I’m standing on “The Beacon”. Regency-era hotels rise up behind me; ahead, 19th-century pleasure gardens roll down towards golden sands. From my vantage point above the promenade, I can see almost two miles of beach stretching from the Exe Estuary eastwards towards the red, sandstone cliffs marking the start (or the end) of the Jurassic Coast.
This is Exmouth, a seaside town with a gilded past that wowed Victorian pleasure seekers with its supposed “healing” sea waters and a climate to match the south of France. First recommended as a holiday destination by King George III’s personal physician in the 18th century, this south coast town is Devon’s original seaside resort.
