local history
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Northam in 1871 was very different to the village of today and into it a child was born to Joshua and Susannah (née Heard) Taylor. They lived at what is now known as 22 Castle Street which in the 1871 census was known as Back Lane, Northam. The house still exists and a plaque erected…
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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…
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With disputes about funding for North Devon District Hospital in the news, and a proposal to create a community health and wellbeing hub at Bideford Hospital, it is interesting to remember that hospital provision in the past was not free of controversy. Volunteers from Bideford Community Archive write that Bideford Isolation Hospital was first established…
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This week, pupils in Devon return to school. A new school year usually means a new teacher. For some it will be the first day at school, for others a transition to a new school, preparing for exams, and maybe the first steps toward higher qualifications. For all of them, their experiences at school will…
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It was typical of the late great Peter Christie to write his own obituary. It is typically modest, factual, and understated, especially in relation to the mass of tributes which poured on to Facebook sites from Holsworthy to Ilfracombe. As this was Peter’s column, it is only fitting for us to fill the gaps with…
Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour 