The Brunel Trail

The Brunel Trail is a series of six interpretation boards at historical, geological or socially significant sites along the coast path between Dawlish and Dawlish Warren.

The boards are placed at about ten to fifteen minute intervals between Coryton Cove and the footbridge in Dawlish Warren, the other boards can be found at Lea Mount Park, the Railway Viaduct, Coastguards footbridge and Rockstone Flats footbridge. The gap between the Rockstone Flats board and the Dawlish Warren board is slightly longer.

The boards can be viewed in any order and tell the story of the town and coastline of Dawlish as well as the railway during the mid 19^th century when the area was developing. Here is an overview of the boards found along the trail.   

Coryton Cove – this board describes the red sandstone cliffs and the geology of the coast.

Lea Mount Park – this board shows several images of Dawlish in the early 19^th century, how the town changed, the spread of housing and the appearance of the railway line separating the town from the beach. 

Railway Viaduct – this board sets out Brunel’s family and his key collaborators in the development of the South Devon Railway, it also describes the influx of workers to the town.

Coastguards Footbridge – this board describes the casualties that were in the line of the new railway and explains how the railway overthrew the recent turnpike route into central Dawlish. 

Rockstone Footbridge – this board explores the material and labour needed for the construction of the limestone and granite sea wall and its similarity to the methods used in building canals.   

Dawlish Warren Footbridge – The two boards at the northern end of the trail describes the innovative and later abandonment of the atmospheric railway.