Tag Archives: river Torridge

Shipping notes No. 235 (October).

Bideford Quay. Trinity House vessel Mair alongside at Bideford for a few days. On the 29th, vessel in Bideford Bay attending to the fairway buoy. Yelland Quay. No shipping this month Appledore. Quorn still inside shed, Atherstone alongside quay, Cargo … Continue reading

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Shipping notes No. 234 (September).

Bideford Quay. No shipping at Bideford this month. Appledore. Quorn still in shed, Atherstone alongside quay. I understand another vessel due 4th October to discharge rapeseed from Kleipeda Yelland Quay. No shipping at Yelland this month. Bristol Channel Observations. 4/9 … Continue reading

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Shipping notes No. 233 (August).

Bideford Quay. No commercial shipping at Bideford. Yelland Quay. No shipping in last month. Appledore. Quorn still in shipyard. Atherstone at the quay. For the fist time in 19 months a commercial ship came into the river and berthed at … Continue reading

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The ‘Way of the Wharves’ project.

‘Way of the Wharves’. The Torridge Estuary and Bideford have a long and fascinating maritime history with boat building documented back to Elizabethan times. On the east bank of the Torridge, opposite Bideford town, East-the-Water was an industrial and transport … Continue reading

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Freezing.

In this age of man-made global warming it is unlikely that we will see a repetition of what occurred in Bideford in 1894-5 and 1963. Simply put, this was the freezing over of the River Torridge around the Bridge. Both … Continue reading

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Two Bideford-built schooners of the Nineteenth Century.

“Buzz” was contacted in June by Roger Banfield of Scilly seeking information on the schooner “Vivid”, built in Bideford in 1851 (see Shipping Notes 136, July edition). Mr. Banfield undertakes maritime history research for his own interest, and also in … Continue reading

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Memories of Bideford Shipyard.

Many thanks to Mr. Freddie Palmer, who provided these photos. We’re sure that they’ll be of interest to many people. “Buzz” is dating the photos of the trawler “Galatea” as 1975, since records show that as date of launch.  Names … Continue reading

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The Torridge Sealock.

Anyone who has been to the harbour at Bude will know the canal basin and sea lock where the Bude Canal meets the sea. Far fewer people are aware that just three miles up the Torridge from Bideford port is … Continue reading

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Crossing the Torridge – 11 bridges between Bideford & Torrington !

It’s surprising how they add up once you set out to count the bridges.! The oldest of course were the pack-horse bridges dating from around the 12th century of which there were three, Bideford, Rothern and Taddiport. All these show … Continue reading

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Floods and salt marshes.

All sorts of habitats have been affected by the floods this winter, and in many places it’s the human habitation in low lying areas that has been the most spectacularly damaged. Then, when you see the thick red-brown colouration of … Continue reading

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When the tide comes in

I’m not talking about sandy beaches or rock pools, but the saltmarshes above the Iron Bridge and beside the river Yeo. Here, an hour or so after the tide approaches the top of Westward Ho! beach, salt water is sweeping … Continue reading

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