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Seaton is a seaside town in East Devon on the south coast of England . The town faces onto Lyme Bay , and is to the west of the mouth of the River Axe with red cliffs to one side and white cliffs on the other. Axmouth and Beer are nearby. A sea wall provides access to the mostly shingle Beach stretching for about a mile, and a small Harbour . Seaton stands on the 95-mile Jurassic Coast of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Coastline. From here it is possible to visit all three eras of rocks strata in this 185 million-year ‘geological walk through time’. HISTORY A farming community existed here 4,000 years before the Seaton was know as ''Fluta'' or Fleet, the Saxon word for Creek. The town of Fleet was founded by Saxon Charter 1005 AD. The first mention of Seaton was in a Papal Bull by Pope Eugenius in 1146 . Seaton was an important port for several centuries, supplying ships and sailors for Edward I 's wars against Scotland and France . In the 14th century heavy storms caused a landslip which partially blocked the estuary, and the shingle bank started to build up. In 1868 the arrival of the railway reduced the use of the harbour. Seaton was served by a branch line from Seaton Junction some 6 miles to the north on the London And South Western Railway main line from London Waterloo and Salisbury to Exeter For many years coaches were taken off the Exeter services and then taken down the branch line, giving a through service to London. The line closed in 1967, and part of the trackbed was used to construct the Seaton Tramway to Colyton which has become a major tourist attraction bringing in around 185,000 visitors a year. In the 19th century Seaton developed as a holiday camp resort and many of the town buildings are Victorian . Today this camp still exists as Lyme Bay Holiday Village which caters for 800+ short stay visitors every week. It is one of the major employers in this largely undeveloped town. The church on the edge of town was built in the 14th century, with a squat tower dating from the 15th century. Seaton is also notable for having one of the worlds first Concrete Bridge s that was built over the River Axe in 1877. PRESENT There are now 3,304 homes within the parish, of which approximately one third are of single person occupancy, the majority of those are of pensionable age. Politically, Seaton is a Civil Parish and Town , in the district of East Devon . The area around Seaton is rich in wildlife. The agricultural landscape supports areas of ancient woodland (often with impressive displays of bluebells), important networks of hedges, unimproved grassland and springline mires. Around Beer there are still remnants of flower-rich chalk grassland, a rare habitat in Devon. The Axe Estuary dominates the centre of the area, with its associated areas of grazing marsh, and the River Axe itself is of international importance for its aquatic communities. To the east lies the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff s National Nature Reserve. This large area of coastal landslides and cliffs supports important woodland and grassland habitats and is of considerable significance for its geology, as witnessed by its inclusion in the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. These habitats support a wide range of species. For example, Otter s are present on the River Axe, and Dormice are present throughout the area. To the west, near Beer, are man-made caves of importance for a diversity of hibernating Bat s, including the very rare Bechsteins bat. The Axe Estuary and its marshes are important for wintering Wildfowl and waders, such as Curlew and Redshank , while in the summer Butterflies and Dragonflies abound. The bird-watching and wildlife areas of the Axe Vale have been enhanced by the establishment of the Seaton Marshes Local Nature Reserve with important work being carried out by the Axe Vale & District Conservation Society. In 2007 an Audouin's Gull was seen here - one of bery few British records. The area to the east of the retail area to the River Axe (mainly floodplain) has been the subject of a comprehensive regeneration plan formulated in 2003. As of late 2006 only one of the developers involved has submitted a plan for the development of this area. This submission would directly result in the destruction of overnight tourism for the town owing to the plan consisting almost exclusively of residential and shopping. There is considerable resistance to this proposed development from a large cross-section of the community and it is unlikely the development will proceed in its current form. Attractions Beside the Tramway which regularly takes visitors across country to Colyford and Colyton , Seaton now has its own LandTrain which is 56 foot long, carries 50-60 passengers dogs and runs every few hours seven days a week between Seaton and Beer for the summer season. Technology Technology plays an increasingly important part in tourism these days. Many attractions are electronic in nature and inter-active with users. Visitors often need to maintain links with home/office/friends or family. Wi-Fi Hotspots are a much needed resource for keeping tourists coming back and staying longer. Seaton has the largest concentration of hotspots in the South West of England and is probably the most advanced rural town in the United Kingdom in such areas. The town is 85% covered by wi-fi access via SEATONNET's progressive implementation of 802.11 technology. With over 20 hotspots surrounding the town it is the fastest growing asset for tourists and residents alike and is probably the only town of its size to have such comprehensive coverage available to such a wide and diverse range of users. Capable of growing to manage the whole towns needs in terms of fast wireless broadband access the service is poised to become a major asset in Seatons' economic recovery plan. Access SEATONNET HotSpot locations {Link without Title} to see if there is one where you are staying. Night Life There are many pubs in Seaton. These include, The Hook and Parrot, The Vault, The Cellar Bar, and The Famous George. Seaton's only night club is the The Grove Niteclub which draws people from further away on rave nights; also, The Smugglers Underground Bar is popular with some residents, hosting live bands most weekends. Seaton has a lively night life, albeit mainly restricted to weekends. There is also The Seaton Town Social Club, an operating CIU member. INDUSTRY Traditionally a tourist town, Seaton has been unable to develop a strong business identity and its position next to floodplains and hemmed in by hills on either side means expansion is difficult and has hampered growth of local employment opportunities. The main employers are tourism-based and to a large extent, seasonal. TWIN TOWN Thury-Harcourt , France GALLERY |
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