Dawlish Warren

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Dawlish Warren
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Dawlish Warren
Location within Devon
OS grid reference SX979786
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town DAWLISH
Postcode district EX7
Dialling code 01626
Police Devon and Cornwall
Fire Devon and Somerset
Ambulance South Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Devon
50°35′53″N3°26′38″W / 50.598°N 3.444°W / 50.598; -3.444

Dawlish Warren is a seaside resort near to the town of Dawlish, in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon, England. Dawlish Warren consists almost entirely of holiday accommodation and facilities for holidaymakers, especially on caravan sites.

Contents

Location

Dawlish Warren is located at the mouth of the Exe Estuary opposite Exmouth and has a beach, a National Nature Reserve [1] spanning 506 acres (2 km2) and a golf course, which is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). [2]

A freshwater pond at the Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve Dawlish Warren pond.jpg
A freshwater pond at the Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve

The renowned sand spit at Dawlish Warren is the location of both the golf course and the nature reserve which was declared a National Nature Reserve in 2000. This spit has reduced in size within the past century due to erosion partly caused by the installation of a breakwater at Langstone Rock to the south-west which traps sand from the local sandstone cliffs and interrupts the natural sediment flow of the area. [3]

The resort is popular with holidaymakers and although a death occurred from E. coli poisoning in 1999, [4] allegedly caused by a nearby sewage outflow, [5] a new sewage treatment plant has since been built resulting in both Dawlish Warren and Dawlish beaches now winning the Blue Flag for the quality of the bathing waters.

Tourism

Along with neighbouring Dawlish, this corner of south Devon has a favourable climate [6] [ circular reference ], which draws thousands of visitors to the area in summer. Because of this, the Dawlish Warren economy relies heavily on tourism, and in particular on the many caravan and camping parks in the village which add over 15,000 to the local population during the summer months. There are several holiday parks which attract visitors from all over the UK, but in particular the West Midlands and South Wales. The major holiday parks are Welcome, Hazelwood, Cofton, Golden Sands, Dawlish Sands, Peppermint Park, Lady's Mile and Oakcliff. In 2008 Peppermint Park and Golden Sands joined Dawlish Sands as part of Park Holidays UK Caravan Parks. The name 'Peppermint Park' has gone and the site has been rebranded 'Golden Sands'.

Amenities

Dawlish Warren has a doctor's surgery, a pharmacy and an independent supermarket, along with several gift shops which cater for tourist traffic.

There are a number of restaurants and takeaway eateries. There are many bars and pubs such as the Warren Bridge Inn and the Mount Pleasant Inn, which dates from before the 1750s and is located just outside the resort. [7]

Transport

A train bound for Paignton stopping at the station Dawlish Warren 2007.jpg
A train bound for Paignton stopping at the station

The resort is served by Dawlish Warren railway station, situated a few minutes from the beach. It lies between the stations of Dawlish and Starcross on the Riviera Line, a section of the Great Western Main Line between London Paddington and Penzance in Cornwall. Stopping services are operated by Great Western Railway, on a route between Exmouth, Exeter and Paignton. [8]

Dawlish can be reached by a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) walk south-west along the South Devon Railway sea wall.

Local bus services are operated predominantly by Stagecoach South West; key routes that serve the town include: [9]

Religion

St Mary's Church Hall St Mary's church hall, Dawlish Warren.jpg
St Mary's Church Hall

Although Dawlish Warren is within the civil parish of Dawlish, it lies in the ecclesiastical parish of Cofton. There is no actual church in Dawlish Warren, but St Mary's Church Hall (St Mary's Church is in Cofton) is located near the resort's railway station. It is used for services and community activities. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon</span> County of England

Devon is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement, and the city of Exeter is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paignton</span> Seaside town in Devon, England

Paignton is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1968. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton has origins as a Celtic settlement and was first mentioned in 1086. It grew as a small fishing village and a new harbour was built in 1847. A railway line was opened to passengers in 1859 creating links to Torquay and London. As its population increased, it merged with the villages of Goodrington and Preston. Paignton is around 25 miles (40 km) north east of Plymouth and 20 miles (32 km) south of Exeter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West Coast Path</span> Long-distance footpath in England

The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for 630 miles (1,014 km), running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more challenging trails. The total height climbed has been calculated to be 114,931 ft (35,031 m), almost four times the height of Mount Everest. It has been voted 'Britain's Best Walking route' twice in a row by readers of The Ramblers' Walk magazine, and regularly features in lists of the world's best walks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Exe</span> River in Devon and Somerset, England

The River Exe is a river in England that rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, 5.2 miles (8.4 km) from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It flows for 60 miles (96 km) and reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon. Historically, its lowest bridging point was the Old Exe Bridge in Exeter, the largest settlement on the river, but there is now a viaduct for the M5 motorway about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exmouth</span> Seaside resort town in Devon, England

Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort situated on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe, 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Exeter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teignmouth</span> Town in Devon, England

