LOCAL AREA

Briarcroft is located about ½ mile from Teignmouth town centre and train station. From the town, go up the hill on the A379 main road heading Dawlish. We are located on the right hand side and the home is signposted. Just look for the large flagpole and nice entrance and car park. We are also located across the road from a bus stop.

Teignmouth is situated about 3 miles from Dawlish and 5 miles from the market town of Newton Abbot. It is approximately 7 miles from Torquay and about 12 miles from the city of Exeter.

We are on the Penzance to London mainline railway. The M5 motorway terminates at Exeter and is easily accessible from here.
Teignmouth is an ancient coastal town with an interesting history. The countryside surrounding Teignmouth has been occupied by the Romans who built villas and planted vineyards. In medieval times the town was a fishing village.

The town was once fortified and there were skirmishes with, among other people, the French who in Napoleonic times burnt down part of the town, the area was also well known for smuggling and a great many areas keep up with this theme.

Teignmouth is blessed with a mild climate and superb scenery. The lush green vegetation, dramatic red cliffs and the several colours of blue and greens in the sea form a striking contrast. From the extensive level promenade fine views are enjoyed and on a clear day Portland Bill, on the Dorset coast can be seen to the east while nearer the red cliffs which extend beyond Exmouth, include the enigmatic Parson and Clark rocks at Holcombe. To the west the Ness can be seen which is the large red cliff at the mouth of the river Teign and further towards Torbay and Brixham.

Teignmouth has a thriving port, shipping clay to various parts of the world. While historically granite from Dartmoor used in the building of London Bridge was transported from Teignmouth along the south coast and up the river Thames.

There is delightful scenery all round Teignmouth with moor land, coast, estuary and attractive countryside in all directions and Dartmoor National Park is only a few miles away via Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead and these are ever changing in line with the seasons from the primroses and daffodils to the rustic autumn and winter wonderland.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel who built his wide gauge single track atmospheric railway connecting Teignmouth with Exeter and Newton Abbot and thereby the rest of the country put the town on the map. The town became a famous Victorian place with crowds of Victorians coming from far and wide taking the waters from bathing machines located on the main beach as well as the back beach, while trips on pleasure steamers from the pier were in great demand.

Dolphins are often seen off Teignmouth.

The view towards the Ness from the Residents Lounge.