Bideford
Encyclopedia
Bideford is a small port
town
on the estuary of the River Torridge
in north Devon
, south-west
England. It is also the main town of the Torridge
local government district.
is spanned at Bideford by the 13th century Long Bridge, which has 24 arch
es all of different sizes. A New Year's Eve tradition was to try to run across the Long Bridge in the time it takes for the bells at nearby St. Mary's church to chime midnight.
In the 16th century Bideford was Britain's third largest port. It was rumoured that Sir Walter Raleigh
landed the 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. Today the narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay, which bustles with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats. Ball clay
and wood is the principal exports loaded onto boats at Bideford. The quay was refurbished, with completion in 2006, to provide flood control
and also to incorporate a large fountain and modern public toilets.
The Bideford witch trial
in 1682 involved three women, Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards, accused of witchcraft
and resulted in the last ever hangings for witchcraft in England.
This area of North Devon was home to the author Charles Kingsley
, and is where he based his novel Westward Ho!
. A small seaside town, named after the book, was built after the book's publication. Westward Ho!
, which is the only town in the United Kingdom
that officially contains an exclamation mark
in its name, is approximately three miles (5 km) from Bideford. A statue has been erected in honour of Kingsley by the town park's car park.
The city of Biddeford, Maine
, USA, was named after the English town, using the original old English spelling. Also, the town of Bideford in the province of Prince Edward Island
, Canada, is named after the English town.
and A386
roads. The nearest railway station is at Barnstaple
7.5 miles (12.1 km) away.
A ferry
operates between Bideford quay and Lundy
, which lies about 22 miles (35.4 km) away in the Bristol Channel
. The same ship, the MS Oldenburg
, also provides evening cruises from Bideford along the River Torridge in the downstream direction, M.S.Oldenburg is too big to pass through the Bideford Long Bridge.
Bus
There are a number of bus services provided by Stagecoach South West, First Devon and Cornwall, and Beacon Bus:
Many routes are subsided by Devon County Council.
In 1855 the Bideford Extension Railway
opened, linking the town with Fremington
, Barnstaple
and beyond. In 1872 the railway was extended to Great Torrington
and Bideford railway station
was replaced with a new one nearer the town centre. Bideford's passenger train services ceased in 1965 and freight trains ceased in 1982 Much of the course of the former railway has been re-used as part of the popular Tarka Trail
footpath and cycleway. Parts of the route are also shared by the long-distance South West Coast Path
footpath.
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre no longer operates the heritage railway
Torridge Train along a short length of track at Bideford due to encroachment on the track bed by a housing development. The new Barnstaple Western Bypass
is designed to allow the Barnstaple to Bideford section to be restored should the finance and wish ever exist.
was an unusual and short-lived railway built entirely on this peninsula with no direct connection to the rest of the British railway network. The locomotives were fitted with skirts to protect pedestrians as at one point the line ran along the quay at Bideford. The line had eleven halts which largely served visitors wishing to enjoy the bracing air along the coast or 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 until in the First World War the War Department
requisitioned all of its equipment for use in France. Bideford's 13th century Long Bridge was temporarily converted into a railway bridge to carry the locomotives and rolling stock onto the main line railway near Bideford Station.
; the area located east of the river is known as Bogside. 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 3 bars and pubs, a small health centre and a small industrial area consisting largely of locally owned businesses. The community also has its own community centre and association, both of which are self funding and run by a committee of local residents. A key historical feature is Chudleigh Fort, built by the Parliamentarian
Major-General Chudleigh during the English Civil War
. The area is surrounded by agricultural
land.
There are many pubs in East-the-Water which include The Blacksmiths and The Swan which is well known for its award winning food.
Torridge District Council is the next level of local government
and most decisions are made by Devon County Council.
The local MP
is the Conservative
Geoffrey Cox
and the MEP
local aristocrat Tory Giles Chichester
.
