Axmouth Harbour, Seaton, Devon

Seaton, on Devon’s Jurassic Coast, is a small seaside town of about 8000 people that the sea, the River Axe, and the surrounding cliffs shape. Unlike its livelier neighbours – Lyme Regis to the east and Sidmouth to the west – Seaton offers everything a visitor might need but in a calmer, more understated way.

Seaton makes an ideal base for exploring the coast and countryside that surround it – enjoying everything the small town has to offer – walking to nearby Beer and Branscombe, or inland to Colyton.

Discover a history that stretches from the Romans to the Victorians. This guide will introduce you to Seaton and Axmouth, how to get there, where to stay, what to eat, and how to make the most of your time.

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Table Of Contents

Map of Seaton
The history of Seaton: From hillforts to harbour town
What to see and do in and around Seaton & Axmouth
Seasonal Highlights & Annual Events
Getting There & Getting Around
Eating and Drinking
Where to Stay
Practicalities & other helpful links
Final Thoughts

Map of Seaton

The history of Seaton: From hillforts to harbour town

Seaton’s story begins in prehistory. The Axe Valley has been inhabited for at least 6,000 years, with Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age remains found in the surrounding landscape. Its ancient past is still visible in the ramparts of Hawkesdown Hill Fort, Blackbury Camp and Berry Camp, Iron Age hillforts that once defended and controlled this coastline. In 2014, Seaton’s long history made headlines again with the discovery of the Seaton Down Hoard, more than 22,000 Roman coins, one of the most significant finds of its kind in Britain.

Seaton’s Ancient Treasures

Blackbury Camp: found in woodland just a few miles inland from Seaton, Blackbury Camp, now an English Heritage site, is one of the best-preserved Iron Age hillforts in Devon. Built around 2,500 years ago by the Dumnonii tribe, it was a defended settlement with imposing earthwork ramparts and a large central enclosure where families lived, farmed, and traded.
Berry Camp: High on the cliffs to the west of Branscombe, Berry Camp shows just how strategic the East Devon coast was in ancient times. Although most of the site has been lost to erosion by the sea, its commanding position would have allowed Iron Age inhabitants to watch over both inland valleys and the sea. The fort’s location highlights the importance of controlling trade and movement along this vulnerable coastline.
Hawkesdown Hill Fort: Overlooking the Axe Estuary near Axmouth, Hawkesdown Hill Fort was another Iron Age stronghold. Though now largely reduced to earthworks, its position would have offered extensive views across the valley and out to the coast, making it a key defensive site for controlling movement along the river and surrounding lands. It adds to the rich network of hillforts that once defined the Seaton area.
The Seaton Down Hoard: In 2014, a local metal detectorist uncovered the Seaton Down Hoard, an astonishing collection of more than 22,000 Roman coins buried in a field just outside town. Dating mostly from the 4th century AD, during the reign of Constantine, it is one of the largest coin hoards ever found in Britain. The discovery confirms the wealth and significance of Roman activity around Seaton, with theories ranging from the hoard being a soldier’s savings to a ritual deposit for protection. Now conserved at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum, the coins provide an extraordinary link between Seaton today and its Roman past.

Seaton, Devon and the River Axe. Looking upstream towards the village of Axmouth.

The River Axe once marked a tribal boundary between the Durotriges and the Dumnonii Celts, and may have even been visited by Phoenician traders seeking tin. With the Roman invasion in AD 43, Seaton became part of the empire’s coastal network. Villas, mosaics and bathhouses have been unearthed locally, and the town lay just within the western boundary of the Roman Empire, linked to the great Roman road, the Fosse Way.

By Saxon times, the settlement was known as Fleet, from Fluta, meaning creek. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and in a papal bull of 1146, the first time the name Seaton itself was recorded. In the Middle Ages, the town thrived as a harbour, with ships sailing upriver as far as Axmouth and onto Colyford. A major landslip at Haven Cliff in the 14th century began to silt up the estuary, reshaping the coastline into the broad shingle beach we know today.

What is a Papal Bull?

A papal bull is an official document issued by the Pope, named after the lead seal (the bulla) that was attached to authenticate it. From the Middle Ages onwards, papal bulls were used to record important decisions, grants, and privileges, often with legal or spiritual authority across Christendom. In the case of Seaton, its first recorded mention comes in a papal bull issued by Pope Eugenius III in 1146, which formally recognised the settlement. These documents carried enormous weight at the time and are now invaluable historical records.

During the Tudor era, Seaton and nearby Beer belonged to Sherborne Abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Henry VIII later granted the land to Catherine Parr. A seafront fort was built in 1544, inspected by the king himself, though later demolished to make way for the Esplanade. Seaton’s oldest surviving building is St Gregory’s Church, parts of which date to the 13th century. Its graveyard contains the unmarked resting place of notorious local smuggler Jack Rattenbury.

