Aims
Aims & Objectives: South West Maritime History Society was founded in 1984 by a number of enthusiastic maritime historians, including Alston Kennerley and David Clement. Its aims are to encourage interest in all aspects of our maritime heritage and to promote research in these fields, leading where possible to the publication of the result of such studies.
Benefits of membership
Members benefit from opportunities to futher their interest in maritime history, through our newsletter, Journal, visits and meetings to historic vessels and sites of interest in the South West.
Visits to historic vessels
When opportunity permits members will get an opportunity to visit and sail on historic vessels. If you have suggestions, or are a historic boat owner, please get in touch with us.
Campaigns
From time to time the Society campaigns on issues relevant to the heritage of the South West. This has included planning issues, such as the Appledore drydock and protecting historic images on Delft tiles at a council building. We also raised a petition on the government website seeking help for vessels such as the Kathleen and May, and protested at the quite unnecessary requirement that Shieldhall should use the most expensive high-grade diesel fuel.
Meetings
We hold a number of meetings each year at different venues throughout the Region, enabling our members and friends to visit many places of maritime interest, from museums, galleries and nautical colleges to shipyards, naval establishments and fishing ports. Talks and seminars cover a wide range of topics, covering the whole maritime spectrum, and members enjoy a regular opportunity to meet and exchange views on their current work and interest with like-minded friends.
Publications
We publish an informative newsletter, ‘South West Soundings’, four times a year containing items of interest, book reviews and information on our members, events and activities.
We also publish an annual journal ‘Maritime South West’, which contains a range of articles of historic and current interest.
These publications are FREE to members.
In addition from time to time we publish Maritime Monographs in the form of books available to members.
The Southwest Maritime History Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and a registered charity (Registered Charity No. 1201730). It operates under the regulations of the Charities Act 2011, as amended by the Charities Act 2022.