What great news that Bideford and the River Torridge has been formally recognised as a Heritage Harbour! The achievement might seem to throw the spotlight on the past but in fact its importance will be for the future. We need to look forward as much as looking back. The centuries-old history of shipbuilding on the Torridge is the reason why so many people fought so hard for the future of Appledore shipyard – and now we have Harland and Wolff carrying on the tradition with a full order book and growing number of apprentices to preserve and develop those skills for the future. 

Understanding our heritage reminds us about what makes us special and how we fit into our unique environment. It’s about a sense of place and community. The largest ever investment in Torridge – £15.6 million for the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre – was achieved on the back of memories of what had gone before which inspired possibilities for the future. This development is set to establish Torridge as an international research and development destination for innovation in clean maritime technology, with all the benefits that will bring for skills, jobs, and regeneration for our local area. The recently published plans for the building look amazing, recalling the sea and the past at the same time as projecting a forward-looking and ultra-modern character in tune with present day priorities. 

There is another reason too why celebrating our heritage is so important to our future. Because it means being aware of and looking after our environment. The ten partner organisations involved in the Heritage Harbour project are united in seeking to protect both heritage and environment. Lying at the centre of the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere reserve, the estuary, as we see it today, results from the interaction of human activity on the physical environment and its flora and fauna. The projects associated with the Clean Maritime Innovation Centre, from offshore wind energy generation to northern Devon’s first seaweed farm emphasise not only the need to protect our marine environment but the essential fact that the future as much as the past is bound up with our natural surroundings. 

Heritage Harbour status offers unlimited potential for both preserving and developing what is best about our area, supporting skills, providing business opportunities, giving communities a sense of belonging and helping to bind them together. It is something for everyone to celebrate.