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Sidmouth

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	Topics Sidmouth Topic Home Sidmouth is a small town on the English ChannelEnglish Channel The English Channel is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and j... coastCoast The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the ocean.... in DevonDevon Summary Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east.... , South WestSouth West England South West England is one of the regions of England.... EnglandEngland Summary England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom.... . The town lies at the mouth of the River SidRiver Sid [Image:Devon_River_Sid_Weir.JPG\|thumb\|right\|250 px\|Weir on River Sid at Sidmouth]]The River Sid is a minor river in East Dev... in the East DevonEast Devon !colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"\|East Devon District... district, approximately south east of ExeterExeter The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in England.... . It has a population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65.. The town is a tourist resort and a gateway town on the Jurassic CoastJurassic Coast The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England.... World Heritage Site. History Sidmouth appeared in the Domesday BookDomesday Book *Domesday Book* , was the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William the Conqueror.... as Sedemuda. Like many towns on the south coast, it was initially a small fishing village. Though attempts have been made to construct a harbour here, none have succeeded, and a lack of shelter in the bay prevented the town growing as a port. Sidmouth remained a small village, therefore, until the fashion for coastal resorts grew in the Georgian and Victorian periods of the 18th and 19th centuries. The town became a fashionable resort for the gentry in the early nineteenth century. The town's numerous fine GeorgianGeorgian architecture Georgian architecture is the name given in English-speaking countries to the classic architectural styles current between ab... and Regency villas and mansions are now mostly hotels. In 1819 George IIIGeorge III of the United Kingdom George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of... 's son Edward, Duke of Kent, his wife and baby daughter, came to stay at Woolbrook Glen for a few weeks. In less than a month he had died after a brief illness. His daughter was the future Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United Kingdom Victoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India... . The house later became the Royal Glen Hotel, and a plaque on an exterior wall records the visit. In 1874 Sidmouth was connected to the railway network by a branch line from Sidmouth Junction to Sidmouth railway stationSidmouth railway station Sidmouth railway station was a fully operational single platform station located in Sidmouth, Devon, England until its closu... . The line was dismantled in 1967 as part of the Beeching AxeBeeching Axe The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to control the spiralling cost of run... . This is part of the Exmouth to Sidmouth railway as shown on Exmouth Online In 2008, Canadian millionare, Keith Owen, who had vacationed in the town and planned to retire there, bequeathed the community's civic society, Sid Vale Association, the cash value of his assets(about 1.5 million pounds) upon learning that he had only weeks to live due to advanced lung cancerLung cancer Lung cancer is a cancer of the lungs characterized by the presence of malignant tumours.... . The bequest is to be used as a capital fund which would generate an annual interest dividend of around 60,000 pounds annually for community projects. . Geography Sidmouth lies at the mouth of the River SidRiver Sid Summary [Image:Devon_River_Sid_Weir.JPG\|thumb\|right\|250 px\|Weir on River Sid at Sidmouth]]The River Sid is a minor river in East Dev... , as its name suggests, in a valley between Peak Hill to the west and Salcombe Hill to the east. The town is surrounded by the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is on the Jurassic CoastJurassic Coast Overview The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England.... world heritage siteFacts About World Heritage Site A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained ... and the South West Coast PathSouth West Coast Path At 630 miles long, the South West Coast Path is Britain's longest national trail, running from Minehead in Somerset, along t... . Erosion remains a serious concern east of the mouth of the River Sid. The cliffs have been heavily eroded, threatening cliff top homes and the coastal footpath. A wide esplanade has been a seafront feature since Regency times. A series of southwesterly storms in the 1980s washed away much of the shingle beach protecting the masonry, and a series of artificial rock islands were constructed to protect the sea front and tonnes of pebbles were trucked in to replace the beach. Culture The Manor Pavilion houses a small arts centre and a theatre that plays host to both amateur and professional productions. The town has one cinema, the Radway Cinema. Sidmouth has been a frequent winner of the Britain in BloomBritain in Bloom Britain in Bloom is a horticultural competition in the United Kingdom.... awards. Most recently it won the Small Town category in 2001 and the Coastal Resort category in 2005. The parish church is St Giles & St Nicholas. Next door to the church is Sidmouth Museum, featuring a selection of local memorabilia, historical artefacts, and geological samples. Sidmouth is home to the Norman Lockyer Observatory and PlanetariumLockyer Observatory and Planetarium Summary The Norman Lockyer Observatory and Planetarium is a planetarium and a public access optical observatory in East Devon on th... , located on a hilltop site at Salcombe. The observatory, completed in 1912, fell into disuse and ruin but was saved from demolition by the appeals of local enthusiasts to East Devon District Council. The observatory now operates as a science education project and is regularly open to the public. The Sidmouth HeraldSidmouth Herald Overview The Sidmouth Herald is a British newspaper, established in 1849.... is the local newspaper in the area. Folk Week Sidmouth Folk Week is an annual folkFolk music Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people.... festivalFestival A festival or fest is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some theme, sometimes on some un... in early August attracting musicianMusician A musician is a person who plays or composes music.... s and visitors from around the world. After 2005 all commercial sponsors pulled out of the festival. To continue the tradition of the festival, individuals grouped together to form Sidmouth FolkWeek Productions, a limited company. Since the change of format, the event has been held on a relatively smaller scale, with no arena at the Knowle. However, FolkWeek is still going strong and the 2008 event is already being planned. Economy The principal income of the town is from tourismTourism Tourism is the act of travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of service... . The town is also a popular retirement destination, so pensions and other investment returns form another large part of the town's income. Sidmouth has many independent retailers, including a surprisingly large independent department store. There are several pubs, restaurants, coffee houses, and tea rooms. The town also boasts an indoor swimming pool, sports hall at the leisure centre, a college, cinema, and golf course. Education The state secondary schoolSecondary school Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known ... , Sidmouth College, is a comprehensive schoolComprehensive school A "Comprehensive" school is a type of school providing secondary level education in England or Wales.... which takes children aged 11-18 from as far away as Exmouth. The school was recently awarded specialist Technology College status. At the time of the last Ofsted inspection (early 2005), there were 869 pupils on roll and the school was considered to be 'satisfactory'. There is only one state junior schoolJunior school A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, usually between the ages of 7 and 11.... in the town, St Nicholas Church of England Junior School, which takes children from between the ages of 8 and 11. There are two state infant schoolInfant school An Infant school is a type of school which caters for young children, usually between the ages of 4 and 7.... s, All Saints Church of England Infants School and Sidmouth Infants School. There is also a private preparatory schoolFacts About Preparatory school (UK) A preparatory school, or prep school in the United Kingdom, and previously in the British Empire and the Commonwealth ... in Sidmouth, St John's School, which takes children from 2 - 13 years old including many overseas boarders. In 2007, the school was taken over by International Education Systems (IES). Another educational institution in the town is the Sidmouth International School, an English Language schoolLanguage school A language school is where one can learn a foreign language.... for foreign students. A full list of local schools can be found on one of the many Sidmouth community sites including Sidmouth Info. Twin towns Le LocleLe Locle Le Locle is a town in the Jura mountains in Switzerland.... , SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked Alpine country in Central Europe.... External links Sidmouth and the Sid Valley on h2g2 — local newspaper for the Sidmouth and Ottery St Mary area. Views of the Town as panoramic images, including the sea front, cliffs, and Sidmouth Folk Festival. Sidmouth's entry in to 'Britain in Bloom' and the community's efforts to keep Sidmouth 'in Bloom' though out the year. Slide-shows on most pages.