Bideford welcomed in the spring with a special History Day, held at the Amateur Athletic Centre on The Pill, organised in conjunction with the South West Maritime History Society. 

Ninety people packed into the hall, some from as far away as Birmingham, Bristol, and Gloucester, to hear a programme of talks focusing on the Tudor period and Bideford’s role in maritime history. 

Our chair Mike Teare kicked off the day with an introduction on the ups and downs of Bideford’s history and the role of the Heritage Harbour today in bringing people and organisations together to build for the future.

Appledore historian David Carter followed, with a presentation of his detective work on the location of Sir Richard Grenville’s manor house in Bideford, linked to the Elizabethan’s exploits against the Spanish and his attempts to establish the first English colony in America. Mr Carter argued that it is Grenville who deserves to be commemorated with a statue on Bideford Quay, rather than Charles Kingsley. 

A short introduction to the purpose and content of Bideford’s 1573 Charter followed, and then a chance to stretch legs and view the original in The Burton, just across the road. It was a lovely day, and participants were able to have lunch in the park or sitting on board SS Freshspring, which also welcomed visitors for coffee on arrival.  

In the afternoon, John Bradbeer gave a well-researched overview of the maritime history of northern Devon during the Tudor period, focussing on trade, conflict, and exploration. Teresa Tinsley picked up where he left off with a closer look at some of the individuals involved, drawing on evidence from the archives of the Spanish Inquisition. 

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive about the talks, highlighting their variety, historical depth and consistent interest throughout the day. The quality of the speakers and presentations was repeatedly noted, with comments about skilful delivery, well‑researched content, and the knowledge, enthusiasm and friendliness of those presenting. People also greatly valued the social side of the event, mentioning the friendly welcome, opportunity to meet others, and the generally positive, lively feel of the conference.

The setting in Bideford was another strong theme, with participants pleased that such an event was happening locally and that the heritage harbour, Freshspring and museum resources were part of the experience. The sense of place came through strongly with participants commenting on the ‘vibrancy of the Heritage Harbour’ and ‘the fact that all this happened in Bideford’.