Dawlish Museum

20/10/2026

ELM GROVE HOUSE

ELM GROVE HOUSE ONCE STOOD NEAR THE GRASSED AREA WHERE ELMWOOD CRESCENT,OFF KINGSDOWN CRESCENT, IS TODAY.
IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1969 TO MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW WIMPEY ESTATE.
MR JOHN MOORE PIDGELEY BOUGHT MUCH OF THE LAND AROUND DAWLISH IN 1807 AND IT APPEARS THE HOUSE WAS BUILT AROUND 1825.
ON A MAP OF 1839 ELM GROVE HOUSE AND ITS GROUNDS COVERED SOME 28 ACRES.
AFTER HIS DEATH IN 1840 HIS SON FRED JOHN PIDGELEY INHERITED THE ESTATE.
FROM 1851-6 A MR GEORGE POTTS WAS LIVING AT ELM GROVE AND IN 1866 THE HOUSE AND GROUNDS WERE OFFERED FOR SALE IN THE EXETER FLYING POST.(LATER OCCUPIERS WERE CAPTAIN HINDE IN 1866,WILLIAM JUDD PIKE ESQ-1873,REV JAMES HENRY BLACKMAN-1889 AND WILLIAM BIRD IN 1910)
FRED DIED IN 1891 AND HIS ESTATE WAS LEFT TO HIS SON , FRED EARNEST ALBERT PIDGELEY AND HIS TWO SISTERS.THE SON AND HIS SISTERS LIVED AT VARIOUS ADDRESSES IN DAWLISH AND BY 1924 WHEN FRED DIED IT APPEARS THE FAMILY FORTUNE HAD LONG GONE.
QUITE SOON AFTER IN 1927 DAWLISH COUNCIL BOUGHT PART OF THE PIDGELEY ESTATE AND SECMATON FARM FOR £12,900 AND BY 1932 HAD BOUGHT THE WHOLE OF THE ESTATE.
BY 1967 WIMPEY HAD BUILT 8 HOUSES ON THE SITE OF ELM GROVE HOUSE,WHICH WAS THEN THE HOME OF A MR MICHAEL HEALEY WHO WAS THERE FOR SOME TIME AS HE IS SHOWN LIVING THERE IN THE DIRECTORY OF 1936.
VERY FEW PICTURES EXIST OF THIS MAGNIFICENT LOOKING HOUSE BEFORE ITS SAD DEMISE BUT THERE IS ONE WHICH SHOWS THE HALDON HARRIERS HUNT GATHERING OUTSIDE ELM GROVE HOUSE IN
1910.

( Many thanks to Dawlish Historical Society for their help )

20/10/2026

Who can remember Elm Grove House?
Some thoughtful person had the foresight to save this section of the beautiful bedroom wallpaper, an intricate, classic decorative pattern characteristic of historic Chinoiserie wallpaper before the demolition.

13/10/2026

13/10/2026

13/10/2026

Today would have been my dad's birthday, and I want to tell you a story about why Coast Cams exists.

Dad, you never did get your signal box, did you?

For those who don't know the story, my dad was a railwayman through and through. Railways weren't just his job. They were his life.

When Mum and Dad retired to Dawlish in 2003, it was the perfect place for him. The sea on one side, Brunel's railway on the other, and trains passing through all day long.

He had a dream of buying the old, derelict signal box at Dawlish station. Nothing particularly grand. Just somewhere he could sit with a pint, watch the trains passing and enjoy his retirement.

Sadly, that dream never happened.

Dad became seriously ill, and towards the end of 2009, I made the decision to leave my life in Nuneaton and move down to Dawlish to help Mum care for him.

I had absolutely no idea how much that decision would change my life.

During those difficult months, I found myself spending more and more time walking along the Dawlish sea wall. There was something about being beside the railway, watching the waves crash against the wall, that helped me escape everything that was happening.

Dad passed away in April 2010. But I kept going back to the sea wall.

Some days the sea was completely calm. Other days the waves were crashing over the railway. And I remember thinking how wonderful it would be if people could experience this from their own homes.

That little thought wouldn't leave me alone.

It took several years, a lot of research, some very patient people and even a devastating storm before my idea finally became reality.

On 4th March 2014, our very first camera went live in Dawlish.

Over 500 people joined us that day.

What makes that first camera even more special to me is that Dad's ashes had been scattered just metres away, years before I ever imagined putting a camera there.

And look what happened next.

That one camera became Dawlish Beach Cams, and eventually Coast Cams. What started as a way to share the sea and railway with people at home has become something thousands of people enjoy every single day.

We've made some wonderful friendships, built an amazing community and shared moments that I could never have imagined back in 2009.

And none of it would have happened in quite the same way if Dad hadn't become ill and I'd never moved to Dawlish.

It's a strange thing to think about. One of the hardest periods of my life ended up setting me on a path I never knew existed.

Dad, you never got to sit in your old signal box and watch the trains go by.

But in a funny sort of way, I think we've built you something even better.

Every camera gives somebody their own little window onto the coast. Somewhere they can sit with a cup of tea, watch the trains, listen to the waves and forget about the world for a while.

Just like you wanted to do.

So today, on your birthday, I want to say thank you, Dad.

I wish you could have seen what that little idea became. I think you would have loved it.

Happy birthday, Dad. ❤️🚂🌊

📸 Beach Cams Man

04/10/2026

GBRf Class 66/7s Celeb Belmond Britannic Explorer Livery Nos 66748 St Michael's Mount and 66744 Heart Of Wales Double Heading the down 1C02 09:00 Bishops Lydeard to Penzance Belmond Britannic Explorer Landcruiser Train heads west along Marine Parade and approaches Kennaway Tunnel in Full Autumn Sun on the 03/10/2026 ( Many thanks to Thomas Mills for sharing )

02/10/2026

First Sighting of recently done GWR Class 175s Nos 175110 and 175103 Heading West Passing Dawlish on the 01/10/2026 crossing over the Viaduct well working the down 5V84 10:48 Wolverton Works to Laira, this is believed to be the very first sighting of the 175s in the GWR Green Livery through Dawlish running a mere 78 Minutes Early ( Many thanks to Thomas Mills for sharing )

01/10/2026

🗳️ Have Your Say! Public Consultation Launched on 1 October 2026 📢
📣 SURVEY NOW OPEN! 🦆

Have your say on the future of the Dawlish Aviary.

Following the bird flu outbreak in 2025, Dawlish Town Council is seeking your views on how the aviary site should be developed in the future. We've developed three possible options and would like residents and visitors to tell us which option they would prefer.

✅ Ornamental Waterfowl Aviary
✅ UK Conservation Breed Aviary
✅ Educational Centre (No Birds or Animals)

The survey takes around 5 minutes to complete.
📱 Complete the survey online: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/mRpAczCiqU
📷 Scan the QR code on our posters and publicity materials.

📝 Hard copies are available from:
• The Manor House, Dawlish
• Dawlish Library
• The Strand Centre, Dawlish
• The Hope Church, Dawlish
• Presents of Dawlish

📅 Consultation closes on 21 October 2026.

Please share this post with family and friends and help us shape the future of this important community asset.


fans

Dawlish Chamber of Trade and Commerce
Discover Dawlish & Dawlish Warren

22/09/2026

Many thanks to all those who took part in the latest museum quiz. Here are the answers below and the lucky winner picked at random from the correct answers was Sue Thompson - well done and thank you to all.