St Gregory’s Church, Seaton

By the 17th century, Seaton was known for salt production as well as fishing and shipbuilding. The Manor House on Fore Street, dating back to the 1500s, passed into the hands of the Trevelyan family in 1656, marking the beginning of an association that lasted for centuries.

The real turning point came with the railway in 1868, linking Seaton to London and Exeter. Shipbuilding declined, but tourism flourished. Villas, boarding houses and tea rooms sprang up, and the town earned its reputation as a genteel seaside resort. A toll bridge across the River Axe, built in 1877, still stands today as England’s oldest surviving concrete bridge.

Seaton, Devon: England’s oldest surviving concrete bridge. Built in 1877 to cross the River Axe.

The 20th century brought upheaval and loss. In the 1930s, Harry Warner opened a holiday camp here with the help of Billy Butlin, but it was soon requisitioned as an internment camp during WWII. Defences were thrown up along the seafront (some of which you can still see today), while American, Polish and Republican Spanish troops were stationed locally before D-Day. The Taunton Stop Line, a defensive barrier that stretched across Devon and Somerset, began here at the Axe estuary; its route now survives as the Stop Line Way cycle path.

The End of Seaton’s Holiday Camp

Seaton’s Warner Holiday Camp, first opened in 1935 and later expanded as Lyme Bay Holiday Village, was for decades a major seaside destination and local employer. Changing tastes in travel and competition from overseas gradually reduced its popularity, and the camp finally closed in January 2009, with more than 200 jobs lost.

The site was later cleared and redeveloped. Part became home to a Tesco supermarket and petrol station, while the remainder is being redeveloped for housing. The camp’s closure marked the end of an era, but appears to have spurred wider re-generation not just of the estuary area but of Seaton itself. Seaton feels very much on the up.

After the war, Seaton returned to the tourism industry. Guesthouses reopened, seaside holidays boomed, and although its branch line railway closed in 1966, the Seaton Tramway kept the spirit of travel alive from 1970, using part of the old trackbed.

Seaton Tramway and Seaton Wetlands.

Today, Seaton is best known as a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, the only town where rocks from all three significant Mesozoic periods —the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous —are exposed. Its Wetlands nature reserves attract birdwatchers, its tramway delights families, and its esplanade still retains an air of Victorian grandeur.

What to see and do in and around Seaton & Axmouth

A Robin, seen here at Seaton Wetlands.

Walking, wildlife, the coast, geological wonders, local architecture, hidden places, here are places that you won’t want to miss.

Seaton Tramway: More than just a novelty, the tram gives you time to see the landscape change slowly – from marshes and birdlife to the estuary, and then to farmland. The terminus station in Seaton was rebuilt recently (2018) with a modern building, exhibitions, a pleasant café, and viewing. Your ticket is typically valid for unlimited travel on the day of purchase, allowing you to ride up and down the line as many times as you like. In peak season, trams run every 20 minutes, while in quieter months the service is less frequent.
Seaton Wetlands: From the tram or just a short walk from the town, the Wetlands covers several nature reserves: Seaton Marshes, Black Hole Marsh, Colyford Common and Stafford Marsh. Walk among reed beds, lagoons, and hides. For birders, there are regular sightings of herons, egrets, migratory waders, and kingfishers. Otters are sometimes seen in river sections.
Colyton & Colyford: To the north, these inland villages are steeped in history, from Colyton’s medieval streets to Colyford’s rural charm, and are connected to Seaton by the much-loved Seaton Tramway that glides through wetlands and estuary landscapes.
The Jurassic Coast Discovery Centre: A family-friendly dinosaur attraction where visitors can explore the Last Day of the Dinosaurs exhibition with life-sized, roaring animatronic dinosaurs, wander through the newly opened Jurassic Garden, including a Dino Dig area, enjoy soft play for kids, and relax in the on-site café.
Beer & Branscombe: Just west of Seaton, Beer’s fishing heritage, quarry caves, and attractions like Pecorama sit alongside Branscombe’s timeless valley of thatched cottages and historic pubs, two villages that capture the true spirit of the Jurassic Coast.
Beer Quarry Caves: Guided tours run from spring to late October, lasting about an hour through vast man-made caverns first quarried by the Romans. The caves remain a steady 7–9°C year-round, so be sure to bring warm layers and sturdy shoes.
Pecorama: A family-friendly attraction above the village of Beer, featuring the Beer Heights Light Railway, model railway exhibition, award-winning gardens with sea views, play areas and woodland walks. It’s open mainly from spring through to early November, with trains running throughout the day (the last ride usually takes place in mid-afternoon), as well as cafés and refreshments on site.
The cliffs & coast: To the east lies the dramatic stretch of cliffs towards Beer Head; to the west, the chalk cliffs, eroded shapes, and path views. If you walk (South West Coast Path) from Seaton toward Beer or Axmouth, you get both geological variety and sweeping views. The section of the South West Coast Path, the undercliffs between Axmouth and Lyme Regis, is especially wild and with little or limited access landside, this is one of the more challenging sections.
Axmouth village & harbour: Axmouth feels quieter. Thatched cottages, a Grade II listed pub, hints of the old harbour, boats, creeks, and mudflats. We enjoy sitting at the picnic benches overlooking the river.
Gateway Theatre: Built in 1904 in an Italianate style, Seaton Town Hall has been central to civic life. Today it houses the Gateway Theatre, which stages plays, music, and community events.
Axmouth Harbour is fascinating. Watch the boats navigate the narrow and fast-flowing entrance, which is only navigable for a few hours each side of high tide.

