century and it did not figure in an official record of 1577. This may have been due to silting up of the harbour caused bytin mining on Dartmoor.[8]
During the 17th century, in common with other Channel ports, Teignmouth ships suffered from raids fromDunkirkers, who wereprivateers fromFlemish ports. It is possible thatsmuggling was the town's most significant trade at this time, thoughcod fishing in Newfoundland was also of great importance.[9]
In July 1690, after the French AdmiralAnne Hilarion de Tourville defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet at theBattle of Beachy Head, the French fleet was anchored inTorbay and some of the galley fleet travelled the short distance up the coast andattacked Teignmouth. A petition to theLord Lieutenant from the inhabitants described the incident:
... on the 26th day of this instant July 1690 by Foure of the clocke in the morning, your poor petitioners were invaded (by the French) to the number of 1,000 or thereabouts, who in the space of three hours tyme, burnt down to the ground the dwelling houses of 240 persons of our parish and upwards, plundered and carried away all our goods, defaced our churches, burnt ten of our ships in the harbour, besides fishing boats, netts and other fishing craft ...
After examining 'creditable persons', theJustices of the Peace concluded that:
by the late horrid invasion there were within the space of 12 houres burnt downe and consumed 116 dwelling houses ... and also 172 dwelling houses were rifled and plundered and two parish churches much ruined, plundred and defaced, besides the burning of ten saile of shipps with the furniture thereof, and the goods and merchandise therein ...
As a result,the Crown issued a church brief that authorised the collection of £11,000 for the aid of the town. Churches from as far afield asYorkshire contributed and the collections enabled the further development of the port.[10] This was the last invasion of England[notes 1][10] and French Street, with its museum, is named in memory of the occasion.
In the 1600s and 1700s, there are records of a windmill on the Den – an area that was then a large sand dune and is now a grassy public open space near the seafront. By 1759, this windmill was demolished.
_-_Teignmouth_-_T03882_-_Tate.jpg)
A new advantageous Plan of Privateering
For a Six Months Cruize
All Gentlemen Seamen and Able Landmen who delight in the Music of Great Guns and distressing the Enemies of Great Britain have now a fine opportunity of making their Fortunes by entering on Board TheDragon Privateer ... now ready to be launch'd in the Harbour of Teignmouth... Any persons capable of beating a Drum or blowing a French horn shall have great encouragement.
— Advertisement for theDragon, 1779.
In the late 18th century,privateering was common in Teignmouth, as it was in other west country ports. In 1779 the French shipL'Emulation with a cargo of sugar, coffee and cotton was offered for sale at "Rendle's Great Sale Room" in the town. Teignmouth people fitted out two privateers:Dragon with 16 guns and 70 men; andBellona, described as carrying "16 guns, 4cohorns and 8 swivels".[11]Bellona set sail on her first voyage in September 1779 and was "oversett in a violent Gust of Wind" offDawlish, with the loss of 25 crew members.[12]
The Newfoundland fisheries continued to provide the main employment into the early 19th century (e.g.Job Brothers & Co., Limited). With the men in Newfoundland for most of the year, the women did the local fishing and rowed the ferries across the estuary. Early tourists, such asFanny Burney, referred to the women as the "Amazonians" of Shaldon and Teignmouth, and wrote of their strength, health and tendency to wear trousers or hitch their skirts up to their knees to fish.[13]
As the fisheries declined, tourism increased. A tea house was built on the Den in 1787 amongst the local fishermen's drying nets.[14] By 1803, Teignmouth was called a "fashionable watering place" and the resort continued to develop during the 19th century. Its two churches were rebuilt soon after 1815 and the first bridge across the estuary to Shaldon was built in 1827;George Templer's New Quay opened at the port; and theesplanade, Den Crescent and the central Assembly Rooms (later the cinema) were laid out. The population in the 1841 census was 4,459 inhabitants.[15] The railway arrived in 1846 and the pier was built 1865–7.[16]
A version of thelegend of the Parson and Clerk, dating to 1900, tells the tale of theBishop of Exeter visiting Teignmouth and whilst being guided by a local priest, the devil turns them both to stone, which is seen in the form of twostacks.[17]
World War I had a disruptive effect on Teignmouth; over 175 men from the town lost their lives and many businesses did not survive. In the 1920s, as the economy started to recover, a golf course opened on LittleHaldon; theMorgan Giles shipbuilding business was established, andcharabancs took employees and their families for annual outings toDartmoor and elsewhere. By the 1930s, the town was again thriving and, with theHaldon Aerodrome and School of Flying nearby, Teignmouth was advertised as the only south coast resort offering complete aviation facilities.[18]
