Description

BRIXHAM

SX9256SE BRIXHAM HARBOUR, Lower Brixham
1946-1/11/134 Walls & quays on all 4 sides of
10/01/75 harbour extending from New Pier to
Kings Quay
(Formerly Listed as:
BRIXHAM HARBOUR
The New Pier)
(Formerly Listed as:
BRIXHAM HARBOUR
King's Quay)

GV II

Harbour walls and quays. Eastern Quay and King's Quay built by
1781; New Pier 1803-4; Victoria Embankment 1897; Southern Quay
c1930, extended to link up with King's Quay in 1980s. Walls
are mostly of squared Devonian limestone rubble, which is of
particularly high quality at the King's Quay. Eastern Quay is
of much rougher rubble construction, with large projecting
boulders in the lower part and stones laid on edge above. C18
and early C19 walls have copings of Devonian limestone slabs,
sometimes disguised by a coating of cement. Late C19 copings
are of granite, those on the Southern Quay are of cement. The
section of quay linking the Southern and King's Quays is
wholly of concrete. Several flights of steps lead down to the
water; as with the copings, the earlier ones are of Devonian
limestone and the later ones of granite.
The harbour is roughly square, its entrance party closed by
the New Pier on the west and the King's Quay on the east. The
Eastern Quay which projects at an angle from the western side
of the harbour is believed to be a C18 addition. An earlier
quay projected a little way south of it until C19; it is here
that William of Orange is believed to have landed in 1688; a
plan of 1781 marks 'King William's steps' at its western end.
The southern end of the harbour was a long, shelving cobbled
ramp until reconstructed in 1897 as the Victorian Embankment.
The original quays seem to have been on the west side. The
fish market was here until a new one was built on the north
side of the New Pier in 1971 and 1991.
Subsidiary features: New Pier is protected on its seaward side
by a tall stone rubble wall having on the harbour side a
raised walk paved with slabs of Devonian limestone. At its
western end is a stone tablet commemorating 'Mr JOHN MATTHEWS
for his spirited conduct in causing this Pier to be built'.
Foundation stone laid 1803; built with subscriptions from the
inhabitants of Brixham; builder was Mr John Kitt. At its
eastern end is the short round rendered base of the harbour
light. Fixed to the wall below it is a plaque commemorating
the landing of the Duke of Clarence here in 1828; this is
separately listed. On the pier itself are 5 solid Devonian
limestone painted bollards with rounded tops. At the eastern
end of the Victoria Embankment is a boat-slip with a surface
of granite setts. Fixed to the wall alongside it is a
limestone plaque commemorating the laying of its foundation
stone on 22 June 1897. King's Quay is marked on the plan of
1781 as 'The Wharf constructed on the Deer Rock'. It was then
used for watering HM Navy ships via an elaborate series of
pipes running from a reservoir on the site now occupied by
Brixham Town Hall.
(King J: Watering Place at Brixham: 1781-; Horsley JE: A Short
History of Brixham: Exeter: 1988-: 13-17).

Listing NGR: SX9255856261

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26503445

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)