Uncategorized
-
Plans for the repair and remodelling of the Town Hall and old Library building are moving forward with work due to start in February next year. The two largest rooms of what was the library are to become a gym, set to open its doors in January 2026. The building’s continuing use as a public…
-
Members of the River Torridge Heritage Group took part in the March for Torridge last Saturday, drawing attention to pollution from various sources in the river Torridge and what we can do about it. The river is, of course, fundamental to our maritime heritage and a vital part of what we want to protect and…
-
Shipbuilding Harland and Wolff Whilst we all want shipbuilding at Appledore to continue, the news that Spanish shipbuilder Navantia is in line to buy Harland and Wolff has had a mixed reception. Some say it should be the UK Government that should step in to safeguard a national industry. In Belfast, there is a particularly…
-
Upstream of Bideford Long Bridge, the river has seen a lot of activity in the last few weeks. Each year Skern Lodge takes around six thousand young people to canoe and raft from the steps at Little America and travel downstream through the Long Bridge and Bideford Harbour – they are the largest annual number…
-
Apparently the 2024 tourist season has not been a good one locally. National press reports have quoted a Bideford business as ‘hanging on by a thread’. The Director of Visit Devon says there have been ‘serious declines’ in tourist numbers throughout the county. Inflation has put pressure on family budgets while poor UK weather and…
-
Continuing our trip up the River Torridge, we start at Bideford Quay this time. The quay has developed over many years and used to be much closer to the buildings which line the road. Within recent memory, it was not unusual to see shops and pubs flooded on high tides. However, there is now a…
-
Continuing our trip up the River Torridge, we start at Bideford Quay this time. The quay has developed over many years and used to be much closer to the buildings which line the road. Within recent memory, it was not unusual to see shops and pubs flooded on high tides. However, there is now a…
-
This week, pupils in Devon return to school. A new school year usually means a new teacher. For some it will be the first day at school, for others a transition to a new school, preparing for exams, and maybe the first steps toward higher qualifications. For all of them, their experiences at school will…
-
What can be done about the quality of our river water? We have written before about how important clean water is to us here in Torridge, not just to safeguard the health of rowers, paddleboarders and others – human and animal – who use the river, but because the Torridge underpins our identity and our…
-
We are shocked and saddened to report the sudden death of a valued member of the River Torridge Heritage Group, Adrian Wills. Adrian was a stalwart of the Rolle Canal and Northern Devon Waterways Society, and a trustee at North Devon Maritime Museum. His energy and drive will be much missed. To honour his memory,…
Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour 