Short answer: Sidmouth has no quay and no harbour, so there is no crabbing off a wall here. Jacob's Ladder beach has the best rock pools in town. For a proper harbour, Beer is fifteen minutes east and Exmouth is half an hour west.
Sidmouth is a Regency seafront town with no harbour, no quay and no pontoon. There is nowhere to hang a line from, and any guide that suggests otherwise has not been. What Sidmouth has instead is rock pools, and one of them is genuinely good.
The western beach below Connaught Gardens, reached by a steep slope or the listed wooden steps. Reviewers describe amazing rock pools for children to forage amongst, alongside a good stretch of sand at low tide and a gentle shelf into the water. It is the best rock-pooling in Sidmouth by a distance.
One safety point that matters here more than most: the red cliffs are actively unstable with repeated rock falls, and sections of this beach have been fenced off after landslips. Work the pools away from the cliff base and heed the signage.
This matters more in Sidmouth than almost anywhere. Much of the beach is submerged at high water, so a rock-pooling trip at the wrong state of tide is simply a walk on pebbles. Aim for the two hours either side of low water and check the table before setting off.
A line rather than a net, a bucket, and bait. Bacon is the traditional choice and works; so does squid from the fishmonger. Fill the bucket with seawater before you start and keep it in the shade.
The Clock Tower café inside Connaught Gardens is at the top of the slope from Jacob's Ladder, with sea views from the tables and dogs allowed downstairs. Closed Tuesdays. The gardens themselves are free.
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