During theWorld War II, Teignmouth suffered badly from "tip and run" air raids.[4] It was bombed 21 times between July 1940 and February 1944; 79 people were killed, 151 wounded, 228 houses were destroyed and over 2,000 damaged in the raids.[19] Teignmouth's hospital was bombed during a raid on 8 May 1941, killing three nurses and seven patients. It was rebuilt and reopened in September 1954, making it the first complete general hospital in the country to be built after the formation of theNational Health Service.[20]
A US Navy plan was created, which proposed to dam the harbour and set up a seaplane base, but it was abandoned as the war turned in favour of the allies.[21]
The port of Teignmouth, in existence since the 13th century, remains active; it handles mostly clay, timber and grain.
The Old Quay was built in the mid-18th century on land leased from Lord Clifford. The opening of theStover Canal by James Templer in 1792[22] provided a boost to the port, due to the ease with whichball clay could be transported from the mines north of Newton Abbot. After travelling along the canal, the barges continued down the estuary to the port. By 1820, this trade was supplemented by granite from the quarries nearHaytor on Dartmoor carried via the unique granite-trackedHaytor Granite Tramway which was linked to the Stover Canal. The granite to build thenew London Bridge came via this route and was sent from the New Quay, which had been built for this traffic in 1821–25 by George Templer, James's son.[23]
The Old Quay was sold toGeorge Hennet in 1850 and became the centre of his trading network. It was connected to theSouth Devon Railway the previous year.
Until 1852, Teignmouth was legally part of the Port of Exeter. In September of that year, after many years of campaigning (latterly under the leadership of George Hennet), the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury agreed that Teignmouth should be independent which was the cause of much celebration.[24]
Teignmouth has a tradition of shipbuilding from the 17th century. By the turn of the 19th century, there were three shipyards in Teignmouth, with three in Shaldon and Ringmore on the opposite side of the estuary.[25] The industry declined in the early 20th century but, in 1921,Morgan Giles bought the last derelict shipbuilding yard and gave the industry a new stimulus. His shipyard became a major employer, building pleasure craft in peacetime and small craft such as torpedo boats during World War II. The business failed in 1968, not long afterDonald Crowhurst's attempt to sail around the world.[26]
The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society sent alifeboat to Teignmouth in 1851 and kept it in aboathouse on the beach near the Custom House. In 1854, the society transferred its lifeboats to theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). A new boathouse was provided on The Den with doors facing the harbour which was used until 1940. After a gap of fifty years, on 3 November 1990, the RNLI reopenedTeignmouth Lifeboat Station with anAtlantic 21 inshore lifeboat.[27]
Teignmouth Lighthouse was erected in 1845 to guide ships into the harbour.[28]
The original bridge was owned by the Teignmouth and Shaldon Bridge Company. The first stone was laid on 20 September 1824[29] and it opened on 8 June 1827.[30] It had 34 wooden arches and was 1,671 feet (509 m) long, which made it the longest wooden bridge in England when built. It had abutment walls of a considerable length at either end, and a swing bridge at the Teignmouth end to allow sailing ships to pass up the estuary.[31] It cost around £19,000 to build, but the overall expenditure was about £26,000 (equivalent to £2,843,100 in 2023)[32] due to the costs of the necessary Act of Parliament and the purchase of the old ferry-rights.[33] Toll houses were built at each end of the bridge and the one on the Teignmouth side survives.[34]
After eleven years, on 27 June 1838, the centre arches of the bridge collapsed; the timbers had been eaten through by shipworms.[35] It was rebuilt in wood and reopened on 13 April 1840,[36] but it partially collapsed again in 1893.[34]
The bridge was completely rebuilt between 1928 and 1931, using steel for the piers and main girders, and concrete for most of the deck, except for the opening span which used timber.[37] The work was undertaken by the Teignmouth and Shaldon Bridge Company, with the consulting engineersMott, Hay and Anderson and the contractor Mitchell Bros., Sons and Co.[38] The overall length of the new bridge was 1,130 feet (340 m) carried on 22 spans, with an overall width of 28 feet 6 inches (8.69 m) providing a carriageway of 20 feet (6.1 m) and two footpaths 4 feet 3 inches (1.30 m) wide. Each span of four longitudinal girders rests at either end on a large capsill girder, which in turn is supported at its ends by circular piers built up of precast concrete blocks. Each pier rests on four reinforced concrete piles driven into the river bed. The new bridge allowed the lifting of the previous weight limit of 3 long tons (3,000 kg).[38] A bascule span was provided in place of the previous opening span.