Teignmouth is a seaside town, fishing port and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign, about 12 miles (19 km) south of Exeter. The town had a population of 14,749 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teignbridge</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Teignbridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in the town of Newton Abbot. The district also includes the towns of Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Dawlish, Kingsteignton and Teignmouth, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Teignbridge contains part of the south Devon coastline, including the Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve. Some of the inland western parts of the district lie within the Dartmoor National Park. It is named after the old Teignbridge hundred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawlish</span> Seaside town in Devon, England

Dawlish is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Teignbridge district in Devon, England. It is located on the south coast of England at a distance of 12 miles (19 km) from the city of Exeter and a similar distance from the town of Torquay. The 2011 Census population was recorded at 11,312, rising to 13,355 in a 2019 estimate. Dawlish had grown in the 18th century from a small fishing port into a seaside resort, as had its near neighbour, Teignmouth, in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riviera Line</span> Railway line in Devon, England

The Riviera Line is the railway between the city of Exeter, towns Dawlish and Teignmouth, and the English Riviera resorts of Torbay in Devon, England. Its tracks are shared with the Exeter to Plymouth Line along the South Devon sea wall. It is part of the Network Rail Route 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starcross railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Starcross is a small station on the Exeter to Plymouth line in the village of Starcross, Devon, England. It is 8 miles 44 chains (13.8 km) down the line from Exeter St Davids and 202 miles 36 chains (325.8 km) from London Paddington, via Box. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, which operates all trains serving it. One of the South Devon Railway engine houses, which formerly powered the trains on this line, is situated alongside the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawlish Warren railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Dawlish Warren railway station serves the seaside resort and holiday camps of Dawlish Warren in Devon, England; it is located at the mouth of the River Exe. The station is on the Exeter to Plymouth line, 10 miles 46 chains (17.0 km) down the line from Exeter St Davids and 204 miles 37 chains (329.1 km) from London Paddington via Box. From here to Teignmouth, the South Devon Railway sea wall runs alongside the Riviera line railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawlish railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Dawlish railway station is on the Exeter to Plymouth line and serves the seaside resort town of Dawlish in Devon, England. It is located 206 miles 7 chains (331.7 km) from London Paddington, via Box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paignton railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Paignton railway station serves the town and seaside resort of Paignton in Devon, England. It is 222 miles 12 chains (358 km) from London Paddington, via Box. It opened in 1859 and is now the terminus of Riviera Line services from Exeter and heritage services on the Dartmouth Steam Railway from Kingswear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingsteignton</span> Town in Devon, England

Kingsteignton, is a town and civil parish in south Devon, England. It lies at the head of the Teign Estuary to the west of Teignmouth in the Teignbridge district. It is bypassed by the A380 and is also on the A383, A381, B3193 and B3195. Kingsteignton is currently represented in Parliament by Martin Wrigley, as part of the Newton Abbot constituency. Local schools include: Rydon Primary School, Teign School, Kingsteignton school and Saint Michael's Church of England School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Devon Railway sea wall</span> Sea wall on the south coast of Devon, England

The South Devon Railway sea wall is situated on the south coast of Devon in England. A footpath runs alongside the railway between Dawlish Warren and Dawlish, then another footpath forms a continuation to the sea front promenade at Teignmouth. Both of these form part of the South West Coast Path.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A379 road</span> Road in Devon, England

The A379 is a road in the English county of Devon. It links points on the edges of that county's two principal cities, Exeter and Plymouth, by an indirect and largely coastal route. The A38 provides a faster and more direct inland route between Exeter and Plymouth, whilst the A380 provides a similarly faster route between Exeter and the Torbay area. However the A379 serves many small coastal communities and ports along the coast. The indented nature of the South Devon coast means that the road is usually out of sight of the sea, but the many rivers and estuaries are crossed by bridges and, in one case, a cable ferry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Devon, England

The Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve near the village of Dawlish Warren in south Devon, England. It is part of the Exe Estuary Special Protection Area, and sits on a sand spit which runs across the mouth of the estuary. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of it is a local nature reserve.

Park Holidays UK operates 54 holiday parks in the UK and is one of the largest holiday park operators in the UK, offering caravan and lodge holidays, glamping breaks, touring and camping, and holiday home ownership. It has parks in both country and coastal locations. The company is a member of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Devon</span> Southern part of Devon, England

South Devon is the southern part of Devon, England. Because Devon has its major population centres on its two coasts, the county is divided informally into North Devon and South Devon. In a narrower sense "South Devon" is used to refer to the part of Devon south of Exeter and Dartmoor, including Plymouth, Torbay and the districts of South Hams, West Devon and Teignbridge.

References

  1. Teignbridge District Council page describing the NNR Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  2. Robert Stephen Taylor (Editor) A Practical Guide to Ecological Management of the Golf Course (1995) , p. 13, at Google Books
  3. West, Ian. "Dawlish Bay, Dawlish Warren and Langstone Rock, Devon - Geology of the Wessex Coast, Field Guide". Southampton University. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  4. E. coli victim died on holiday: BBC News, 17 August 1999. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  5. Sewage claim over E. coli death: BBC News, 27 August 1999. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  6. Dawlish#Climate
  7. "Local Shops & Services - Dawlish Warren". Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  8. "Train Times". Great Western Railway. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  9. "Stops in Dawlish Warren". Bus Times. 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. "Church Hall - Dawlish Warren". Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.