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Bideford is a small port town on the northern coast of Devon, south-west England. Twinned with Landivisiau in France, it is the main town of the Torridge local government district.
This area of North Devon was home to the author Charles Kingsley, and is where he based his novel Westward Ho!. Since that novel was published, a small town has grown, named Westward Ho! after the book. Westward Ho!, which is the only town in the United Kingdom that officially contains an exclamation mark in its name, is located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) away from Bideford.
In the 16th century Bideford was Britain's third largest port; it is rumoured that Sir Walter Raleigh landed his first shipment of tobacco there. Today, the narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay, which bustles with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats.
A famous feature in the town is the mediaeval Long Bridge, which has 24 arches, all of different sizes. It links the main part of the town to East-the-Water. Ferry services run from Bideford quay to the island of Lundy, situated a few miles out to sea.
Bideford is often renowned for its New Year's Eve celebrations, when thousands of people from surrounding towns and villages (and many from further afield) gather on the quay for revelries and a fireworks display.
The Bideford & Instow Railway heritage railway had plans to operate trains from the old Bideford station, but the track was taken up some years ago, although there is a single coach providing refreshments at the platform. One major obstacle to the rebuilding of the train line to Barnstaple is that the former railway track has been converted into a footpath and cycleway as part of the Tarka Trail, which is very popular with locals and tourists.
The city of Biddeford, Maine, USA, was named after the English town, adding the letter "d" in the process.
East-the-Water
The town of Bideford has grown to cover land on both sides of the River Torridge; the area located east of the river is known as East-the-Water (or Shamwickshire). Much of the land that has been built on is drained marshland.
East-the-Water has its own primary school, local shops, a few factories, approximately 6 bars and pubs, a small health centre and a small industrial area consisting largely of locally owned businesses. A key historical feature is Chudleigh Fort, built by the Parliamentarian Major-General Chudleigh during the English Civil WarA Handbook for Travellers in Devonshire (9th edition) J. Murray. (1879) *. The area is surrounded by agricultural land.
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
This was a most unusual railway buuilt entirely on this peninsular with no direct connection across the river Torridge to the British railway network. The locomotives were furnished with skirts to protect pedestrians as at one point the line ran along the quay at Bideford. The line had eleven and halts which largely served visitors wishing to enjoy the bracing air along the coast or travelling to swim off the fine beaches around Westward Ho! The railway, although authorised in 1896 was opened only as far as Northam by 1901 and finally opened to Appledore in 1908. The railway fell into financial difficulties and it was probably a relief to the directors when it was requisitioned for the First World War effort in France. The medieval Bideford Bridge across the Torridge had to be coverted into a temporary railway bridge to allow the transfer of the locomotives and rolling stock across to the mainline railway near Bideford Station (Stuckey 1962)
Sport and recreation
Bideford has a King George's Field as a memorial to King George V
Gallery
References
- Stuckey, Douglas (1962). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway 1901-1917. Pub. West Country Publications.
See also
- Bideford A.F.C. - the main local Football (soccer) club
- List of King George V Playing Fields (Devon)
External links
"Bideford"