On 28 October 1948,Devon County Council bought the bridge from the Shaldon Bridge Company for £92,020 (equivalent to £4,230,000 in 2023)[32] and tolls were abolished.[37] The original paintwork was inadequate to deal with the environment, so repairs were required in 1960 and in 1980.[39] In 1998, it was discovered that the bridge had severe structural defects and work to correct this continued until 2002; the bridge remaining open throughout.[31] After this work was completed, residents nearby noticed that in certain wind conditions the bridge "whistles". As of 2007[update] the problem had not been solved.[40]
In February 2016, Devon County Council announced that the moveable, lifting section of the bridge would be raised later in the year, for the first time since 2002. This is in order to satisfy a condition in the Act that permitted construction, that the opening section be maintained.[41]
Teignmouth railway station, which opened in 1846, is located close to the town centre. It lies between the stations ofDawlish andNewton Abbot on theSouth Devon Main Line and theRiviera Line.
The station is served by twotrain operating companies:
The line built byIsambard Kingdom Brunel runs along theSouth Devon Railway sea wall, which is a stone embankment between the sea and cliffs that runs for several miles between Teignmouth andDawlish Warren. This line was originally bothbroad gauge and worked by theatmospheric system, with steam pump houses at regular intervals to create the vacuum. It was not successful for a host of reasons and was converted to normal steam locomotive working. Redundant sections of the atmospheric railway pipes were used as drains all over Teignmouth; one was set in the roadside in Woodway Lane, nearWoodway House.
Such was the terrific force of the impelled water that along the sea-wall and railway huge coping-stones, probably averaging one ton each, were tossed about like corks...
— Illustrated London News, 1859.
In December 1852, a large landslip from the cliffs east of the town caused the railway to close for four days;[44] and, in 1855 and 1859, the sea broke through the line at Teignmouth.[45] There have been many more closures since, caused both by landslips from the cliffs and breaches by the sea, especially in winter. In 2010, the sea walls and adjoining estuaries were costingNetwork Rail around £500,000 per year to maintain.[46] In 1936, theGreat Western Railway surveyed an inland deviation betweenExminster andBishopsteignton, with a shorter route starting near Dawlish Warren; however, the advent ofWorld War II brought these projects to an end.[47]
Local bus services are operated predominantly byStagecoach South West and Country Bus (Newton Abbot); key routes that serve the town include:[48]
The town lies at the junction of theA379 coast road, theA381 road toNewton Abbot, and theB3192 which climbs up to theA380 onHaldon and hence on to theM5 19 kilometres (12 mi) away. A road bridge links the town toShaldon.
Teignmouth is also linked to Shaldon by a passengerferry at the river mouth.
The town is located on the north bank of the mouth of the estuary of theRiver Teign. The red sandstone headland on the Shaldon side, calledThe Ness, is the most recognisable symbol of the town from the seaward side.
In the harbour area was the Salty; a small flat island created through dredging operations but levelled, supposedly to improve natural scouring of the main channel for shipping, in recent years to leave a large tidal sand bank frequented by seabirds and cockle-collectors. Salmon nets are still employed by locals, especially near Shaldon Bridge.
The estuary seems disproportionately large for the size of the river flowing through it; this is especially apparent at low tide, because it is adrowned valley caused by a relative rise in sea level following the lastIce Age.
Teignmouth is situated on the coast of Devon, apeninsula ofSouth West England. It has a mildmaritime climate. Prevailing winds across the south-west of England are from the west. Teignmouth lies to the east ofDartmoor, in alee / rainshadow, with mean temperatures 3 °C (5 °F) higher and less than 43% of the rainfall ofPrincetown, which is located on Dartmoor.[49] It receives 133 millimetres (5.2 in) less precipitate per year than nearby Plymouth, which is located on the south-west coast of Devon.[50]
Owing to its proximity to the sea, Teignmouth has warmer winters with less frost and snow, as well as slightly cooler summers compared with inland areas of southern England. January is usually the coldest month in Britain; however, sea temperatures usually reach their minimum temperature in late February, which affects Teignmouth's climate, making February its coldest month. The firstfrost in Teignmouth usually occurs in late November or early December.[49]
Snow is rare during the start of the winter season in December. Late autumn and early winter is the wettest time of the year, because sea temperatures are still relatively high and deep Atlanticdepressions bring moist air across the South West. On average, July is the driest month, but summer thunderstorms can occasionally deposit more than the month's mean rainfall in one day. Teignmouth has average daily sunshine totals of over seven hours in summer and around two hours in winter. Sunshine totals reflect the hours of daylight and the fluctuations of theAzores High, which is most powerful in summer.[49] The climate patterns also implicate a less pronounced coolerMediterranean climate (csa/ csb) influence which is due to the decrease inprecipitation centred over the summer period and surplus rainfall during the winter.
The Teignmouth weather station is located in an area of the town exposed to sea breezes, resulting in lower temperature extremes compared to more sheltered parts of the town and surrounding area. Temperatures at the station have increased in every month between the 1981–2010 and 1991–2020 climate periods, with notable warming in spring and autumn, along with a small overall increase in rainfall during this time.
| Climate data for Teignmouth 7m asl, 1991–2020 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.2 (61.2) | 16.5 (61.7) | 18.8 (65.8) | 22.4 (72.3) | 26.1 (79.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 29.4 (84.9) | 29.4 (84.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 24.9 (76.8) | 18.9 (66.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 29.4 (84.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.7 (49.5) | 9.7 (49.5) | 11.2 (52.2) | 13.4 (56.1) | 16.2 (61.2) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.0 (69.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 15.7 (60.3) | 12.5 (54.5) | 10.4 (50.7) | 14.9 (58.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) | 6.8 (44.2) | 8.1 (46.6) | 9.9 (49.8) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.4 (59.7) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 12.6 (54.7) | 9.6 (49.3) | 7.5 (45.5) | 11.7 (53.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.2 (39.6) | 3.8 (38.8) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.5 (43.7) | 9.1 (48.4) | 11.8 (53.2) | 13.7 (56.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 11.9 (53.4) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.6 (43.9) | 4.6 (40.3) | 8.4 (47.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.5 (13.1) | −7.8 (18.0) | −6.7 (19.9) | −2.1 (28.2) | 0.2 (32.4) | 2.1 (35.8) | 7.2 (45.0) | 5.6 (42.1) | 1.2 (34.2) | −1.1 (30.0) | −3.9 (25.0) | −6.5 (20.3) | −10.5 (13.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 96.6 (3.80) | 73.3 (2.89) | 67.2 (2.65) | 60.6 (2.39) | 53.6 (2.11) | 55.0 (2.17) | 46.0 (1.81) | 62.5 (2.46) | 57.1 (2.25) | 101.9 (4.01) | 98.2 (3.87) | 101.3 (3.99) | 873.2 (34.38) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.1 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 9.2 | 7.8 | 12.5 | 13.1 | 13.4 | 124.1 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 64.1 | 86.8 | 127.8 | 186.0 | 216.0 | 220.4 | 219.5 | 200.2 | 162.0 | 114.3 | 80.8 | 59.2 | 1,737.2 |
