There are some dozen shipyard and boat building sites along the Torridge from Appledore at the mouth and as far upstream as the sea lock to the Rolle Canal. On these sites there were many more individual shipbuilders and companies.

This is a heritage of shipbuilding spanning 500 years. One of the earliest written records comes from John Leland, Henry VIII official antiquary, who visited North Devon in 1542 and wrote “From this ness (where Taw and Torridge meet) up to Bedeford Bridge upon Turege a 4. miles, wher is a praty quik (very lively) streat of smithes and other occupiers for ship crafte cis pontem (beside the bridge)”

In the 18th and early 19th century ship building was a much less capital intensive industry, requiring a shipwright with some skilled tradesmen and a suitable beach with level land where a saw pit could be dug to cut the timber. This changed when steam ships started to be constructed and access to raw materials, labour, energy meant much greater capital investment became essential.

Many of the historic sites have very little or nothing visible today but the records of ships built, newspaper articles of launches and photographs or paintings of vessels provide a vivid record of this important industry.

Bideford & River Torridge Heritage Harbour is partnering with North Devon Maritime Museum, Appledore, MOLA Coasts in Mind project and Navantia shipyard to create a Shipyard Trail from Bideford to Appledore

This follows that part of the South West Coast Path known locally as the ‘shipyard path’ that shipyard workers used to get to and from work. This will include information about the historical sites, as well as the working Navantia shipyard, together with stories of some of the vessels constructed and the men and women who built them.

We plan to launch the trail in September 2026 as part of Heritage Open Days