(BSF) programme, to build a new school on its existing site. The building works will be completed during the summer of 2010 and students will move in at the start of term in September*. Figures published by the UK Government in February 2008, show Bideford College had made significant improvements in the Key Stage 3 exams taken by 14 year old students. Over the previous four years (2004 to 2007) the school’s aggregate score for the exams in English, Maths and Science has risen from 177 out of 300 to 237.
This placed Bideford College joint 21st nationally in the table of most improved secondary schools published by the DCSF. Bideford is also in the top 20 percent of schools nationally based on the progress made from Year 7 to Year 9.
*Note: The £55m project is now complete, and the new school includes a media suite, library, town square, sports hall, and a huge hall dubbed 'The Devon Hall'.
. One field is used primarily as the home ground of the main local rugby union
club, Bideford RFC (Chiefs) who currently play in Cornwall/Devon League. The other field, commonly referred to as The Sports Ground, is the home to Bideford AFC
, the town's main local football club. East-the-Water also has its own football club, Shamwickshire Rovers FC, which plays at Pollyfield.
Bideford is renowned for its New Year's Eve
celebrations, when thousands of people - most in fancy dress - from surrounding towns, village
s and around the world gather on the quay for revelries and a fireworks display.
The South West Coast Path
National Trail runs through the town, and gives access to walks along the rugged North Devon coast.
. In April 2009 the station was rebranded as part of the Heart Network
losing the long standing Lantern FM name. In August 2010, the station was merged with its sister operations in other areas of Devon and all operations moved to new studios in Exeter
and the station was renamed Heart Devon
, as a result, numerous members of staff at Barnstaple were made redundant.
Bideford have three main local newspapers, the North Devon Gazette
and the North Devon Journal which are published weekly, and the Bideford Post which is published monthly. The Gazette was founded in Bideford, and was originally known as the Bideford Gazette. It is now a free newspaper, delivered to most local homes, and is now based in Barnstaple. The regional daily paper, the Western Morning News
, is also available. A local newsletter, the 'Bideford Buzz,' is published monthly by a team of volunteers, and has its own website at www.bidefordbuzz.org.uk
was born here in 1826. Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susanna Edwards
of the town were the last people to be hanged for witchcraft
in England.
Cricket umpire David Shepherd
was born in the town but at the time of his death resided in neighbouring Instow
. Stuart Anstis, one time lead guitarist with black metal band Cradle of Filth
went to School in Bideford, and now runs a guitar shop there. Derry Brownson, formerly of the band EMF
is frequently seen around town and helps run a music studio in the town called Yard 1 studios. Actor Joss Ackland
lives near Bideford. T. V. Smith
and Gaye Advert, from the punk band The Adverts
, are from the town. Crime fiction author Hilary Bonner
was also born and raised in the town.
Bristol Rovers Defender Gary Sawyer
was born in Bideford.
in France.
On 20 October 2006 British ex-pat David Riley came to mark the “20-year link” between Manteo, North Carolina
on Roanoke Island
and Bideford. Bideford town clerk George McLauchlan, told him locals had never heard of Manteo and the only town Bideford was twinned with was in France. Mr Riley handed over a clock to "celebrate" the twenty year link, while Manteo Town manager Kermit Skinner said the link started in the 1980s during the 400th anniversary of Walter Raleigh
’s voyages to America.
It turns out the 'twinning' of Bideford with Manteo was established 20 years ago. But the story goes back much further, 500 years, to the mysterious disappearance of a colony of more than 100 people on Roanoke Island, many of whom were migrants from Bideford. The colony was established by Richard Grenville, who bought back two native Indians, one of them Manteo which gave the North Carolina town its name.
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
on the estuary of the River Torridge
River Torridge
The River Torridge is a river in Devon in England. It was the home of Tarka the Otter in Henry Williamson's book. The Torridge local government district is named after the river....
in north Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, south-west
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
England. It is also the main town of the Torridge
Torridge
Torridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Bideford. Other towns and villages in the district include Holsworthy, Great Torrington, Hartland and Westward Ho!. The Island of Lundy is administratively part of the District...
local government district.
