History

Brixham is a very old town with a long history.

Higher Brixham (Cow town) is the older part but when the farming inhabitants started suplimenting their winter diet with fish Lower Brixham (Fish town) gradually became the more important.

Brixham Cavern had some of the oldest fossils in the UK but is now closed to the public.

Berry Head was a fort in the Napolianic Wars.

Kings Quay was built to provide water for the British Navy by the First Lord of the Admiralty Samuel Peppys the famuos Dairist from the 1600s.

The Hymn “Abide with me” was written by Rev Lytte of All Staints Church and is played by the church bells.

Beam Trawling was invented in Brixham and spread around the UK as the Brixham fishermen followed the migration of the fish during their seasons, with some settling in places Ramsgate, Tenby and Milford Haven and then Beam Trawling went all round the world.

The song “Red Sails In The Sunset “was inspired by the Brixham Sailing Fishing Fleet with their sails preseved by ochre which was a bye product of the local iron ore mines.

A local chemist discovered that adding Ochre to paint, made a rustproofing coating for iron structures ie bridges. This was then manufactured in Brixham for many years and exported all over the world.