Teignmouth is a town on the east bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign in south Devon, United Kingdom. The town grew from a fishing port to a fashionable resort of some note in Georgian times with further expansion after the coming of the railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel which runs along a stone embankment between the sea and cliffs for several miles to the east towards Dawlish.
The port, in existence since the 13th century, is still active, mostly handling clay, timber and grain, with many smaller pleasure craft mooring in the wide estuary. The town is linked with Shaldon, the village on the opposite bank, by a passenger ferry at the river mouth and by a road bridge further upstream.
Although greatly reduced from its hey-day, Teignmouth still receives considerable numbers of holiday makers, most of whom visit the sea facing beach and the Pier with its amusement arcade and rides.
The western half of the town was destroyed (apart from the Jolly Sailor public house) by fire during a brief invasion by the French in 1690, claimed by some as the last invasion of England (though not of Britain due to the French invasion of 1797 at Pembroke).
