In the 1820s, as sea swimming became fashionable and people started to visit seaside resorts some local entrepreneurs formed the Ilfracombe Sea Bathing Company. They hired miners from Wales to dig out 6 tunnels through the cliff between Ilfracombe and the otherwise inaccessible beach. It took 2 years to complete the project. The tunnels permitted access to the sea directly from the town by foot or in a carriage.
Subsequent developments included a bath house and a segregated pair of tidal bathing pools. A bugler was employed to sound the alarm if any man was spying on the ladies in their pools. Women were required to wear a strict dress code covering up the whole body but men generally swam naked.
Two tunnels have been closed but four remain open to the public and the site is still busy in summer, continuing a business that started nearly 200 years previously.
Further information: Tunnels Beaches