Seasonal Highlights & Annual Events

Seaton Town Hall, the Gateway Theatre and Museum

Natural Seaton Festival – A weekend in late July celebrating Seaton’s natural environment, with guided walks, talks, stalls, and family activities.
Seaton Illuminated Carnival – Early September (usually the first Saturday after the August Bank Holiday); colourful floats, costumes, music, and a lively parade through the town.
Seaton Christmas Festival & Lights – December; festive markets, the switching-on of the town’s Christmas lights, carol singing, and seasonal entertainment.
Seaton Market and Artisan Fairs – Seasonal artisan and independent markets take place throughout the year, including the Seaton Chamber Independent Market, which is held in Windsor Gardens on the last Saturday of every month (March–November), featuring local food, crafts, and produce.
Seaton & District Art Society Exhibition – Held in the summer, showcasing work from local artists in a community venue.
Wild East Devon Events – A programme of guided walks, wildlife sessions, and family-friendly activities across spring and summer, often based in Seaton Wetlands.

Seaton Tramway Events

Story Tram – family-friendly rides with stories, songs, and activities for young children
The Polar Express Tram Ride – festive Christmas ride with hot chocolate, decorations, and Santa visits
Trick or Treat Tram – spooky Halloween fun on board
Bird Watching Tram – guided nature trips along the estuary and wetlands
Driver Experiences – a hands-on chance to drive a tramcar with instructor guidance
Depot Tours – behind-the-scenes tours of the tramway’s Riverside Depot

Getting There & Getting Around

Axminster Station – A Bus or Taxi Journey Away

Seaton and Axmouth are easily accessible, yet part of their appeal lies in the feeling that you’ve finally escaped the rush of main roads into one of the quieter parts of East Devon.

From Exeter, the most direct route is the A3052, which winds along the coast past Sidmouth. Alternatively, you can approach from the east via Lyme Regis on the Dorset border. Inland routes follow the A358. These are scenic drives, but the summer traffic sometimes slows the pace, so it’s worth factoring in if you’re arriving on a holiday weekend.

Seaton lost its own railway station in 1966 with the closure of the branch line. The nearest is now Axminster, about seven miles north, with regular services to London Waterloo and Exeter. From there, local buses or a short taxi ride bring you into town. Buses also link Seaton with Sidmouth, Colyton, Beer and Axminster, though timetables change seasonally. For bus times and directions to bus stops, we highly recommend Rome2Rio.

Once in Seaton, it is best explored on foot. The esplanade, the tramway terminus, and the Wetlands are all within walking distance. A short walk takes you over the bridge to Axmouth or onto the South West Coast Path. The village of Beer is about a 30-minute walk West. There is also a delightful walk North to Colyton, which can be combined with a return journey on the Seaton Tramway. To best explore the outlying villages, countryside lanes, or longer sections of the Coast Path, having a car is useful. Local taxis are available, but in limited numbers, so it’s advisable to book ahead if you’re relying on them.

Eating and Drinking

The Harbour Inn, Axmouth, Devon

Seaton and Axmouth offer a surprisingly varied food scene for their size, with restaurants offering a growing focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

On the edge of the Axe at Axmouth, The Harbour Inn is one of the area’s most atmospheric pubs. Thatched and Grade II listed, with a 12th-century fireplace still in use, it offers meals centred on West Country produce, including Lyme Bay fish, local game, and organic salads. The menu shifts with the seasons, from lighter dishes in summer to richer fare in winter, and the estuary setting makes it a memorable place to eat.

Down by the seafront, Harbour Road and the Esplanade are lined with classic cafés and takeaways where you can enjoy fish and chips, ice cream, and simple seaside meals with the shingle beach just steps away. Favourites of ours include Quayside Cafe (Axmouth Harbour) for proper harbour-side English breakfasts. At the very Western end of the beach walk, try The Hideaway (where we particularly enjoy lunch or a cream tea).

