Our Unique Literary & Cultural Heritage

Ice Age English Riviera

From 1.6 million years ago, until around 12,000 years ago, the climate changed frequently, fluctuating between glacial and interglacial periods and this is known as the Ice Age. During glacial periods, whilst an ice sheet covered most of Britain, the English Riviera would have avoided the worst of it, and instead experienced tundra-like conditions. Much of the impact of the ice ages can be seen at Torquay’s prehistoric cave, Kents Cavern: an incredibly important site, recognised by UNESCO, which remains the only place in Europe with evidence of three of the four human species living in the same area at different stages of time.

History of Trawling in Brixham

Over the centuries, humans settled, and for those living in Brixham, fishing became a lifeline. In the 18th Century, motivated by dwindling catches, Brixham boat builders created faster boats that could fish in deep water. The design they developed was then know as a ‘Brixham Trawler’ and adopted for use around the world, resulting in over 3000 sailing trawlers in British ports and a fleet of 400 at Brixham. 

The English Riviera’s Golden Age

Where does the English Riviera name come from? From the late 18th Century, until the Second World War, tourists flocked to Tor Bay. The warm microclimate attracted wealthy families who wished to escape the cold winters in the rest of Britain. They settled, built large country homes and gardens in an Italianate design to provide a Mediterranean-style resort  in the UK - an ‘English Riviera’. 

Writers on the Riviera

Over the past 200 years, some of the greatest writers of all time have flocked to the English Riviera. From Agatha Christie, to Mary Shelley, Charles Darwin to Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle to Beatrix Potter, Devon’s Beautiful Bay has inspired some of the world’s greatest minds. And now you can follow in their footsteps and discover the indelible traces they’ve left using our Writers on the Riviera guide.