Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice older book in great condition. Pages in good condition. No notes or highlighting. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> Sidmouth stands in a valley half a mile wide through which the small River Sid flows to the sea. The enclosing Peak Hill to the west and Sal- combe Hill to the east protect the town from the cold north and east winds and the resort facing the English Channel enjoys an equable climate with maximum sunshine. The area occupied by the Romans now lies buried under the shingle which over many years has been building up on the seafront. By the beginning of the nineteenth century the harbour was silting up so that large vessels were unable to come close to shore. As one of Devon’s oldest watering places Sidmouth was a famed health resort before 1812 but trade was on the decline and the inhabitants sought to revive their fortunes by making rail links with the outside world. To some extent they were successful for the population rose from 3370 in 1871 to 10408 in 1951. In 1811 a scheme for building a harbour at the mouth of the River Sid was defeated but in 1825 an Act of Parliament was obtained for another harbour project which proved abortive. In 1836 a further Act was passed for a scheme which contemplated enclosing an area of ten acres on the Chit Rocks situated at the west end of the Esplanade by running out two piers. Large blocks of stone for the construction of these jetties were planned to be brought by rail from Hook Ebb a reef of rocks exposed at low water and situated 12 miles to the east. The railway ran beside the Esplanade and crossed the River Sid by a small viaduct.