Appledore North Devon

Appledore Devon a port and shipbuilding town where the Two Rivers Meet -the Taw and Torridge.

Appledore and Shipbuilding

A hundred years ago or more Appledore had several boat and ship repair yards building and maintaining wooden schooners, ketches and barques. Many of which , particularly the trading smacks, plied the Bristol Channel Ports and the North Devon Coast. Others sailed further afield for example across the Atlantic to Newfoundland and the Cod. Goods would be discharged from the larger vessels moored in the deep water channel onto barges to the Quays. Appledore was and still is a busy port with vessels unloading cargoes of timber and South Wales coal and latterly loading ball clay and discharging fertiliser. Nowadays the Covered Shipyard, the largest in Europe at its time of construction, builds large ocean going steel hulled vessels such as the one seen in the photograph.

Appledore- livelihoods from the Sea

Though the annuals run of Salmon are now greatly diminished, so much so that for a few years in the 1980's Salmon Netting was prohibited, in years past many of the towns inhabitants livelihoods depended not only on Salmon, but cod and bass and mussels and cockles collected at Low Water, and on Laver Bread, a local seaweed delicacy. Life was no doubt hard. The Burrows. Winter home to wading birds

Appledore the town

A few trawlers based in Appledore still manage to earn living from the sea. Though you are more likely to see a visiting yacht moored alongside the most picturesque Quay. Immediately behind which are a maze of narrow alleys , old fishermen's and boatmen's cottages. White washed and decked with flowers in summer. A selection of galleries, craft shops and places to eat, many specialising in seafood.

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Appledore Around and about

A few miles up the Torridge is Bideford, yet another Devon Town with a Quay, particularly prosperous in Georgian times. Across the River is Instow with its beach and yachts, a real summer sun trap. At the mouth of the wind blown Estuary is the infamous Bar, scene of many a lost vessel. East along the Coast lies the huge expense of Saunton Sands, whilst West lies the rugged North Devon coast, stretching all the way to Clovelly with its cobbled streets, and beyond to Hartland Point, lashed by Atlantic gales in winter

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