Bideford
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The 630 miles of the South West Coast Path from Minehead to Poole Harbour, including the north and south coasts of Devon and Cornwall was, until the opening of the King Charles III England Coast Path in 2026, the longest long-distance path in the UK. The route is said to have had its origins in…
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Heritage Open Days are coming to Torridge, courtesy of the Heritage Harbour and our partners. Billed as ‘England’s largest festival of history and culture’ Heritage Open Days run from 11 to 20 September this year. Thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate their local history and culture. It’s a chance to see hidden…
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In preparation for Bridgeland Street Open Day on 17 September, our research continues. One surprising finding is that, although it was built for merchants and well known for its solicitors and doctors, it was actually a street of women! In 1861 about three quarters of the adults living there were women, including almost all the…
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With the Heritage Open Day events planned for Bridgeland Street on 17 September, we continue with another piece about the history of the street. Knowing how much the late contributor to this column would have liked this event, we have edited an article about The Custom House from an original article published by Peter Christie…
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Bidefordians are rightly proud of the antiquity of our Grammar School, celebrated on a plaque attached to Bridge Buildings, where the school once stood. But that history hides an uncomfortable truth – that the school was for boys only and there was no similar provision for girls. Bideford Grammar School only started to admit girls…
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Have you ever noticed a brass plaque outside 24 Bridgeland Street, which reads ‘Rooker and Bazeley, Solicitors’? The antique Gothic script in the word ‘solicitors’ suggests there is a long history attached to the building, as indeed there is in houses up and down what is one of Bideford’s most emblematic streets. The difference is…
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As Britain started to recover from the austerity of the Second World War, a national festival took place to boost morale and showcase Britain’s achievements. In Bideford, the Bideford District Trades Exhibition ran from 11-16 June 1951. Housed in one of the largest marquees ever seen in Bideford, the festival got off to a successful…
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The seas around us have shaped our history and the harbours and ports along our coasts, rivers and canals are a key part of this story. The national Heritage Harbour scheme is organised by the Maritime Heritage Trust with input from National Historic Ships and Heritage England. Although there are now 14 Heritage Harbours in…
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It’s great news that the Waverley is coming to Bideford again on 15 June and we would love to see more historic ships visit our ancient port alongside the SS Freshspring. Last week, seven of us from Bideford, including both town and district councillors, visited a ‘Factory-Museum’ in northern Spain specialised in traditional shipbuilding, to…
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Proposals to create a Trust Port for the whole Taw and Torridge estuary have sparked a search for a historical document dating from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. When proponents of the Trust Port addressed a packed meeting in Appledore recently, they were told in no uncertain terms that residents had a historic right…
Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour 