Teignmouth in 1836
Teignmouth is in the hundred of Exminster, at the mouth of the river Teign, on the north side of the river, about sixteen miles south of Exeter. It consists of East Teignmouth and West Teignmouth, which are separated by a small brook. The area, population, &c. of their respective parishes, according to the returns of 1831, were as follows:
|
Acres |
Inhabited houses |
Population |
East Teignmouth |
700 |
315 |
1,810 |
West Teignmouth |
580 |
523 |
2,878 |
Total |
1,280 |
838 |
4,688 |
There are no manufactures carried on, and the proportion of persons engaged in agriculture is very small. Teignmouth is much frequented as a bathing-place, and has every accommodation for invalids.
The trade too is considerable : the inhabitants are much engaged in the Newfoundland fishery. There are considerable exports of granite (for the conveyance of which from the Haytor quarries a railroad has been constructed), pipe-clay, potters clay, manganese, timber, bark, and cider: the imports are of culm, coal, deals, iron, &c. There is a considerable fishery for soles, whiting, turbot, mackerel, and pilchards, on the coast, and for salmon in the river Teign.
East Teignmouth church is near the sea-shore; it has been rebuilt within a few years on an enlarged scale: the former church was an ancient fabric, with a massive tower, and had some windows and other parts of Norman architecture. West Teignmouth church is large and handsome ; it was built under an Act passed A.D. 1815.
There is an Independent meeting-house in East Teignmouth ; also a theatre, assembly, coffee, and billiard rooms. The bridge over the Teign, opened in 1827, is the longest in the united kingdom, being 1,671 feet long, 429 feet longer than Waterloo Bridge.
A new market-place has been built of late years. The market is in East Teignmouth; it is on Saturday for provisions of all kinds : there are three fairs also in East Teignmouth. The livings of East and West Teignmouth are perpetual curacies. The yearly value of East Teignmouth is £127 ; West Teignmouth is now united with the vicarage of Bishops Teignton, the yearly value of which is £334, with a glebe house.
Teignmouth contained in 1833 five infant schools with 134 children, sixteen day-schools with 570 children, and two Sunday-schools with 199 children. Of the, day-schools one was partly supported by a small endowment and another was on the so-called national system. The cliffs near Teignmouth rise in some parts to the height of from 150 to 200 feet.
|