History
The River TorridgeRiver Torridge
The River Torridge is a river in Devon in England. It was the home of Tarka the Otter in Henry Williamson's book. The Torridge local government district is named after the river....
is spanned at Bideford by the 13th century Long Bridge, which has 24 arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es all of different sizes. A New Year's Eve tradition was to try to run across the Long Bridge in the time it takes for the bells at nearby St. Mary's church to chime midnight.
In the 16th century Bideford was Britain's third largest port. It was rumoured that Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
landed the first shipment of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
there, although this is a myth, as Raleigh was not, contrary to popular belief, the first to bring tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
to England. In honour of Raleigh, several roads and a hill have been named after him in Bideford. Today the narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay, which bustles with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats. Ball clay
Ball clay
Ball clays are kaolinitic sedimentary clays, that commonly consist of 20-80% kaolinite, 10-25% mica, 6-65% quartz. Localized seams in the same deposit have variations in composition, including the quantity of the major minerals, accessory minerals and carbonaceous materials such as lignite...
and wood is the principal exports loaded onto boats at Bideford. The quay was refurbished, with completion in 2006, to provide flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
and also to incorporate a large fountain and modern public toilets.
The Bideford witch trial
Bideford witch trial
The Bideford witch trial resulted in the last ever hangings for witchcraft in England. Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards were tried in 1682 in the town of Bideford in Devon...
in 1682 involved three women, Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards, accused of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
and resulted in the last ever hangings for witchcraft in England.
This area of North Devon was home to the author Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
, and is where he based his novel Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! (novel)
Westward Ho! is an 1855 British historical novel by Charles Kingsley, inspired in part by an Elizabethan travelogue by privateer Admiral Sir Richard Hawkins and by the Crimean War.-Plot summary:...
. A small seaside town, named after the book, was built after the book's publication. Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude...
, which is the only town in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that officially contains an exclamation mark
Exclamation mark
The exclamation mark, exclamation point, or bang, or "dembanger" is a punctuation mark usually used after an interjection or exclamation to indicate strong feelings or high volume , and often marks the end of a sentence. Example: “Watch out!” The character is encoded in Unicode at...
in its name, is approximately three miles (5 km) from Bideford. A statue has been erected in honour of Kingsley by the town park's car park.
The city of Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
, USA, was named after the English town, using the original old English spelling. Also, the town of Bideford in the province of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Canada, is named after the English town.
Transport
Bideford is served by the Atlantic HighwayA39 road
The A39 is an A road in south west England. It runs south-west from Bath in Somerset through Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Bridgwater. It then follows the north coast of Somerset and Devon through Williton, Minehead, Porlock, Lynmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Stratton, Camelford, Wadebridge and St...
and A386
A386 road (Great Britain)
The A386 is a primary route in Devon, England. It runs from Plymouth on the south coast to Appledore on the north coast.The road starts in the centre of Plymouth, and forms Tavistock Road, the main route out of the city to the north. It crosses a section of Dartmoor to Yelverton and Tavistock...
roads. The nearest railway station is at Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
7.5 miles (12.1 km) away.
A ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
operates between Bideford quay and Lundy
Lundy
Lundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel, lying off the coast of Devon, England, approximately one third of the distance across the channel between England and Wales. It measures about at its widest. Lundy gives its name to a British sea area and is one of the islands of England.As of...
, which lies about 22 miles (35.4 km) away in the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. The same ship, the MS Oldenburg
MS Oldenburg
MS Oldenburg is a British passenger ferry serving the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel.The Oldenburg was named after the former grand duchy of Oldenburg, Germany, and launched on the 29 March 1958 in Bremen...
, also provides evening cruises from Bideford along the River Torridge in the downstream direction, M.S.Oldenburg is too big to pass through the Bideford Long Bridge.
Bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
There are a number of bus services provided by Stagecoach South West, First Devon and Cornwall, and Beacon Bus:
- 21/21A NORTH DEVON WAVE - W.Ho!/Appledore - East the Water - Instow - Barnstaple - Ilfracombe (21A)
- 1/2 - W.Ho!/Appledpore - Instow - Barnstaple
- 315 - Barnstaple - Torrington - Crediton - Exeter
- 319 - Barnstaple - Abbotsham - Woolsery - Hartland
- 85 - Barnstaple - Holsworthy
- 118 - Barnstaple - Torrington - Okehampton - Tavistock
- 70 - Weare Giffard - Torrington
- 372 - Bradworthy
- 15/16 - Bideford Town Services to Atlantic Village/East the Water
Many routes are subsided by Devon County Council.
Railways
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
opened, linking the town with Fremington
Fremington, Devon
Fremington is a village and civil parish in North Devon three miles west of Barnstaple. It was formerly a borough that sent members to Parliament in the reign of Edward III. The parish includes the neighbouring villages of Bickington and Yelland, the latter only asserting its identity as separate...
, Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
and beyond. In 1872 the railway was extended to Great Torrington
Great Torrington
Great Torrington is a small market town in the north of Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below...
and Bideford railway station
Bideford railway station
The first Bideford railway station was opened on 2 November 1855 as the terminus of the Bideford Extension Railway from Barnstaple. This was taken over by the London and South Western Railway about ten years later....
was replaced with a new one nearer the town centre. Bideford's passenger train services ceased in 1965 and freight trains ceased in 1982 Much of the course of the former railway has been re-used as part of the popular Tarka Trail
Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It is a figure-of-eight route, based on Barnstaple, and covers some of path....
footpath and cycleway. Parts of the route are also shared by the long-distance South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
footpath.
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre no longer operates the heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
Torridge Train along a short length of track at Bideford due to encroachment on the track bed by a housing development. The new Barnstaple Western Bypass
Barnstaple Western Bypass
The Barnstaple Western Bypass is a congestion-relief scheme designed to take road traffic away from the town centre of Barnstaple, a market town in Devon, South West England...
is designed to allow the Barnstaple to Bideford section to be restored should the finance and wish ever exist.
Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore RailwayBideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway was most unusual amongst British railways in that although it was built as a standard gauge line, it was not joined to the rest of the railway network, despite the London and South Western Railway having a station at Bideford East-the-Water, just...
was an unusual and short-lived railway built entirely on this peninsula with no direct connection to the rest of the British railway network. The locomotives were fitted with skirts to protect pedestrians as at one point the line ran along the quay at Bideford. The line had eleven halts which largely served visitors wishing to enjoy the bracing air along the coast or 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 until in the First World War the War Department
War Department (UK)
The War Department was the United Kingdom government department responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the pursuance of military activity. In 1857 it became the War Office...
requisitioned all of its equipment for use in France. Bideford's 13th century Long Bridge was temporarily converted into a railway bridge to carry the locomotives and rolling stock onto the main line railway near Bideford Station.
East-the-Water
The town of Bideford has grown to cover land on both sides of the River TorridgeRiver Torridge
The River Torridge is a river in Devon in England. It was the home of Tarka the Otter in Henry Williamson's book. The Torridge local government district is named after the river....
; the area located east of the river is known as Bogside. 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 3 bars and pubs, a small health centre and a small industrial area consisting largely of locally owned businesses. The community also has its own community centre and association, both of which are self funding and run by a committee of local residents. A key historical feature is Chudleigh Fort, built by the Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
Major-General Chudleigh during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The area is surrounded by agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
land.
There are many pubs in East-the-Water which include The Blacksmiths and The Swan which is well known for its award winning food.
Governance
Bideford Town Council has 16 members representing four unequal wards, North, South, East and South Outer. There is a mayor and Town Clerk.Torridge District Council is the next level of local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
and most decisions are made by Devon County Council.
