Historic Ships

Centenary appeal for Kingswear Castle restoration

Kingswear Castle is fast-approaching her 100th birthday and the Charitable Trust which owns her now needs your help to ensure that she is able to sail on well into her second century. She is the last of a long line of steamers which have served the river communities since the 1850s and would be instantly … Read more

Square Rigger Sunset

Square Rigger Sunset is now available! It is extensively documented from primary sources as well as the established literature, and is backed by the Schedules, the detailed biographies of every one of the 440 four-masted square riggers that form the subject of the book (these are available separately on a 16 gb memory stick). Extensively … Read more

South West Shipshape Conference

Delighted to attend the first Shipshape conference at SS Great Britain on Thursday 10th November. The first opportunity post COVID for those involved in the celebration and preservation of our maritime heritage in the South West, to hear about the Shipshape hubs, and what they can do for us. There are two hubs in the … Read more

The Lillian

The last ship built at Bridport Harbour was the ‘Lillian’, built for Job Legg, the owner of the local Brewery, and launched in 1879. Wooden ships were now being replaced by iron ships, which were being built elsewhere – and the shipyard at Bridport Harbour eventually closed in 1885.