Sidmouth: Traditional but not stuck in the past

Sidmouth Nub News recently attracted more than 1,000 likes to our Facebook page. To celebrate this milestone we've put an article together celebrating all things Sidmouth.

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The Sidmouth Nub News team always relishes the opportunity to meet members of the Sidmouth community in this beautiful coastal town with its unique Regency feel.

Surrounded by the rolling hills of the Sid Valley and buttressed by the Jurassic and Triassic coast, the town boasts stunning beaches, stylish eateries, great independent shops and a real sense of community.

The town is a haven for walkers with the Millenium Walkway stretching along the length of the beach, links to the South West Coast Path, which can take you up to Branscombe, Beer and Seaton in the east and Ladram Bay and Budleigh Salterton to the west.

Sidmouth attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and it is easy to understand why.

Animal lovers are spoilt for choice with Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary, which is home to more than 500 rescued donkeys, and World of Country Life just a few miles from the town centre.

To really get to know Sidmouth though you need to explore the town itself. The town is rich in architectural and royal history, much of which is helpfully explained at Sidmouth Museum, a fantastic facility run by passionate local volunteers.

Did you know, for example, that during the 1800s Sidmouth was a fashionable bolthole for the rich and famous. Queen Victoria visited the town when she was a young woman and so did the Grand Duchess of Russia in 1831.

Blue plaques can be found throughout the town, which is home to hundreds of listed buildings.

Every year the town hosts some truly special events. Every June Sidmouth becomes a haven for authors, writers, journalists and historians as the town hosts the Sidmouth Literary Festival.

In August the internationally recognised Sidmouth Folk Week brings folk musicians from across the world to the town, the streets ring with forgotten tales, beautiful voices and laughter.

Sidmouth Air Display and Sidmouth Regatta complete an already packed social calendar for the town.

In the near future residents and visitors can expect a new seafood restaurant from Rockfish at the site of the old Drill Hall, subject to planning, and a new skate park aimed at the younger generation.

Nub News asked people in Sidmouth to describe their town in three words, here are just some of the responses:

Valerie Giles said: "Peaceful, relaxing, sea air." Gill Wolfendale commented: "Traditional, uplifting, seaside."

Paul Herbert added: "Therapeutic, eclectic and unique."

Generally in Sidmouth, crime rates are very low, the local schools are excellent and if you do run out of things to do, the county's capital city, Exeter, is not far away.