The local MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Geoffrey Cox
Geoffrey Cox
Charles Geoffrey Cox, QC, MP , is a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Torridge and West Devon.-Early life:...
and the MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
local aristocrat Tory Giles Chichester
Giles Chichester
Giles Chichester is a British Conservative Party politician, and a Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar. He was elected as a temporary Vice President of the European Parliament on 6 July 2011 to replace Silvana Koch-Mehrin who had resigned over plagiarism...
.
Bideford College
Bideford College has approximately 1,800 pupils all of whom are in Years 7 to 11 plus sixth form, and is led by Principal, Ms Veronica Mathews, is the only local community secondary state school in Bideford. The college was granted specialist science status in 2004. Because of its specialist status, it receives extra funding from the government for extending its wide variety of educational activities. It is currently undergoing a £55 million project, £32 million of which was funded from the Building Schools for the FutureBuilding Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future is the name of the previous UK Government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England. The program is very ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicians from all English political parties supportive of the principle but...
(BSF) programme, to build a new school on its existing site. The building works will be completed during the summer of 2010 and students will move in at the start of term in September*. Figures published by the UK Government in February 2008, show Bideford College had made significant improvements in the Key Stage 3 exams taken by 14 year old students. Over the previous four years (2004 to 2007) the school’s aggregate score for the exams in English, Maths and Science has risen from 177 out of 300 to 237.
This placed Bideford College joint 21st nationally in the table of most improved secondary schools published by the DCSF. Bideford is also in the top 20 percent of schools nationally based on the progress made from Year 7 to Year 9.
*Note: The £55m project is now complete, and the new school includes a media suite, library, town square, sports hall, and a huge hall dubbed 'The Devon Hall'.
Sport and recreation
Bideford has two King George's Fields, which are memorials to King George VGeorge V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. One field is used primarily as the home ground of the main local rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club, Bideford RFC (Chiefs) who currently play in Cornwall/Devon League. The other field, commonly referred to as The Sports Ground, is the home to Bideford AFC
Bideford AFC
Bideford A.F.C. is an English non-league football club from Bideford, Devon that plays in the Southern Football League. Managed by Sean Joyce, they are one of the top sides in the division. The club is nicknamed "The Robins" due to their all-red strip...
, the town's main local football club. East-the-Water also has its own football club, Shamwickshire Rovers FC, which plays at Pollyfield.
Bideford is renowned for its New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
celebrations, when thousands of people - most in fancy dress - from surrounding towns, village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s and around the world gather on the quay for revelries and a fireworks display.
The South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
National Trail runs through the town, and gives access to walks along the rugged North Devon coast.
Local media
Local radio is provided by Heart North Devon, the station was originally called Lantern FM and was based in Bideford in a building named "the Lighthouse", it later moved to an industrial estate in nearby BarnstapleBarnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
. In April 2009 the station was rebranded as part of the Heart Network
Heart Network
Heart is a radio network of 17 adult contemporary independent local radio stations in central & southern England and north Wales. Each station broadcasts local breakfast and drive time shows and simulcasts network programming at all other times...
losing the long standing Lantern FM name. In August 2010, the station was merged with its sister operations in other areas of Devon and all operations moved to new studios in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and the station was renamed Heart Devon
Heart Devon
Heart Devon is a Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Devon. The station began broadcasting on Friday 27 August 2010 as a result of a merger between Heart Exeter and Heart Torbay , Heart Plymouth , Heart North Devon and Heart South Devon .-History:The regional station...
, as a result, numerous members of staff at Barnstaple were made redundant.