| Source 1:Met Office[51] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather[52] | |||||||||||||
Den Crescent and its central Assembly Rooms, laid out in 1826 byAndrew Patey of Exeter, still survive relatively unchanged today.[16] The Assembly Rooms were the hub of the town's social life in the 19th century and lavish balls took place in the 70 ft (21 m) long ballroom. In 1871, the building was taken over by the East Devon and Teignmouth Club which had an exclusive membership taken from the gentry and professional middle class.[18]
Over the years, the building was used as a theatre, a dance hall, a conference centre and a billiards hall.[53] In 1934 it was converted into the Riviera Cinema, in which guise it continued until 2000; part of the building has now been converted into flats.[54] In 2016, the lease for the historic auditorium was taken over by the Mars Hill Church, with the intention of restoring it as both a cinema and a music and arts facility.[53]
The town's parish church, dedicated to St. James, is unusual, being octagonal in shape.[notes 2] A story fromCornwall suggests why these churches are rounded, for the villagers ofVeryan built several circular houses so that the Devil had no corners in which to lie in wait for unsuspecting occupants and these buildings were therefore 'Devil-proof.'[55] Thechurch of St Michael the Archangel is in the east of the town. St. Scholastica's Abbey (now converted to flats), on the road to Dawlish, built in 1864 byHenry Woodyer is a notableGothic Revival building, and the Roman Catholic Church, on the same road, is a late work byJoseph Hansom, the inventor of thehansom cab.[4]
In 1894, there were 26 public houses in Teignmouth.[56] Pubs today include the Blue Anchor Inn on Teign Street and the Devon Arms on Northumberland Place. The River Beach is home to a varied selection of seasonal and permanent beach huts, one of which (now removed to the town's museum) was a Georgian bathing machine, minus wheels. These huts have enjoyed the boom in popularity of such properties in recent years and now change hands for figures approaching £100,000.[citation needed]
Teignmouth and Shaldon museum was completed in 2011. It comprises an architecturally iconic extension of the existing 18th century museum building, with new roof terrace looking over the town, glass tower and community facility. Some of the exhibits include a restored bathing machine; artefacts from the Church Rock wreck, such as cannons; exhibits from the nearby Haldon aerodrome, plus film footage includingThe Beatles' visit to the town and the 2009 homecoming concerts by Muse. The new build cost almost £1.1m; it was enabled by a major community fund-raising effort, in combination with Lottery and UK government funding and other sources, such as local grant funders and Devon County Council.[57] The Church Rock wreck was found when aZuanne Alberghetti cannon was located on the site of a 16th-century wreck, followed by further discoveries.[58]
The town's newest public building is the Pavilions Teignmouth, a community arts and enterprise centre on the Den,[59] opened in April 2016.[60]
On 27 July 2005, Teignmouth received status as Devon's firstFairtrade Town.[61] Also in 2005, the volunteerTeignmouth Regeneration Project, in association with the town, district and county councils, published a strategic plan that identified issues to be dealt with by 2015.[62] Among the issues listed are to develop quality tourism, alleviate the danger of flooding to the town and provide affordable housing.
In May 2010, Teignbridge District Council put forward for consultation,A Vision for Teignmouth,[63] which was a plan consisting of 21 regeneration projects for the town. A skatepark was opened on the seafront in July 2010 and flood defences at the Fish Quay were completed in October 2012.
