Westward Ho!
Encyclopedia
Westward Ho! is a seaside village
near Bideford
in Devon
, England
. The A39 road
provides access from the towns of Barnstaple
, Bideford and Bude
. It lies at the south end of Northam Burrows
and faces westward into Bideford Bay
, opposite Saunton Sands
and Braunton Burrows
.
The village name comes from the title of Charles Kingsley
's novel Westward Ho!
(1855), which was set in nearby Bideford. The book was a bestseller, and entrepreneurs saw the opportunity to develop tourism in the area. The Northam Burrows Hotel and Villa Building Company, chaired by Lord Portsmouth, was formed in 1863, and its prospectus stated:
The hotel was named the Westward Ho! Hotel, and the adjacent villas were also named after the book. As further development took place, it also acquired the name of Westward Ho! The exclamation mark
is therefore an intentional part of the village's name. It is the only such place name in the British Isles
; Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Quebec
, shares the distinction of having an exclamation mark in its name.
was founded in the village in 1874.
Shell middens and a submerged forest that date to the Mesolithic
period have been excavated on the shoreline at Westward Ho!
The village has become more residential as holiday camp
s closed and houses and flat
s were erected. One former camp was Torville Camp. The two major holiday camp
s still running are Surfbay Holiday Park and Braddick's Holiday Centre.
The seaward part of the village lies within the North Devon Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
, in the present day they dip at 50-70 degrees north and south. The wave-cut platform is an example of a multi-scale fault system, with the phases of tectonic activity exposed at low tide.
from 1901 to 1917. The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
was a standard gauge railway which ran between these places, but had no connection with the rest of the railway system, however there was a pedestrian ferry link (recently suspended since ferryman retired) from Appledore
to Instow
which was connected to the rest of the rail network of Britain. The trackbed is used as part of the South West Coast Path
.
Bus Services:
Both services run right through the day at half hourly intervals, 4 buses an hour overall.
National Express Coaches also serve Westward Ho!
.jpg)
, the oldest golf course
in England and Wales
. Other attractions of the village include the arcades, a go-kart track and the Rock Pool
a tidal lido
.
s were tested at Westward Ho! as part of the Mulberry Harbour
project.
spent several of his childhood years at Westward Ho!, where he attended the United Services College (later absorbed by Haileybury College, which is now in Hertfordshire
). His collection of stories, Stalky & Co, published in 1899, was based on his experiences at the College.
in France, and Büddenstedt
in Germany.
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
near Bideford
Bideford
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.-History:...
in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The A39 road
A39 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...
provides access from the towns of 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...
, Bideford and Bude
Bude
Bude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...
. It lies at the south end of Northam Burrows
Northam, Devon
Northam is a small town in Devon, England, lying north of Bideford and south of Westward Ho!. It is thought to have been the site of an Anglo-Saxon castle, and is said to have been where Hubba the Dane attacked Devon and was repelled . A little over a mile away along the coast is a town called...
and faces westward into Bideford Bay
Bideford Bay
Bideford Bay, also known as Barnstaple Bay and often shown on maps as Barnstaple or Bideford Bay, is a large area of water on the northwest coast of Devon in south west England, at the southwestern end of the Bristol Channel where it joins the Celtic Sea...
, opposite Saunton Sands
Saunton Sands
Saunton Sands on a wet and windy day|right|thumbSaunton Sands is a beach in the English village of Saunton on the North Devon coast near Braunton, popular as a longboard surfing location. Its southern end, 'Crow Point', lies at mouth of the River Taw estuary...
and Braunton Burrows
Braunton Burrows
Braunton Burrows is a sand dune system on the North Devon coast. Braunton Burrows is a prime British sand dune site, the largest sand dune system in England. It is particularly important ecologically because it includes the complete successional range of dune plant communities, with over 400...
.
Name
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:...
's 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:...
(1855), which was set in nearby Bideford. The book was a bestseller, and entrepreneurs saw the opportunity to develop tourism in the area. The Northam Burrows Hotel and Villa Building Company, chaired by Lord Portsmouth, was formed in 1863, and its prospectus stated:
"This Company has been formed for the erection of a Family Hotel, on an Estate purchased for the purpose immediately contiguous to Northam Burrows, and of Villas and Lodging Houses for Sale or Lease. The want of such accommodation has long been felt, and as no attempt to supply it has hitherto been made by individuals, it is deemed to be a legitimate project to be undertaken by a Company. The salubrity and beauty of the North of Devon have long been known and appreciated. Sir James Clark has placed it in the highest position for health-giving qualities; and the recent publication of Professor Kingsley's "Westward Ho" has excited increased public attention to the western part, more especially, of this romantic and beautiful coast. Nothing but a want of accommodation for visitors has hitherto prevented its being the resort of families seeking the advantages of sea bathing, combined with the invigorating breezes of the Atlantic...."
