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

  • Appledore Book Festival NDJ 11/09/2025

    The Appledore Book Festival has long provided a showcase for local history and this year’s exciting programme is no exception. What is exceptional is the quality and variety of the new research which has been brought together, and what are sure to be some compelling stories of north Devon folk who inhabited these shores in…

  • Heritage Open Days NDJ 04/09/25

    With so much heritage surrounding us, it was disappointing that last year there were only two local organisations taking part in the annual celebration of England’s history and culture known as Heritage Open Days (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own). This year, Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour has stepped in to ensure that more events…

  • Steaming in Bideford NDJ 28/08/2025

    We have had some hot weather recently which has given great pleasure to locals and holidaymakers. But it’s not only the weather that has been steaming. One of the visitors who came from Kent was returning to Bideford for the first time in some 80 years. In the 1930s, when the builders merchant Devon Trading…

  • 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…

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