People who live by the sea know how dangerous it can be. It may look calm
and peaceful from on shore, but storms can come out of nowhere. Hundreds
of ships have been wrecked on the rocks here. Brixham men always have known
the dangers but even they were taken by surprise by the terrible storm that
blew up on the night of January 10th, 1866. The fishing boats only had sails
then and could not get back into harbour because gale force winds and the
high waves were against them. To make things worse, the beacon on the breakwater
was swept away, and in the black darkness they did not know where they were.
According to local legend, their wives brought everything they could carry,
including furniture and bedding, to make a big bonfire on the quayside to
guide their men home - if their husbands and sons perished, there was no
future for the rest of the family...
