Collaborating with The Burton at Bideford, Way of the Wharves are organising a series of talks about local maritime heritage.
With boat building documented back to Elizabethan times the Torridge Estuary and Bideford have a long and fascinating maritime history. The story of this port on the southwest coast is dominated by maritime links across the Bristol Channel, to Ireland, Europe and the Americas.We hope you can join us at this short series of talks as our speakers bring some of these stories to a larger audience
Dates and speakers:
Thursday 9 February
Maritime Heritage Stories from the Torridge
Michael Teare, Way of the Wharves
Shipbuilding wasn’t the only economic activity thriving along the Torridge estuary. The history of the riverside communities involves timber & emigration, tobacco & pottery, coal mining & gravel extraction, fisheries & agriculture, energy & enterprise. The Torridge estuary has a history shaped by its geography as well as by national & international events. Mike is Chair of the Way of the Wharves Charity and lead author on the recent book ‘A History of East the Water, Bideford’. He explores how to bring these stories to life and interest a wider audience.
Thursday 9 March
Future of shipbuilding on the Torridge
Tom Hart, General Manager Harland and Wolff (Appledore)
More than 300 vessels have been built at Appledore including military craft, bulk carriers, LPG carriers, superyachts, ferries, and oil-industry support vessels. The Harland & Wolff (Appledore) shipyard was reopened in August 2020 and is part of the wider Harland & Wolff Group, a multisite fabrication company operating in the maritime and offshore industry throughout five markets. Tom Hart, General Manager at Harland & Wolff (Appledore) will cover the history of Harland & Wolff, their purpose in acquiring Appledore Shipyard and bring us up to date about current projects.
Thursday 13 April
Pirates, merchants, smugglers, and spies. North Devonians and the Spanish Inquisition
Teresa Tinsley, Local historian
Teresa obtained her PhD in History from the University of Exeter, UK in 2019. She is the author of numerous articles exploring 15th and 16th Spanish history published both in English and Spanish. Recently she has been exploring the links between Spain and North Devon during the Tudor period, focussing on the lives of seamen and traders caught up in the religious differences between the two countries as revealed in the records of the Spanish Inquisition. The ‘interviews’ conducted by Spanish Inquisitors provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of ordinary North Devonians who went to sea in what Charles Kingsley called an ‘age of heroism’.
Venue:
Kingsley Room The Burton, Bideford
Open from 1815. All talks start at 1830 and will last 1 hour
Cost and booking: £5 per head to include complementary drink.
Tickets: Please book ahead on Eventbrite or you can purchase at the door on the evening.
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