The Birth of Dawlish Beach Cams
In 2003 after retiring, my parents moved from the Midlands and as they wanted to be by the sea and the railway, Dawlish was top of the list.
My Dad had worked on the railways for as long as I could remember, In fact, one of my first memories is going to work with my Dad to a signal box (possibly Basingstoke) and helping him pull the signal levers.
In 2001 my Dad was a tour guide for Great Rail Journeys and loved doing this until he was taken ill in 2008.
Once in Dawlish, my Dad also continued his passion of helping out with the scouts and became a Group Scout Leader for the Dawlish Scouts.
In the Autumn of 2009 my Uncle Russell made me aware that this Christmas was probably going to be his last so I decided to leave Nuneaton and move down to Dawlish to help my Mum look after him.
During this difficult time I used to walk along the sea wall daily to clear my mind and was overwhelmed by the power of the waves hitting the sea wall. The thunder like thud used to send shivers down my spine.
I always thought that if there was a way to capture just a tiny part of that experience for people to see or hear, I knew they would fall in love.
My Dad passed away in early 2010 and I continued my daily trips to the sea wall at high tide still pondering on how I can share this experience to people that have never been to Dawlish.
A couple of years later I moved to Exeter for work commitments and really missed my sea wall walks. My friend had recently moved in to a house on the sea front and I asked if I could put a camera in their garden.
I got the OK and spent many months researching professional cameras for the job. Broadband was ordered and I had the activation date 3rd of February 2014. The ISP delayed the install until March and then the huge storm hit. Sadly I didn’t get to record the storm but I still had a camera in tact.
We went live on the 4th March 2014 and had over 500 viewers watching as we turned the camera on for the first time.
My Dad’s ashes were scattered about 50 meters from San Remo cam long before San Remo was there, so I guess Dawlish Beach Cams was meant to be.
Relax with Dawlish Beach
Unwind after a long day and visit Dawlish Beach from anywhere and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature via our Full HD professional cameras with sound.
Enjoy our free cameras that are supported by local adverts here and we broadcast 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can also experience an add free subscription here. Or try here now for free.
The Dawlish Beach Cameras have caught storms, meteorites, huge waves and the trains are regularly hit by the waves which make great viewing.
Dawlish Town History
The town is a unique and beautiful sea side resort with a railway line that runs between the beach and the town.
The town is truly the idyllic English Sea Side resort with a great community spirit and holiday accommodation.
The South Devon Railway sea wall runs alongside the beach with a footpath.
The Railway was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the first section was complete in May 1846 which ran from Exeter St David’s to Teignmouth.
The line was then extended to Newton Abbot by the end of 1846.
The first trains to run were the atmospheric trains which were powered by pumping stations alongside the railway.
The Railway was converted to standard gauge on May 20th 1892.
More recently, 5th February 2014, the South Devon Railway suffered a breach at the hands of a severe storm along the sea wall and a part of the railway line was washed away.
It took a team of 300 people at a cost of £35m to rebuild the railway and was reopened by Prime Minister David Cameron.
Dawlish is a beautiful railway resort and from either direction the Great Western main line is regarded as one of the most scenic in Britain.
It runs along the South Devon coast under the distinct red cliffs just a stones throw from the shoreline and cutting through a series of amazing tunnels and coves.