Heritage Harbour Blog

North Devon Journal

The River Torridge Heritage Group has been contributing this column in the North Devon Journal since December 2023. The column was previously written by the late Peter Christie, who did so much to research and promote the history and heritage of Bideford and North Devon.

The column follows a similar style with historical themed stories mixed with local politics and community interest.

The River Torridge Heritage Group is a partnership of local heritage organisations led by Way of the Wharves

Columns are copied here after publication

  • Wind Power on Lundy Island NDJ 21/08/25

    As mentioned in an earlier column, Lundy was the first place in England to instal a standalone wind generator. The effect on island life and economy was unprecedented. Prior to wind power, electricity generation was limited to small generators based in the village, Old Light and the Castle. All the machines were controlled by time…

  • VJ Day 1945 NDJ 14/08/25

    The horrific detonation of nuclear bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945 killed between 150 and 246 thousand people, mainly civilians. Soon after, Japan announced its surrender and 15 August was made the official V-J Day in the UK, commemorating the end of the Second World War. Bideford…

  • Bideford Pannier Market NDJ 07/08/2025

    Now that the Government has awarded nearly £1.5 million for ‘modernisation and improvements’ to Bideford Pannier Market, we are all looking forward to seeing what the plans are. The Town Council, who will be responsible for managing the project, has said that it will be ‘a community hub’, with ‘updated facilities’, offering ‘modern workspaces, high…

  • Women contendors for Cooper St sculpture NDJ 31/07/25

    Informal discussions continue about suggestions for a sculpture of a woman in Cooper Street to add to those commemorating Bideford’s (male) history.  One contender is a formidable woman about whom we have already written in this column. Eliza Honey, who took over the running of the Bideford Gazette after the death of her husband and…

  • Happy 100th Birthday to Shipping Forecast NDJ 24/07/25

    Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon  Southwest 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 at times, occasionally storm 10 later in Shannon. Rough or very rough in Lundy and Irish Sea, otherwise very rough or high, occasionally very high in Shannon. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.  If you are an insomniac then…

  • Huguenots and Lace NDJ 17/07/25

    I’m very fond of the heritage statues peering into Cooper Street from the walls of buildings. We have a salmon fisherman, a cooper, an old merchant, and Sir Richard Grenville himself, heavily armed and armoured, reminding us of Bideford’s role in the colonisation of the New World. These provide a vivid depiction of our maritime…

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