"Highlights Of A Day Trip" Brixham by johngayton

Brixham is a colourful and characterful fishing port, one of the busiest in the UK, situated on Devon's south coast at the bottom end of the crescent of what is colloquially known as the "English Riviera" of Torbay.

Its harbour, sheltered by a 3,000 foot-long breakwater, is very much a working one and the commercial fish market attracts buyers not just from the UK but also from France, Spain and several other European Countries.

The main catches are the English Channel flatfish such as sole and plaice and because of the bay location there's an abundance of shellfish - the town is especially known for its succulent, meaty crabs, one of which I've just had for lunch (see restaurant tips for that).

The Working Harbour

Brixham manages to strike a balance between being a workplace and a tourist attraction (not, of course, that being a "tourist attraction" doesn't require work). As well as the fishing and the touristy stuff there's also quite a lot of light industry in the area and the environmental laboratory of the pharmaceutical firm Astra Zenica has what is probably its most attractively-situated building overlooking the bay and outer harbour.

Typical Old Town Street

There is a certain amount of modern developement around but this is mostly low-key. The modern buildings have been kept squat and nothing higher than the "Old Saints" church dominates the vistas. The harbour is in the process of getting a new commercial building, but that too seems to be being built sympathetically to its surroundings.

Thus much of the old town's character has been retained and the narrow streets climbing up the hillside make for a pleasant wander - and a decent cardio-vascular work out!

• Pros:Pretty and Functional
• Cons:None That I Noticed
• In a nutshell:Great Place For A Day Out!