England’s biggest celebration of history and culture, Heritage Open Days, is back from 12th – 21st September. This nationwide festival throws open the doors to hidden places and fascinating experiences, inviting the public to uncover stories that shaped our past, including those that played a vital part in the success of World War II.

North Devon’s Wartime Secrets

The Torridge Estuary was more than just a scenic spot, it was a hive of wartime activity. Local shipyards built wooden Launches, Gun Boats, and Torpedo Boats, while experimental stations worked on waterproofing vehicles. Across the estuary, the American Army set up camps and training grounds, with North Devon’s beaches becoming rehearsal stages for the D-Day invasion of Europe.

This year’s Heritage Open Days in Bideford offer a treasure trove of discoveries. You can:

  • See the restoration of a 1910 Appledore lifeboat.
  • Learn why Bideford Bridge was widened 100 years ago.
  • Explore how leather was once used in shipbuilding.
  • Step aboard a restored steamship.
  • Try your hand at operating a signal box.
  • Uncover the history of the local rowing club.
  • Marvel at plasterwork ceilings.
  • Dive into stories of ports, harbours, and trade in WWII.
  • Discover Bideford-made pottery and international trade.

...and that’s just the beginning!

Whether you’re a history buff, a curious explorer, or just looking for a unique day out, Heritage Open Days are the perfect chance to connect with the past and celebrate the incredible heritage right on our doorstep.


12-17 September 1000-1800 The Pocket 75 High Street Bideford EX39 2AA - The Pocket Climbing and Bouldering Centre is hosting the ‘Transformed by War’ Exhibition created by Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour and the UK Heritage Harbours. No booking required.

13-21 September The Burton at Bideford EX39 2QQ – a mini-exhibition of ceramics selected from its archive, focusing on the relationship between the town’s history of ceramics and international maritime trade. The display will be accompanied by a talk on Sunday the 14 September. Pre-booking for talk required.  www.theburton.org   Open: Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm, Sunday: 11am – 4pm.

Saturday 13 September   10am Guided walk Westward Ho! - starting at Holy Trinity Church front gate EX39 1LB learn about the early development of Westward Ho! and the history of some of the remaining buildings.  Booking essential 12 persons max.  Organised by Bideford and District Community Archive.

Saturday 13 September   2.30pm Guided Walk East the Water – the industrial history of Bideford. Some steps and hills not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Booking essential 12 persons max.  Organised by Way of the Wharves.

Saturday 13 September   11am to 3pm Open Day on Bideford Station   – a guided talk in the Signal Box and railway cab rides, exhibition about the history of the railway.  No booking required. Organised by Bideford Railway Heritage Centre

Saturday 13 September 11.30am Elisabeth Deneys Memorial, Bideford Station        - a Memorial Plaque to be unveiled by Mayor of Bideford in memory of 11-year-old Belgian refugee Elisabeth Deneys, killed by a train while playing on the station in 1917, remembering those who have and continue to find safety here and the compassion of local people who support them. Organised by Bideford & River Torridge Heritage Harbour together with Bideford Town Council.

Saturday 13 September   10am to 1pm Trio and Bond Hair Studio EX39 2HW – once the Three Tuns pub. A chance to see the overmantel on the chimney breast which has at its centre a man in late Stuart costume, and the Grenville coat of arms with its three clarions - believed to be from a fireplace in the Grenville’s house at Stowe, near Kilkhampton, built by Bevil’s son, John, in the late 1670s. Stairs to first floor, no lift.

Saturday 13 September   11am to 6pm    Rosie and Red Leather Nutaberry Yard - the site of a jail for Napoleonic prisoners and from 1853 The Gas Works, East the Water. Rosie and Red specialise in heritage illustration, parchment, and (by hand) leather work. Rawhide for protecting oars, sewing, binding and caulking the deck, wrapping block n tackle, braided hoops to hoist sails, leather buckets, drinking vessels, wads for bilge, and dive pumps. The Captain’s log, bound in leather, paged with parchment, Quilled with Oak Gall ink, illustrated with drawings of discovery, leafed with gold.  Visit the studio and learn about the rich heritage of Art and Leather. Ground floor micro tannery and leather studio. Steps up to Gallery and Art Studio. No booking required

Saturday 13 September   10am to 6pm   Royal Hotel - a Grade 1 listed building that has been a high-class residence, tobacco warehouse, prison, workhouse and hotel. The earliest building on the site was Colonial House, built in 1688 for tobacco merchant John Davie. The hotel, opened in 1889, was built by the Heard family with its own railway platform, large refreshment room and stabling for 55 horses.  During the build-up to D-Day it was said ‘more secrets have been discussed in its green room than any other hotel in England’. No pre-booking required. Stairs and lift to first floor.

Saturday 13 September   11am Tarka Valley Railway Torrington Station/Puffing Billy – guided walk around Torrington Station with road and rail memorabilia. Duration 1 hour mostly level but some steep slopes. No booking required but 15 people max. Organised by Tarka Valley Railway. http://www.tarkavalleyrailway.org

Sunday 14 September 11am to 4pm   Steamship Freshspring – historic steamship, built in 1946 by the Lytham Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, the last of the ‘Fresh Class’ water carriers that served the navy, delivering water used to replenish steam turbines.  Restricted accessibility to some areas, trip hazards, and low head room. Freshspring has been moored in Bideford since 2016 and is being restored by Steamship Freshspring Charity

Monday 15 September  11am to 3pm  Lifeboat Jane Hannah MacDonald III  – open day showcasing the renovation work on the lifeboat, learn about the maritime boat building skills needed to renovate and maintain old wooden vessels. Come and learn about the history of the last non-motorised lifeboat to serve in Appledore 1911-1920. Pre-booking.  Organised by Appledore Maritime Heritage Trust

Tuesday 16 September 10am to 1pm Bideford Bridge Trust Offices - it is 100 years since Bideford Long Bridge was last widened in 1925. On the office walls are large architectural drawings of the bridge and maps of bridge land holdings from end of 19th century.  Stairs to first floor offices – no lift. No booking required. Organised by Bideford Bridge Trust.

Tuesday 16 September 10am to 1pm Bideford Amateur Rowing Club (The Reds) - this Club has been in existence in Bideford for 143 years (current Club/Boat house for approaching 100 years).  The inside of the building reflects how it has changed over the years to meet the demands of an active rowing club, as well as trophies and cups celebrating rowing achievements from the early 1900’s to the present, and historical photographs of the club and its members from pre-war years to now.   No booking required. Organised by Bideford ARC

Tuesday 16 September 11am to 3pm Pannier Pantry (The Old Customs House) – an event run by MOLA Coasts in Mind researching memories of Bideford.  In 1695 Nicholas Gascoyne constructed a house on the site. For around 60 years from 1832 it was the HQ of the local Customs Officers. More recently it has been a dry cleaner, Public House (Tequila Jack’s, Quigley’s, Custom House) and today is home to The Pannier Pantry café. As part of their National Lottery Funded Coasts in Mind project the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) will be holding a drop in event and asking for memories of the changes to the wharves and quays around Bideford and East the Water. No booking required, level access, stairs to first floor.

Tuesday 16 September 2pm to 3pm The Pocket, 75 High Street, Bideford – a talk about the Heritage Harbour ‘Transformed by War’ exhibition. Organised by Bideford & River Torridge Heritage Harbour. No booking required.
 

More information about Bideford & River Torridge Heritage Harbour available here:  www.barthh.org