Sidmouth

Sidmouth is a seaside town situated 14 miles east of Exeter. 

It is a popular tourist resort and a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A large part of the town has been designated a conservation area.

During the summer, the Sidmouth Town Band, a brass band, play a series of concerts in the Connaught Gardens each Sunday at 8pm. This tradition has been maintained since it was formed in the 1860s, and runs from late May until early September.

Sidmouth Folk Week is an annual folk festival in early August attracting musicians and visitors. It became less financially viable over the years and in 2005 the last of the commercial sponsors, essential for its existence, pulled out. To continue the tradition, individuals grouped together to form Sidmouth FolkWeek Productions, a limited company. Since the change of format, the event has been held on a smaller scale, with no arena at the Knowle, though marquees are still erected in the Blackmore Gardens and The Ham at the eastern end of the town.

Sidmouth photo © Georgia Reading, used under Creative Commons license.