Although reduced from its heyday, Teignmouth still receives considerable numbers of holidaymakers, especially day-trippers. It istwinned with the French townPerros-Guirec.[64]
The resort has a sea beach andTeignmouth Pier, withamusement arcade and rides. The beach wraps around the spit at the head of the river Teign, providing a river beach commonly known as theBack Beach on the estuary side; this overlooks the harbour with its moorings for many pleasure craft and has views up the estuary toDartmoor. An 18-mile (29 km) long waymarked route, known as theTempler Way, has been created betweenHaytor on Dartmoor and Shaldon. It closely follows the route of George Templer'sgranite tramway, his father James'sStover Canal and finally the estuary to Teignmouth.[22]
Teignmouth Carnival is held during the last week of July, with the procession on the last Thursday. Since 1999, the town has hosted a summer folk festival.[65] In 2005,Fergus O'Byrne andJim Payne fromNewfoundland, were the 'headline' artists at that year's festival which celebrated the town's links with that region.[65]
In 2014, Teignmouth and Dawlish Community Interest Group commissioned a website to promote the town to tourists visiting.[66]
Since 2018, Teignmouth has hosted the annualTeign Shanty Festival; it is a folk music festival with a focus onsea shanties, with over 40 groups performing in 2021.[67]
The main schooling presence in the town is that of theIvy Education Trust, which has a primary, secondary andsixth form there. The primary school is known simply asTeignmouth Primary School; this was previously known asTeignmouth Community School, Mill Lane and before this was known asInverteign.
Incorporating a sixth form college, the main secondary school isTeignmouth Community School, stylised sometimes asTeignmouth Secondary. Formerly Teignmouth High School, then Teignmouth Community College, it was created as a merger in 1979 of Teignmouth Grammar School, which occupied the Westlawn and Winterbourne buildings of the school, and Teignmouth Secondary Modern School. More recently, it has merged further with Inverteign Community Nursery and Primary School.[68]
Also present in the town isTrinity School, which is independent with a preparatory department and boarding facilities, for children from ages 2 to 18. It was formerly known as The Convent of Notre Dame.[citation needed]
Other primary schools include Our Lady & St Patrick (OLSP), being a Roman Catholic School, and Hazeldown.
Local TV coverage is provided byBBC South West andITV West Country. Television signals are received from theBeacon Hill andStockland Hill TV transmitters and from one of the two local relay transmitters, depending on which part of the town (Teignmouth[69] and Coombe[70]).
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Devon on 104.3 FM,Heart West on 96.4 and 103 FMGreatest Hits Radio Devon on 105.5 FM,Radio Exe on 107.3 FM and East Devon Radio, a community based station which broadcast on 106.4 FM.[71]
The town is served by the local newspaper,Teignmouth Post, a sub-edition of theMid Devon Advertiser, which publishes on Fridays.[72]
The town is the home ofTeignmouth A.F.C., whose first team currently play in theSouth West Peninsula League and reserves play in theSouth Devon League Division Two.
It is also the home ofTeignmouth R.F.C. with the 1st XV playing in the South West 1 league.
The Den Bowling Club situated on the sea front is the home of the Teignmouth Open Bowls Tournament.
Teignmouth Shotokan Karate Club was established in 1984 and trains twice weekly at the Teign Heritage Centre and Pavilions Teignmouth.
The seafront benefits fromTeignmouth Lido, a public open-air heated swimming pool. This is one of four outdoor pools operated byTeignbridge District Council. The others are at Buckfastleigh, Ashburton and Buckland.
Teignmouth is home to the River Teign Rowing club, the largest rowing club in the UK with almost 400 members; it competes internationally in Cornish Pilot Gig rowing, locally racing Seine boats and nationally in Sea Skiffs and Sculls. Members have competed recently as far afield as Russia.
Teign Corinthian Yacht Club was founded in 1886; it organises racing and training for sailing dinghies, yachts and powerboats. It has two centres: a clubhouse on Teignmouth seafront built in 1995 and a dinghy park on the River Teign estuary at Coombe Cellars, with a new clubhouse being built there in 2020.
Fanny Burney, the diarist and novelist, visited Teignmouth several times in the late 18th century. She took her first dip in the sea here in 1773, as she recorded in her journal.[73]Elias Parish Alvars, the harpist, was born in East Teignmouth in 1808. Three years later,Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt, vice-admiral, hydrographer and geologist, was born atWoodway House.
