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Trail honours generations of shipyard workers

Jonathan MorrisSouth West
News imageHistoric England A maritime painting showing a large sailing ship at sea.Historic England
The Lady Gertrude was built at the former shipyard East the Water in Bideford

Routes used by generations of workers travelling to and from historic shipyards are being celebrated with a special trail.

The new Shipyard Trail gives visitors the chance to follow the routes between Bideford and Appledore yards in north Devon and highlights more than 500 years of shipbuilding along the Torridge estuary.

The launch on 19 September forms part of a wider programme for the Heritage Open Days 2026 in Devon, and celebrates "the everyday histories of working lives", said organisers English Heritage.

Heritage Open Days are also being held in Cornwall and, separately, National Trust Jersey is holding an open day on 19 September.

News imageBideford & District Community Archive This black-and-white aerial photograph shows a large ship emerging from an enormous covered dry dock or shipbuilding hall beside a tidal river.Bideford & District Community Archive
Appledore Shipbuilders built hundreds of vessels

The trail links locations where vessels ranging from wooden fishing boats to Royal Navy ships and modern military craft were built, many of which have little visible evidence of their industrial past today, but shaped communities on both sides of the river.

Ahead of the launch, an exhibition from 17 to 19 September at the Pannier Pantry on Bridgeland Street in Barnstaple will showcase the Shipyard Trail, the Young Shipwrights Project 2026 and the restoration of the lifeboat Jane Hannah MacDonald III.

News imageNational Trust Jersey A traditional two-storey stone cottage set in a large, well-kept garden, with a weathered reddish-brown tiled roof, two chimneys, and pale stone walls catching the sunlight.National Trust Jersey
Sous les Bois in Trinity, Jersey, is among National Trust properties opening its doors

Other events include tours of the Steamship Freshspring and a special open day celebrating the history of Bridgeland Street.

Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, visiting in 1724, described Bridgeland Street as a "spacious, broad, well-built street inhabited with wealthy merchants who trade to most parts of the trading world".

News imageEnglish Heritage An aerial photograph of an archaeological site set within a patchwork of green fields and rough moorland. In the centre of the image are the remains of a small stone settlement, with multiple circular and oval structures outlined by low stone walls.English Heritage
Chysauster ancient village is among Cornwall sites opening to the public

A number of events are also being held in Cornwall to mark Heritage Open Days including a guided tour at Chysauster ancient village and Bodmin materials recycling centre.

National Trust Jersey is marking Heritage Open Day by opening the doors to four properties on 19 September, La Ronde Porte in St Saviour, Sous les Bois in Trinity, Le Moulin de Quétivel in St Peter and the Georgian House in St Helier.

All events are free to attend.

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