Le Pisani is a family-run restaurant that brings a Mediterranean flavour to Seaton with classic pasta dishes, fresh seafood, and stone-baked pizzas. Its relaxed atmosphere makes it popular with both locals and visitors. The Shed Steakhouse & Grill is renowned for its locally sourced steaks, but the menu also features daily fish specials and vegetarian options, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

For those self-catering or looking to bring home a taste of Devon, the Seaton Chamber’s monthly market, other seasonal fairs, and farm shops are excellent places to find cheeses, chutneys, and honey. Local shops and delis in Seaton and nearby Colyton, Colyford and Beer stock regional specialities, worth browsing alongside a pub lunch or coastal walk.

Where to Stay

The Esplanade, Seaton. This hotel has sea views.

Seaton and Axmouth have more accommodation options than their size might suggest. Visitors can choose between seafront hotels with views across Lyme Bay, friendly B&Bs hidden away on side streets, self-catering cottages in town and village settings, or peaceful countryside retreats. Whatever your travel style or budget, there will be something for you.

On the seafront, The Mariners Hotel offers one of the best locations in town, with many rooms overlooking the bay and some with private balconies.

For a national brand, Premier Inn Seaton is situated close to the centre of town, offering family rooms, Wi-Fi, and a reputation for consistent value. It makes a practical base for exploring Seaton itself or catching the tram up the Axe Valley.

Smaller guesthouses and B&Bs offer a wealth of local character, often combining personal touches with stunning views of the sea or estuary. Those planning longer stays might prefer one of the many self-catering cottages scattered around Seaton, Axmouth, and Beer, which are popular with walkers and families looking for flexibility.

Budget and family-friendly options are also available on the outskirts of town, including caravan and holiday parks like Axe Vale, which offer practical amenities, on-site parking, and easy access to Seaton’s beaches, countryside walks, and the Jurassic Coast.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to preference: whether you want sea views and a short walk to the beach, the homeliness of a B&B, the independence of a cottage, or the comfort of a larger hotel. Thanks to Seaton’s compact size, almost everywhere feels close to the coast.

A couple of extra tips:

Book early for Easter and during the school summer holidays (mid-July to the end of August). Rooms fill up quickly, and accommodation becomes more limited.
Check for parking if staying in Axmouth or central Seaton. Car park spaces can be limited and expensive during peak season.
Ask for a sea-view room or a room overlooking the estuary; sometimes a small added cost, it’s a great reward.

Practicalities & other helpful links

Practicalities

🛍️ Shops & Supermarkets – Well served. For more specialist items, the nearest city is Exeter, Taunton (Somerset) and Dorchester (Dorset) are also about the same distance.

🏥 Nearest Hospitals – Honiton Hospital Minor Injuries. Call 999/112 for emergencies & 111 for health advice.

🚔 Nearest Police Station – 167 High Street, Honiton, EX14 1LQ. Call 999/112 for emergencies & 101 for non-emergencies.

💊 Pharmacies – for medical advice, prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines.

🍽️ Restaurants – sit-down meals ranging from local cuisine to international.

☕ Cafés & Tea Rooms – casual spots for coffee, cakes, and cream teas.

🍺 Pubs & Bars – traditional inns and modern places to drink.

✈️ Nearest Airport – domestic and European connections from Exeter Airport.

🚆 Railway Station(s) – Honiton or Axminster: connections to London, Exeter and beyond.

🚌 Bus Services – Local and regional routes. Use Rome2Rio for information and bus stop locations.

🚕 Local Taxis – A small number of services operate in Seaton; pre-booking is advisable, especially in the evenings and at peak holiday times.

🅿️ Car Parks – short and long-stay parking options.

⛽ Petrol Stations & EV Charging – fuel and charging points.

💵 Banks, ATMs, and Currency Exchange – cashpoints and currency exchange.

📮 Post Office – sending letters, parcels, and other services.

🛏️ Hotels & B&Bs – places to stay in and around town.

🚻 Public Toilets – A number of options in and around town and the beach.

🚶 Tourist Information Centre – Esplanade, Seaton EX12 2LT

Final Thoughts

Alongside Budleigh Salterton, Seaton is one of the quieter East Devon seaside towns. The focus here is on the coast and countryside, and a slower pace of life. The beach is wide and spacious, sheltered by the cliffs towards the west and slightly more exposed towards the eastern end. It’s a popular spot for BBQs and picnics during the summer, loved by locals and visitors alike. Seaton offers some tremendous walking opportunities, both along the coast to Beer and Branscombe and inland via Seaton Wetlands, alongside the River Axe to Colyford and Colyton. There’s more than enough to do regardless of the time of year.

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