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

  • VE Day 08/05/25

    The announcement that WW2 has ended in Europe was broadcast to the British people over the radio late on 7 May 1945. The BBC interrupted its scheduled programming with a news flash announcing that Victory in Europe Day would be a national holiday, taking place on 8 May.   Bideford & District Community Archive has…

  • Fish in the Archives NDJ 01/05/25

    A photograph that turned up in the Bideford and District Community Archive shows a man and a fish. The man has a late 1960s hairstyle, with a fringe and his hair growing over his ears. It’s reminiscent of the early Beatles and he’s wearing an arran pattern sweater – very fashionable at the time. The…

  • Rolle Canal – heritage and climate change NDJ 24/04/25

    Climate change brings many challenges and Rosemoor Gardens, Torrington have found a way to reduce their use of mains water for irrigation by working with heritage.  The Rolle Canal may not be the oldest heritage site locally, but at seven miles length it can lay claim to being the longest. The canal was built by…

  • Ships, wrecks and hulks NDJ 17/04/25

    From the coast path between Bideford and Appledore, you can see the remains of four wooden vessels. Some are just a few pieces of wood sticking out of the mud, and what is visible varies as the tide and currents move the sediment about. Others, with the hull and superstructure still present, were clearly once…

  • Time and Tide NDJ 10/04/25

    When British Summer Time began at 1am on Sunday 30 March, news stories mentioned not only that evenings would be longer but that the time of daybreak would vary across the United Kingdom. It is some twenty-five minutes earlier in London to the east than Londonderry in the west. The Bideford dawn occurs eight minutes…

  • Bideford Amateur Rowing Club ‘The Reds’ NDJ 03/04/25

    As the summer season approaches, it is good to recall that the quays, wharves and banks of the river Torridge have always been the focus for regattas, galas, markets and celebrations. Generations of children learned to swim by Bideford Bridge and there was even horse racing on the sand exposed at low tide along the…

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