Bideford have three main local newspapers, the North Devon Gazette
North Devon Gazette
The North Devon Gazette is a weekly free newspaper published in Barnstaple, United Kingdom on a Wednesday for the North Devon area, including Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe and South Molton...
and the North Devon Journal which are published weekly, and the Bideford Post which is published monthly. The Gazette was founded in Bideford, and was originally known as the Bideford Gazette. It is now a free newspaper, delivered to most local homes, and is now based in Barnstaple. The regional daily paper, the Western Morning News
Western Morning News
The Western Morning News is a politically independent daily regional newspaper founded in 1860 and covering Devon and Cornwall and parts of Somerset and Dorset.-Organisation:...
, is also available. A local newsletter, the 'Bideford Buzz,' is published monthly by a team of volunteers, and has its own website at www.bidefordbuzz.org.uk
Notable people
Admiral Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan PimBedford Clapperton Trevelyan Pim
Admiral Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan Pim, RN, MP, FRGS was a Royal Navy officer, Arctic explorer, barrister, and author...
was born here in 1826. Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susanna Edwards
Bideford witch trial
The Bideford witch trial resulted in the last ever hangings for witchcraft in England. Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards were tried in 1682 in the town of Bideford in Devon...
of the town were the last people to be hanged for witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
in England.
Cricket umpire David Shepherd
David Shepherd (umpire)
David Robert Shepherd MBE was one of the cricket world's best-known umpires. He stood in 92 Test matches, the last of them in June 2005, and officiated in three World Cup finals.- Playing career :...
was born in the town but at the time of his death resided in neighbouring Instow
Instow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
. Stuart Anstis, one time lead guitarist with black metal band Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
went to School in Bideford, and now runs a guitar shop there. Derry Brownson, formerly of the band EMF
EMF
- Music :* EMF , a British band** "EMF", a bonus track on EMF's album Schubert Dip* E.M.F. , a 1983 album by GG Allin* English Music Festival, a British music festival- Organizations :...
is frequently seen around town and helps run a music studio in the town called Yard 1 studios. Actor Joss Ackland
Joss Ackland
Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE , known as Joss Ackland, is an English actor who has appeared in more than 130 films and numerous television roles.-Early life:...
lives near Bideford. T. V. Smith
T. V. Smith
T. V. Smith is a British punk rock singer-songwriter, who was part of the band The Adverts in the late 1970s...
and Gaye Advert, from the punk band The Adverts
The Adverts
The Adverts were an English punk band who formed in 1976 and broke up in late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to enjoy chart success in the UK, and their line-up included Gaye Advert, whom The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music called the "first female punk star".-Career:The band was...
, are from the town. Crime fiction author Hilary Bonner
Hilary Bonner
Hilary Bonner is an English crime writer. She grew up in the Devon town of Bideford, and now lives in Somerset. She was previously the showbusiness editor of the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mirror. She has also been past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association, and has written biographies of...
was also born and raised in the town.
Bristol Rovers Defender Gary Sawyer
Gary Sawyer
Gary Dean Sawyer is an English footballer who plays for Football League Two club Bristol Rovers as a defender, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Weymouth, Exeter City and Bristol City.-Playing career:...
was born in Bideford.
Twinning
The town is twinned with LandivisiauLandivisiau
Landivisiau is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-International relations:It is twinned with Bideford in the southwest of the United Kingdom.-Population:...
in France.
On 20 October 2006 British ex-pat David Riley came to mark the “20-year link” between Manteo, North Carolina
Manteo, North Carolina
Manteo is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Roanoke Island. The population was 1,052 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dare County.-Geography:...
on Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
and Bideford. Bideford town clerk George McLauchlan, told him locals had never heard of Manteo and the only town Bideford was twinned with was in France. Mr Riley handed over a clock to "celebrate" the twenty year link, while Manteo Town manager Kermit Skinner said the link started in the 1980s during the 400th anniversary of Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
’s voyages to America.
It turns out the 'twinning' of Bideford with Manteo was established 20 years ago. But the story goes back much further, 500 years, to the mysterious disappearance of a colony of more than 100 people on Roanoke Island, many of whom were migrants from Bideford. The colony was established by Richard Grenville, who bought back two native Indians, one of them Manteo which gave the North Carolina town its name.