Brixham in South Devon is famous for fish first of all. Tourism comes a close second. The harbour is full of fishing boats and smaller craft, while the harbour side is bustling with tourists. A fleet of heritage trawlers offer a chartered voyage.
We arrived by car as there is no railway station in the town. This is where the fun starts. We parked in the Central short stay car park. It costs £3.50 for up to 3 hours, which was OK, but try operating the Pay & Display ticket machine. If we hadn’t been helped by a local, we would be struggling still!
It wasn’t too crowded the day we visited so we had a good stroll around the town with ts numerous fresh fish restaurants. In the harbour, there is a full-size replica of the Golden Hind and visitors can go on board. The £5 a ticket for over 65s contributes towards the restoration of this iconic ship from the age of exploration.
We stopped for refreshments in The Chart Room situated in Fore Street. It is part of the Brixham Steam Packet Company which specialises in antique and reproduction marine collectables. The First Class Coffee Lounge is designed to mimic the splendour and opulence of a steam ship ocean liner. (Even the loo had a maritime theme!) After a good look around the shop memorabilia, we sat down to a Devon cream tea and I would say that this establishment needs to be in the Good Scone Guide.
My husband was keen to take a look around Mifsuds camera shop in Bolton Street, but it closed at 4pm. Just then the weather decided to change for the worst, so we made a dash back to the car park – but we enjoyed seeing Brixham with its working harbour.
