Seaton is a small and pretty seaside town and home of the Seaton Tramway. And no,
it’s not in Dorset, and should not be confused with Seatown, which is.
Seaton is in East Devon and part of the Jurassic Coast. Seatown is also part of the
Jurassic Coast, but is in Dorset and sits at the foot of Golden Cap.
So do not mix them up.
If you go to Seatown looking for a tramway, you won’t find one. And if you go to
Seaton looking for Golden Cap, it won’t be there.
So, Seaton, East Devon, is a short hop over the border from Dorset. And so long as
you are clear on where it is and which one you are going to, it is well worth a visit.
Seaton, like many seaside towns, has a slightly schizophrenic feel to it. Behind
its sweeping shingle beach and concrete promenade there’s a beautiful old town with
the sorts of shops and narrow streets that modern customers love when they are on
holiday, but all too often eschew for large supermarkets when their not.
There’s also a slightly more plain, architecturally 20th Century and practical part
of the town. And then spreading East towards the harbour, everything becomes rather
more nautical and workaday, but in a rustic, stone-built village kind of way.
Put it all together and you’ve got a very pleasant mix of a place to visit with all
you could want in terms of food, drink and places to swim. But there’s also another
side to Seaton, and that’s what goes on out the “back”, assuming, that is, that the
seafront is, well, the “front”.
Out the back, is where you’ll find some of the other stuff that makes Seaton a bit
special, most notably its tramway. But also the Seaton Marshes nature reserve.
Time was when a seaside town could survive and thrive just because it was a town
by the sea. And whilst beaches and the coast remain a massive draw, we all want something
just that little bit different to enjoy when we’re on our “hols” or taking a break.
So if you’re heading that way, then Seaton and its Tramway could be just what you’re
after.
And if trains and transport are your thing, why not take a peak and Pecorama or for
something steamier, but at the other side of Dorset, the Swanage Steam Railway.
Does it get any better than the Jurassic Coast?
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