Dawlish Town
Do not swim
The Environment Agency advises against bathing at this location.
Checked against the Environment Agency (England) · data last changed 13 days ago.
Active notices
Advice against bathing
The Environment Agency advises against bathing at this location.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
16.7°C
Cool — comfortable for a shorter swim
Wave height
0.8 m
Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.
Tide
Going out
- Low water around UTC
- High water around UTC
Modelled values, not measurements — coastal water often differs from the open-sea model, and tide times are approximate to within about half an hour. Use official tide tables for anything that depends on precise timing.
This spot’s record
Dawlish Town is in Teignbridge, about 11 km from Budleigh Salterton. Dawlish Town has been rated Good in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by the Environment Agency (England), 2022 through 2025. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environment Agency (England), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 260 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 14 August 2026. A classification is calculated from percentiles across four seasons, so no single reading decides how this water is rated.
Recent sample results
The last 12 bacterial samples published by the Environment Agency (England), most recent on the right. Counts are per 100 ml of water.
Dashed line: 500 E. coli per 100 ml, the Bathing Water Directive guide value for coastal / transitional waters.
| Date | E. coli | Enterococci | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sept | 55 | 27 | — |
| 10 Sept | 91 | 110 | — |
| 3 Sept | 18 | 36 | — |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 10 | — |
| 14 Aug | 260 | 160 | — |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 10 | — |
A bathing water's official classification is calculated from percentiles across four bathing seasons, not from any single sample — so one high reading doesn't mean a spot is unsafe, and one low reading doesn't mean it's clean today.
Quality over the last 4 years
- Good2022
- Good2023
- Good2024
- Good2025
This water has been rated Good in each of the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Parking
- YesDawlish Station Car Park about 50 m away (OpenStreetMap)
- Toilets
- YesPublic toilets about 50 m away (OpenStreetMap)
Storm overflows nearby
None of the storm overflows within 5 km with an up-to-date reading are discharging. Heavy rain makes combined sewers overflow into rivers and the sea by design, so this changes with the weather.
- Monitor offline — no informationabout 4.0 km awayDischarges into COFTON STREAM(S)Reported by South West Water
- Monitor offline — no informationabout 4.2 km awayDischarges into COFTON STREAM(S)Reported by South West Water
- Monitor offline — no informationabout 4.9 km awayDischarges into TEIGN ESTUARY(E)Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 0.2 km awayDischarges into DAWLISH WATER(C)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 0.2 km awayDischarges into LYME BAY (C)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 0.5 km awayDischarges into LYME BAY (C)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 0.5 km awayDischarges into ENGLISH CHANNEL VIA SWSLast discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 0.5 km awayDischarges into LYME BAY(C)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
These are the water company’s own reports of when an overflow is operating, not a measurement of the water at this spot. A discharge into a river some distance away may never reach here; a quiet list does not mean the water is clean. 3 monitors are offline, so nothing is being reported for them either way. The swim status above comes from the bathing-water monitoring body and does not use this data.
Official water quality
Classified Good in 2025.
Official bathing-water profileCommon questions
- Can you swim at Dawlish Town right now?
- Dawlish Town is currently marked "Do not swim". The Environment Agency advises against bathing at this location. This reflects the latest data published by the Environment Agency (England). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- What is the water quality like at Dawlish Town?
- the Environment Agency (England) classified Dawlish Town as Good in 2025. Classifications are a rolling assessment of bacterial samples taken over four bathing seasons, measured against E. coli and intestinal enterococci limits set by the EU Bathing Water Directive.
- Is there a swimming ban or warning at Dawlish Town?
- Yes. The Environment Agency advises against bathing at this location. This notice was published by the Environment Agency (England).
- What facilities are there at Dawlish Town?
- Dawlish Town has toilets, parking. Facility information comes from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Get told when this changes
We’ll email you when the swim status at Dawlish Town moves — a pollution alert opening, or one lifting. Not a newsletter: only this spot, only when it changes, at most once every 12 hours.
Your address is used for these alerts and nothing else, is never shared, and is deleted the moment you unsubscribe — a link is in every email.
Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Budleigh Salterton — about 11 km away.