Visit Brixham Places

Welcome to Visit Brixham Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Brixham

  

Brixham Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Brixham

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Brixham history

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The first evidence of a town comes from the Saxon times. It is possible that Saxon settlement originated by sea from Hampshire in the 6th century. Brixham was called Briseham in the Domesday Book in 1334. The main church is St. Mary’s, about a mile from the sea, and is the third to have been on the site.

Maritime

In the Middle Ages, Brixham was the largest fishing port in the south west of England. Known as the ‘Mother of Deep-Sea Fisheries’, its boats helped to establish the fishing industries of Hull, Grimsby and Lowestoft. In the 1890s, there were about 300 trawling vessels in Bixham, most individually owned. The modern boats are diesel-driven, but a few of the famous old sailing trawlers have been preserved.

Military

In 1588, Sir Francis Drake attacked the Spanish Armada after he had finished his game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe. Since the days of Henry VIII, Brixham has played a part in the defence of the nation. The headland known as Berry Head is now a national nature reserve, but it is also a military site where guns were once positioned to defend the naval ships that were re-victualling.

Industrial

Limestone was once quarried and used to build the breakwater and was sent to Dagenham to make steel for Ford cars. Ochre was invented in Brixham in about 1845, and was the first substance in the world that would stop cast iron from rusting. The ochre gave the old fishing boats their “Red Sails in the Sunset”

You can visit Brixham places with Walkfo Brixham to hear history at Brixham’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Brixham has 33 places to visit in our interactive Brixham map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Brixham, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Brixham places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Brixham & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 33 audio facts unique to Brixham places in an interactive Brixham map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Brixham Places Map
33 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Brixham historic spots	Brixham tourist destinations	Brixham plaques	Brixham geographic features
Walkfo Brixham tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Brixham

  

Best Brixham places to visit

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Brixham has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Brixham’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Brixham’s information audio spots:

Windmill Hill Cavern Windmill Hill Cavern is a limestone cave system in the town of Brixham, Devon. It was discovered in 1858 and excavated by William Pengelly who found proof that humans co-existed with extinct British fauna.

Brixham Heritage Museum Brixham Heritage Museum is a museum in the town of Brixham, Devon, England. The museum is also known as Bricham Museum.

Brixham railway station Brixham railway station opened in 1868 and closed in 1963. The station was subsequently demolished and the site was developed as a housing estate.

Brixham A.F.C. Brixham A.F. are currently members of the South West Peninsula League Premier Division East and play at Wall Park. The club is a FA Charter Standard Club affiliated to the Devon County Football Association.

Sharkham Point Iron Mine Iron mine at Sharkham Point, near Brixham in Devon, worked for around 125 years. It was primarily an open cast mine, but five shafts and six adits are also mentioned in reports of the site. Some are still accessible today, but much of the archaeology has been covered over.

Churston Woods Churston Woods is made up of two main sections called The Grove and Ball Copse. The woodland is owned by Torbay Council and managed by the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. The Grove is located near the village of Churston Ferrers and the town of Brixham.

Churston Court Churston Court is a Grade II* listed building near Brixham in Devon. It is the manor house of the former manor of Churstow, Churecheton, Churchton, etc. It was anciently Cercetone (Domesday Book, 1086).

Broadsands Chambered Tomb The Broadsands Chambered Tomb is a Neolithic burial chamber. It is listed as a Scheduled Monument by English Heritage and was first listed in 1957.

Churston railway station Churston railway station is on the Dartmouth Steam Railway, a heritage railway in Torbay, Devon, England. It is situated beside the main road to Brixham and close to the villages of Churston Ferrers and Galmpton. Steam trains depart several times a day in accordance with seasonal timetables.

Lupton, Brixham Lupton is an historic manor in the parish of Brixham, Devon. The surviving manor house, known as Lupton House, is a Palladian Country house built by Charles II Hayne (1747–1821) It received a Grade II* listing in 1949.

Visit Brixham plaques