History of Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe is a Victorian seaside resorts, with many famous beaches, an old harbour, and a local museum showing off the town's relationship to the sea.

Origins of the Town

The town was first inhabited back in the Iron Age when a hill fort was built on Hillsborough. The name of the town originates from the Anglo-Saxon Alfreinscoma, a name which can be translated as 'Valley of the sons of Alfred'.

The town was, in fact, known as Alfreinscoma in the Domesday book of 1086, in which the manor house Chambercombe was mentioned as being built by a Norman Knight.

Two separate communities developed in the area. A farming community developed around the Holy Trinity parish church, dating back to the 12th century, and the fishing community developed around the natural harbour.

Throughout history, the area at Ilfracombe was a significant port in the Bristol Channel. The natural harbour made it a safe place, as well as having some strong trade routes. By the harbour there is a building on Lantern Hill, thought to be the oldest working lighthouse in the country after having stood there for more than 650 years.

The coast is also famous for its history of smugglers, shipwrecks and fishermen.

Ilfracombe's Victorian History

Tourism in the town expanded throughout the Victorian era, especially when the railway was built. As a result it was a very popular holiday resort, and the Tunnels Beaches were carved into the cliffs during the 1820s to create pools for bathing. It was thought that bathing brought a number of important health benefits. Men and women always bathed separately, where women were subject to a strict dress code, and men usually swam naked.

This popularity helped Ilfracombe to develop, and more and more tourists came into the town throughout the 19th century. A Victorian naturalist, Philip Henry Gosse, wrote a book 'A Naturalist's Rambles on the Devonshire Coast' while he was staying in the town to recover from bad health, which was another reason why people flocked from miles around to improve their health.

The novelist, Fanny Burney, also stayed in the town in 1817. She wrote a diary to record her life there, including such notable events as ships in distress, almost being cut off by the tide, and a captured Spanish ship.

Today visitors can still see evidence of this Victorian history, with Victorian architectural styles and an annual Victorian Festival celebrated in June.

Ilfracombe's Fires

There were a number of major fires in the area, which changed the way that it looks today. There was crowded development during the Victorian era which partly led to these fires. Fires took place during the 1920s and as recently as 2006 – where twenty fire engines were needed to put out the blaze. Some of the areas affected or destroyed by the fires include the Montabello Hotel, the Castle Hotel, Portland Street, the Arcade and the High Street.