In spring 1818, the poetJohn Keats spent several weeks in Teignmouth and completed his epic poemEndymion here.[74] His arrival coincided with a period of wet weather and he wrote to a friend of "the abominable Devonshire Weather ... the truth is, it is a splashy, rainy, misty, snowy, foggy, haily, floody, muddy, slipshod county."[74]
George O. May (born 1875), who made significant contributions to the field of accounting and rose to senior partner of Price Waterhouse's American firm in the early 20th century, was born and raised in Teignmouth.[75]
From 1812 until his death in 1833,Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth had his home at Bitton House, which was then called West Cliff House. Meanwhile,Thomas Luny, the painter of seascapes, lived in the town for thirty years until his death in 1837 and executed over 2,200 paintings while living here. Shortly afterwardsGeorge Hennet, the railway engineer and contractor who was closely involved with Brunel's railway, moved to the town and took a close interest in local affairs. He died here in 1857.
Charles Babbage (1791–1871), the mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, who originated the idea of a programmable computer, also lived here for some years and was married in St Michael's church in the town.
Sir John Smyth (1893–1983) was a recipient of theVictoria Cross and was made 1st Baronet of Teignmouth in 1956.
TheBelgium footballerCharles Vanden Wouwer was born in Teignmouth in 1916, while his parents were staying there as World War I refugees.
The Canadian Second World War pilotRoy Sydney Baker-Falkner settled in the Teignmouth area in 1930, his brother and sister studying in Teignmough whilst he was a cadet at theRoyal Naval College, Dartmouth. He went on to be one of the few naval pilots of theBattle of Britain, was a test pilot and given the freedom of Teignmouth and Exeter after leading the audacious attack on the German battleshipTirpitz. He was lost in July 1944 and remembered on theShaldon War Memorial and at the Teign Heritage – Teignmouth & Shaldon Museum.[76]
During the Second World War,Clive Sinclair was evacuated to Teignmouth as a child and lived there for some years.
The businessman and musicianDanny Thompson was born in the town in 1939, and the writer and environmentalistJohn Bainbridge (born 1953) spent his teens and early adulthood here and was educated at West Lawn School.[citation needed] TheNorman Wisdom film,Press for Time, in which Norman becomes a reporter at the seaside town ofTinmouth, was shot largely on location in Teignmouth in 1966.[77] A bus and bicycle chase shows many scenes of the town centre and sea front, as it was at the time.[78]
The next year, on 31 October 1968,Donald Crowhurst, competing in theSunday Times Golden Globe Race, started his ill-fated attempt to sail round the world single-handed from the town. His boat was a trimaran named theTeignmouth Electron after the town and his electronics company. The town featured in the film of this event,The Mercy, released in 2018, starringColin Firth andRachel Weisz.
The three members of rock bandMuse (Matt Bellamy,Chris Wolstenholme andDominic Howard) attendedTeignmouth Community College in the early 1990s. They started the band in the town and based their song "Falling Down" on their teenage years living there. The band performed two homecoming concerts entitledA Seaside Rendezvous there in September 2009.
Singer-songwriterPatrick Wolf wrote a song called "Teignmouth" for his 2005 albumWind in the Wires, which focuses primarily on the view of the town and theRiver Teign when taking a train along the coastline.
Englandrugby union andExeter Chiefs playerSam Simmonds lives in Teignmouth, as does his brother and fellow first team player Joe Simmonds. Sam helped the Chiefs win theAviva Premiership in 2017. He has currently scored two tries for England and has oneMan of the Match award.[79]
Thetriple jump world record holder,Jonathan Edwards, lived in Teignmouth in his early years. He went to school at the Inverteign Juniors site (now Mill Lane). His world record has stood since 1995.[80]
ComposerLaura Rossi grew up in Teignmouth and attended school in the town.
Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustrationA Legend of Teignmouth, in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book of 1834, accompanies an engraving of a view of Teignmouth from the Ness byThomas Allom.[81]
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