Historic Ships

Historic ships in Bideford and the River Torridge

Bideford and River Torridge is home port for a number of ships – both static and commercially active. Five are registered with National Historic Ships (NHS Reference with link to NHS website). All of them have an interesting story.

The table below contains a summary of ships that can be seen here. Static vessels are generally permanently moored. Commercial vessels are moored here when in port. If not in port it may be possible to track their location on sites such as https://www.vesseltracker.com

This page is work in progress and more detail will be added as available

Name	Built and date	History summary	Location	Status
Freshspring	1946 Lytham St Annes	Last of ‘Fresh class’ water carriers built for Navy. NHS Reference 28	Landivisiau Walk Bideford	Static – charity owned Steamship Freshspring Trust
Advance	1926 Appledore	Sand and gravel barge. NHS reference 105	Sea Lock Rolle Canal	Hulk
John Adams	1934 Richard Dunston Thorne	Tender Royal Dockyard, Haulbowline Ireland. NHS reference 244	Wharf East the Water Bideford	Static – privately owned
Ionia	1960 Henry Scarr Hessle	Single screw diesel tug. NHS reference 3552	Landivisiau Walk Bideford	Static – privately owned
Jane Hannah MacDonald III	1910 Thames Iron Works	Rowed lifeboat Appledore, Dunkirk Little Ship. NHS reference 3645	Tented workshop Bideford	Static – charity owned AMHT
Endeavour	1966, Richard Dunston, Hessle	Former Customs & Excise cutter, Torpedo Recovery Vessel	Landivisiau Walk Bideford	Static – privately owned
Café on Board (Hindostan)	1958	Royal Navy Aircraft Lighter, converted to training vessel BRNC Dartmouth	Landivisiau Walk Bideford	Static – privately owned
Fruitful Harvest III	1976 James Noble, Fraserburgh	Fishing vessel, Aberdeen, Peterhead, Grimsby	Landivisiau Walk Bideford	Static – privately owned
Oldenburg	1958 Bremen	Wadden Sea ferry, refurbished at Appledore to Lundy ferry 1986	Fishermans Quay Bideford	Commercial
Relentless	2009	Fishing vessel	Fishermans Quay Bideford	Commercial
Riparian		Backhoe dredger built as workboat / barge	Quay Bideford	Commercial
Severn Scimitar (Goliath, MSC Scimitar)	1956 Appledore	Tug	Torridge Estuary	Commercial
Mair	1973, Richard Dunston, Hessle,	Port Tender	Fishermans Quay Bideford	Commercial
Grima	1972 Bideford Shipyard	RORO ferry Shetland Islands	Quay Bideford	Commercial
Bristol Giant	1965, Chas Hill & Sons Bristol	Floating crane operating in Bristol Docks	Moored on mud next to Navantia shipyard	Static – privately owned
Rufus Stone	1963 Harker Shipbuilders	Tanker barge	Wharf East the Water Bideford	Static – privately owned

BARTHH is working on another project to identify and tell the stories of hulks and wrecks that can be seen in the river. To be added to this page in due course.