The Beautiful Riverside Town of Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River
Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is the main town of the
Torridge local government district.
The River Torridge is spanned at Bideford by the 13th century Long Bridge, which has 24 arches all of different sizes.
Bideford has been welcoming visitors for centuries. They have come by both road and sea. Our location, people, heritage and character continue to appeal to guests and residents alike. This site is intended to provide a 'snapshot' of Bideford today while taking the user into the confidence of our history and highlighting many of the aspects and elements of a town which needs to be seen to be enjoyed. Still a working port, our maritime heritage is well charted. Refered to by Charles Kingsley in Westward Ho! - noted in Tennyson's Revenge and immortalised in the verse of Edward Capern, Bideford's postman-poet the “little white town” retains its ability to captivate and charm.
Some History
In the 16th century Bideford was Britain's third largest port. It was rumoured
that Sir Walter Raleigh landed his first shipment of tobacco there, although
this is a myth, as Raleigh was not, contrary to popular belief, the first
to bring tobacco to England. In honour of Raleigh, several roads and a
hill have been named after him in Bideford.
Close to the renovated station at East-the-Water is Chudleigh Fort, where a
striking view of the Quay can be enjoyed. The fort is the last relic of
fortifications built in 1642 by James Chudleigh, an officer of the
Barnstaple Garrison.
Today the narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay,
which bustles with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats.
Clay is the principal export loaded onto boats at Bideford. The quay
was refurbished, with completion in 2006, to provide
flood defences and incorporates a large tide regulated fountain and
brand new terminal building for the Lundy Ferry.
Consultations
We
will occasionally be running online consultations for the general public
to participate in. The information and links to the contact forms will
posted here on the front page.
At present there are no consultations running.
Councillors Visit Twin Town Manteo - USA
The Town of Manteo wraps around Shallowbag Bay on the eastern side of Roanoke Island, part of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Named the seat of government for Dare County in 1870, this waterfront community incorporated in 1899.
In those early days, every store lining the waterfront had two doors - one for those coming by boat, and the other for those coming from the courthouse or one of the inns on Water Street.
Today, county business still brings people to town, as well as many reminders
of the island's history, including the representative 16th century ship at Roanoke
Island Festival Park, or the George Washington Creef Boathouse and Roanoke Marshes
Lighthouse, part of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. Each summer, the town
welcomes singers, dancers, and actors back to Waterside Theatre, where they perform
the nation's oldest outdoor symphonic drama, The Lost Colony. See the full story...
Town Council Newsletter
The
Bideford Town Newsletter is produced quarterly and is distributed to
all the households within the Parish of Bideford.The aim of the newsletter
is to provide useful information in order to give you greater knowledge
about the parish level of local government.
We welcome any feedback you may have and suggestions for stories will be considered.
Copies can also be obtained
from the library or the Town Hall or you can view an online version
by following the link below.
Download a pdf of the latest newsletter