Teignmouth , the Gem of South Devon

When I first heard that the place I worked for was going to send me to Teignmouth, I was quite curious where this place could be??!! I googled it and it said that it was in the South of Devon in England.

Teignmouth was originally two separate villages. By the 14^th century Teignmouth was a significant port and by the 1800s Teignmouth was becoming fashionable for visitors, and to this day the town remains a functioning harbor, sitting comfortably as a town for tourists as well as trade.

How to get there: By train from anywhere in England. If you are staying in a town nearby such as Exeter, then it may cost you £ 5 (2 ways) or more during the peak hours,be sure to pre purchase your ticket so that you can get a cheaper price. Check out the National Rail Website for timetables and prices. It is only half an hour or less away from Exeter.

Best time to go: If you don't want to get annoyed by the unpredictable British weather, then summer will be the best time for you, anytime between June and July but you will still experience the freezing cold weather in summertime!

Things to do: You can start your day by visiting the Methodist Church, which is only 7-10 minutes walk from the train station.

The Methodist Church was built in 1845, the Church was designed by the architect R B Best and possibly built by Hitchins of Torquay at a cost of £1,500. 

My experience: I went there when they had the "Music & Flower" festival and also a small exhibition in memory of women who had influence on Britain's history. I enjoyed looking at the beautiful flowers and the exhibition inside the church. 

The Pier: you can then walk to the Pier or to the Harbor from here. I personally like the Harbor more because the view there is just amazing. 

Teignmouth Harbor is an historical Harbour, which has been trading for over 300 years, and was once a major center for crews and ships for the Newfoundland fisheries, now it is used regularly by fishing boats and yachts.

My experience: This is probably one of Teignmouth's highlights and a MUST see place, you will really enjoy the breathtaking scenery especially if you went on a warm sunny day. 

Nearby is a small place to enjoy some water activities if you had enough time like sailing, kayaking and windsurfing called "Sea Sports Southwest".


My experience: I did experience kayaking but on a freezing cold day which was only 10°C. Thank God, the diving suit saved my life! 

You can cross to Shaldon from here by a ferry boat which will cost you around  £1.50, you can check more info on the Teignmouth Shaldon Ferry Website. 

As you walk up the hill, the way will get you to a small zoo where you will see different kinds of animals you have never seen before like the Ring tailed Lemurs or the Slender Tailed Meerkats. The fee to this zoo is £ 7.5 for adults. 

From here you can walk to a tunnel which will take you to a secluded beach. A lot of people get sun tanned here as the area is quite relaxing to spend some hours laying on the beach. 

My experience: I had an eerie feeling entering this tunnel, the ground is slippery at some points so you have to be quite careful. 

On your way back , don't forget to take a snap shot of the beautiful panoramic view of Teignmouth. 

As you arrive, you can walk directly to Teignmouth Town Center where you will find many shops and restaurants to dine and buy souvenirs. In the middle of this town center, you will see a fountain which was built in 1885. 

One of the souvenirs I highly recommend to buy are Sally Anderson's paintings of Teignmouth, her paintings will always remind of you of this beautiful small town . You can buy the paintings in different sizes and frame them when you are back home, the prices are quite affordable. Her gallery is not far from the fountain, you can ask anyone passing buy and they will tell you where it is. 

To me Teignmouth is like a classic seaside town which allows you to experience the British style culture in a friendly and lovely way. I went alone this time but hopefully I would be able to experience this wonderful place with my loved ones next time. 

*Disclaimer: All pictures are taken by me, please do not use without asking my permission, thank you. 
Credits: Wikipedia, visitsouthdevon.com, englishriviera.co.uk, virtualtourist.com.