Babbacombe

From Wikishire
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Babbacombe
Devon

Oddicombe Beach from Babbacombe Downs
Location
Grid reference: SX925652
Location: 50°28’39"N, 3°30’59"W
Data
Post town: Torquay
Postcode: TQ1
Local Government
Council: Torbay

Babbacombe is a village which has become an adjunct of Torquay and of the wider Torbay conurbation, in south-eastern Devon.

The village is notable for Babbacombe Model Village, the Babbacombe Theatre and its clifftop green, Babbacombe Downs, from which Oddicombe Beach is accessed by way of the Babbacombe Cliff Railway.

Churches and schools

All Saints Church, Babbacombe

The church of All Saints was designed by the architect William Butterfield and built in 1868-74. It is in the Neo-Gothic style and has fine polychrome stonework in the font, pulpit and the chancel floor made from Devon marble.[1]

Babbacombe has a primary school, All Saints Babbacombe Church of England Primary School.[2]

The Model Village

Model village

Babbacombe Model Village is a miniature village and railway in Babbacombe. The model village was opened in 1963 by Tom Dobbins.[3][4] Mr Dobbins had previously opened another model village at Southport in Lancashire in 1957.

The site is set out over about four acres. There are over 400 models along with 1,000 feet of model train track in the village. The model village is primarily one town, an entirely fictional one, but many buildings within them are based on prototypes and landmarks across Britain (including Stonehenge and The Shard).

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Babbacombe)

References

  1. All Saints Babbacombe
  2. All Saints Babbacombe C of E Primary School
  3. Barber, Chips (2005). Devon's Wild and Wicked Weather. Obelisk Publications. pp. 29. ISBN 978-1-903585-52-8. 
  4. "The bard of Exeter does a banksy with mini-druids". Western Daily Press (Europe Intellence Wire). 11 November 2005.  (Access My Library)