We have completed a historic houses tour and we will now move on to historical buildings and streets. As ever, this is a subjective choice, and we will commence with Marine Parade.

The initial properties were built under the sea cliff and in front of the sea probably in the 1790s and at this time was called the beach or maybe 'the Strand' rather than Marine Parade.

Because of the tides and storms the houses would have been built a little back but there would have been huts nearer the beach and in the cliffs for storing fishing equipment, boats, sails etc.

The caves were big enough for small boats. One was revealed in 2007 when Great Cliff House was demolished and your historian understands the Dawlish Local History Group organised an explore there.

Protection from the sea was limited to a level of gravel or packed earth in front of the sea. A large storm of 1810 badly damaged most of the houses here.

No 10 is the oldest property with No 11 built at a similar time and is of the Georgian/Regency period. Also, the front door would at times have been adjacent to the sea.

The public baths built in 1828 closed in the 1880s, and turned into a gentleman's club with turrets of the now-closed Oceans B&B.

Initial residents may have included Jane Porter who married Joseph, a carpenter, who was responsible for building houses on the Strand for his daughters, and also Rev Pering and his son who built 10 and 11 the Strand.

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Ed: This article is part of local historian Ray Bickel's series on Dawlish history. Use the links below to read previous articles:

Part One: What were the origins of Dawlish?

Part Two: The origins of St Gregory's Church

Part Three: The history of Dawlish's churches

Part Four: The origins of the Lawn and Tuck's Plot

Part Five: Tuck's Plot, the Lawn and the swans at the turn of the century

Part Six: The origins of Brunel's railway

Part Seven: Blowing up cliffs and Brunel's Atmospheric Railway

Part Eight: The early days of the railway

Part Nine: The 2014 storm and plans for a Dawlish avoiding line

Part 10: Pubs of Dawlish, past and present

Part 11: Pubs of Dawlish, past and present part II

Part 12: Pubs of Dawlish, past and present part III

Part 13: Pubs of Dawlish, past and present part IV

Part 14: Pubs of Dawlish, past and present part V

Part 15: Historic houses of Dawlish

Part 16: Historic houses of Dawlish part II

Part 17: Historic houses of Dawlish part III

Part 18: Historic houses of Dawlish part IV

Part 19: Historic houses of Dawlish part V