Events in the South West with a maritime theme. If you are running an event you think would be of interest to SWMHS members, please send details to editor.soundings@swmaritime.org.uk
Explore Plymouth’s extraordinary Royal Naval heritage with SWMHS and the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre. In the morning, enjoy a guided tour of the Naval Heritage Centre’s collections, discover the Centre’s historic dockyard records and family-history resources. In the afternoon hear three expert talks exploring the marine archaeology of Plymouth Sound; Royal Navy and dockyard songs; … Read more
The South West Maritime History Society is pleased to announce the 2026 David Clement Memorial Lecture, to be delivered by historian David Davies, Chair of the Society of Nautical Research, and author of best selling Journals of Matthew Quinton series of naval historical novels. David will explore The Stuart Navy in the West Country, and … Read more
Barbary Corsairs, English Privateers & Devon Mariners Four talks that explore how English privateers and Barbary Corsairs fared from 1550-1815. This History Day is now SOLD OUT – for more talks and events about Maritime History in the South West, please see our Events page for details. Our 4 talks explore the violent, profit-driven, and … Read more
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT Hear 6 talks by recognised experts on the Maritime & Local History of Watchet and its hinterland The programme of talks includes tales of nefarious doings in the Bristol Channel, the importance of the railway to Watchet’s marine trade, life in Watchet in the seventeenth century and a tale … Read more
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT – PLEASE SEE OUR OTHER EVENTS IN TEIGNMOUTH, TOPSHAM AND WATCHET Hear 5 talks by published experts on the Maritime History of Bideford and North Devon From Sir Richard Grenville’s ill-fated attempts to set up a colony in the New World to the participation of North Devon ships in … Read more
We are looking forward to welcoming Members to our 2024 AGM on Saturday Nov 16th. Please join us at the Exeter Custom House, Exeter Quay from 10.30 am, meeting starts at 11.00 am. Details have been e mailed to all members and the Agenda and programme for the day can be downloaded in the members … Read more
South West Maritime History Society has designed a programme of 4 free talks to illustrate and tell the story of Exeter’s steam and maritime heritage 1830-1930, including the railway and the canal to the heritage harbour. The talks will cover Brunel’s expensive experiment with the new fangled atmospheric propulsion of railway carriages for the phase … Read more
Illustrated talk for the Kingswear Historians Society Join us on Monday 8th at 7.30pm in Kingswear Townhall to hear about the little known Dartmouth Captain, William White. He lived in Dartmouth in the late 16th and early 17th century and sailed for the Roope family of Warfleet. Over a 20 year period we can track … Read more
The County of Peebles, one of Craig’s “Counties” An illustrated lecture by Bill Cumming, author of  the book “Gone”: The story of the four-masted iron sailing ships pioneered by Robert Craig, which unexpectedly prolonged the usefulness of sail,  and prompted a new class of vessel: the iron windjammer, that sailed the seas 1875-1904. David Clement … Read more
Join us at the Rolle Building, Plymouth University for a Symposium about Devon’s maritime heritage in the 1920s. You’ll hear 7 talks on a wide variety of topics given by experts in their field, covering leisure sailing, fishing, dockworking in both North and South Devon, as well as the work of the Marine Biological Research … Read more
The events below include events for SWMHS members and events that are open to the general public. Italics indicate an event of possible interest but not organised by the SWMHS.
If you are running an event you think may be of interest to SWMHS members, please send details to editor.soundings@swmaritime.
