Appledore
The combined estuaries of the Rivers Taw and Torridge offer the largest sheltered entrance into the North Devon hinterland and a number of picturesque and historic ports. Appledore, located on the left bank of the Torridge and closest to the treacherous bar, is traditionally, where in 878 AD, Hubba the Dane landed before an early defeat at a neighbouring village. Appledore has been a thriving maritime village since the 14th Century with a tradition of fishing, trading and ship building. It was supposedly in recognition of the courage of its sailors and ships against the Spanish Armada in 1588 that Queen Elizabeth I made it a free port. Today it is known by its visitors for its quaint, narrow streets, old sail lofts, and shipwrights’ and fishermen’s cottages contrasting with the large Georgian houses of merchants and shipowners. Richmond Dry Dock was built here in 1856 by William Yeo, named after Richmond Bay on Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the Yeo family shipbuilding business was based.
Shipbuilding in Appledore continues today and the Bidna Yard, recently purchased by InfraStrata, owners of Harland Wolff, has what was one of the largest covered shipyards in Europe when opened in 1970. The riverside walk, past the modern shipyard to Bideford, passes hulks of a number of local 19th century sailing ships.
Inward trade with Appledore and its neighbouring ports during the 17th century, included tobacco, cod and timber; clay and pottery were important exports. Much of the trade during the 19th and 20th centuries served the agricultural hinterland and included coal, limestone and fertiliser. Ruins of the old lime kilns are a common sight along the coast and rivers, reaching further inland via the Rolle Canal which was entered via a sea lock at the tidal reach on the Torridge.
Bideford
Bideford became a thriving port trading with the Americas from 1550 under the patronage of the Grenville family, importing timber for shipbuilding, production and export of cloth and import of tobacco. It continues to be a small but active port and, along with the coastal harbour at Ilfracombe, is one of the departure ports for the M V Oldenburg to the island of Lundy.
The main part of Bideford is linked to the site of many of its early ship yards and wharves by its ancient long bridge. This area, East-the Water, is currently undergoing redevelopment.
In the early days Bideford traded under the administration of the Port of Barnstaple on the River Taw.
Barnstaple
Barnstaple on the River Taw shares a common history with the Torridge ports and prospered throughout the Middle Ages. Its significance as a port declined with the silting up of the Taw.
Places to visit
Museums:
North Devon Maritime Museum, Appledore. Website: www.northdevonmaritimemuseum.co.uk
The Burton, Art Gallery and Museum, Bideford. Website: www.burtongallery.co.uk
Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon. Website: www.barnstaplemuseum.org.uk
Braunton and District Museum. www.devonmuseums.net/Braunton-and-District-Museum/Devon-Museums/
Historic Ship:
SS Freshspring, undergoing restoration alongside The Quay, Bideford, is on the National Register of Historic Ships. Her duty was to replenish Naval ships with fresh water for use in boilers; she was powered by a triple expansion steam engine. For details of the restoration and visiting times see www.ssfreshspring.co.uk
The Rolle Canal. The canal was connected to the River Torridge via a tidal lock completed in 1827. The sea lock, as it is known, is approximately 3 miles upstream from Bideford, and has been partially restored. The site along with remaining sections of the canal can be visited. For details see website: www.rollecanalsociety.org
Archives
Appledore. By appointment. Contact: research@northdevonmaritimemuseum.co.uk
North Devon Record Office, Barnstaple. Website: swheritage.org.uk/devon-archives/visit/north-devon-records-office
Books
Beara, J (1976) Appledore, Handmaid of the Sea. North Devon Museum Trust’s Handbook No.2.
Andrew, R. D’Arcy (2007). Braunton: Home of the last sailing coasters. Braunton and district museum.
Teare, M, Kirby B. and Burt, A (2021) A history of East-the-Water, Bideford. Peterhouse Press
Walks
Appledore Heritage Trail
Leaflet including village map with 26 places of interest. Available at Docton Court Gallery and Maritime Museum. Price £1.
Bideford Heritage Trail
The trail can be completed in one walk or split into three separate walks as suggested in the illustrated guide available from the Burton Art Gallery.
The Wharves, East-the-Water, Bideford
A free leaflet available from the Burton Art Gallery includes a map with twenty points of historic interest. The area is currently undergoing redevelopment and a proposed maritime heritage centre is under consideration. See: Way of the Wharves Heritage Trail Guide
Riverside walk from Bideford Quay to Appledore. Approximately 3 miles. Passes close to a number of historic sailing hulks best viewed at low water.
Recommended Map of Area
OS Explorer 139 Bideford, Ilfracombe & Barnstaple
Ray Fordham