Overview

Sidmouth is a charming and slightly old fashioned sea side resort in Devon.

Transport & Parking

Sidmouth doesn't have a railway station. The 9 or 9A bus from Exeter takes about 35 - 45 minutes and stops at the Sidmouth Triangle. There are other local bus services that go to Sidmouth. In the summer season the Sidmouth Hopper Bus stops at various points of interest in the town, it is step free and has a space for a wheelchair user. This includes stopping on top of the hillside so you have level access on some of the cliff top walks. Using the local buses you can go to visit Seaton Tramway, where you can ride on old trams, see my separate review. Also using the Sidmouth Hopper you can visit the Donkey Sanctuary, which has hundreds of donkeys and free admission, see my separate review.

Access

There are no big tourist attraction in Sidmouth. In the town there is Sidmouth Museum, a small, free local history museum, with step free access on the ground floor only, see my separate review. Overlooking the town is Connaught Gardens, cliff public gardens with free admission, see my separate review. The gardens are beautifully maintained and within the grounds is the Clock Tower Cakery and Restaurant serving delicious homemade food, see my separate review. Both gardens and restaurant have step free access. The area round the sea front is level and The Esplanade is flat with lots of benches. Along the sea front are mainly hotels, restaurants and residential accommodation. The town beach is pebbly and is accessible by steps or slopes. At either side of the Esplanade there are red sandstone cliffs, which have quite a steep slope. On one side of the town, the cliff area is mainly residential and on the other there are a couple of hotels and Connaught Gardens. The town centre is located immediately behind the Esplanade and initially is also flat but then starts to gently slope upwards. The town centre is a fair size and has mainly independent shops, including a department store, and a good selection of cafes, restaurants and pubs. Behind the shopping area is The Byes, a park area, which is mainly flat and as a path suitable for wheelchair users. Also in Sidmouth there is a single screen cinema and small theatre, both of which I didn't visit during my stay.

Toilets

There are four accessible toilets in Sidmouth, which all require a radar key. Three are in the town centre close to the shopping area and sea front and the fourth is in Connaught Gardens.

Staff

NA

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I loved holidaying in Sidmouth. It is a low key resort and was the perfect place for some rest and relaxation as it's pretty laid back. The resort maybe too quiet for some people. However, it's very popular with older people. Sidmouth started as a fishing village and grew into a tourist resort in the Georgian and Victorian period (1700-1800s). It also has some distinctive Strawberry Gothic architecture and some thatched cottages, including its cricket pavilion, which make it rather unique. It's the perfect place if you want a holiday resting and just pottering round. The town centre is large enough to ensure that there's a good choice of places to eat out. It's nice to sit or walk along the sea front or Connaught Gardens. If you fancy a day out there's a choice of nearby places to visit by local bus. Highly recommend this is a lovely seaside town.

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