The hotel was named the Westward Ho! Hotel, and the adjacent villas were also named after the book. As further development took place, it also acquired the name of Westward Ho! The 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...
is therefore an intentional part of the village's name. It is the only such place name in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
; Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, shares the distinction of having an exclamation mark in its name.
Development
Development of the village began ten years after the 1855 Kingsley novel was published, in order to satisfy the Victorians' passion for seaside holidays. The United Services CollegeUnited Services College
United Services College was an English private boys' public boarding school for the sons of military officers, located at Westward Ho! near Bideford in North Devon...
was founded in the village in 1874.
Shell middens and a submerged forest that date to the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period have been excavated on the shoreline at Westward Ho!
The village has become more residential as holiday camp
Holiday camp
Holiday camp, in Britain, generally refers to a resort with a boundary that includes accommodation, entertainment and other facilities.As distinct from camping, accommodation typically consisted of chalets – small buildings arranged either individually or in blocks. Some had three or four storeys,...
s closed and houses and flat
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s were erected. One former camp was Torville Camp. The two major holiday camp
Holiday camp
Holiday camp, in Britain, generally refers to a resort with a boundary that includes accommodation, entertainment and other facilities.As distinct from camping, accommodation typically consisted of chalets – small buildings arranged either individually or in blocks. Some had three or four storeys,...
s still running are Surfbay Holiday Park and Braddick's Holiday Centre.
Geography
Westward Ho! is known for its surfing seas and the long expanse of clean sand backed by a pebble ridge and grasslands which extends for about three miles. It has two churches, Westward Ho! Baptist Church and Holy Trinity Church.The seaward part of the village lies within the North Devon Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
Geology
The rocks on the coastline of Westward Ho! are of Upper Carboniferous age. The rocks were tilted during the Variscan OrogenyVariscan orogeny
The Variscan orogeny is a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic continental collision between Euramerica and Gondwana to form the supercontinent of Pangaea.-Naming:...
, in the present day they dip at 50-70 degrees north and south. The wave-cut platform is an example of a multi-scale fault system, with the phases of tectonic activity exposed at low tide.
Transport
A railway served Westward Ho!Westward Ho! railway station
Westward Ho! railway station was a railway station in North Devon, north-west of Bideford, serving the village of Westward Ho!; a tourist community within the Parish of Bideford....
from 1901 to 1917. The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Bideford, 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 a standard gauge railway which ran between these places, but had no connection with the rest of the railway system, however there was a pedestrian ferry link (recently suspended since ferryman retired) from Appledore
Appledore
-Places in England:* Appledore, Mid Devon, near Tiverton* Appledore, Kent* Appledore railway station* Appledore, Torridge, Devon, near Bideford-Ships and shipbuilding:* Appledore II , schooner based in Camden, Maine...
to 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....
which was connected to the rest of the rail network of Britain. The trackbed is used as part of 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...
.
Bus Services:
- First 1 - The Atlantic Connection = Westward Ho! - Northam - Bideford - Instow Quay - Fremington - Bickington - Barnstaple Bus Station
- Stagecoach 21- The North Devon Wave = Westward Ho! - Northam - Bideford - East the Water - Instow Anstey Way - Fremington - Bickington - Railway Station - Barnstaple Bus Station.
Both services run right through the day at half hourly intervals, 4 buses an hour overall.
National Express Coaches also serve Westward Ho!
Sports
It is also known for the Royal North Devon Golf ClubRoyal North Devon Golf Club
Royal North Devon Golf Club was founded in 1864, and is the oldest golf course in England. The course was designed by Old Tom Morris. RND is located on Northam Burrows between Northam and Westward Ho! Traditionally the course has been referred to as Westward Ho! - golf writer Bernard Darwin,...
, the oldest golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
. Other attractions of the village include the arcades, a go-kart track and the Rock Pool
The Rock Pool, Westward Ho!
The Rock Pool at Westward Ho!, Bideford, Devon is a sea-water tidal swimming pool.-History:Among the rocks on the southern end of Westward Ho! beach, this pool has been in existence for at least 120 years and was renovated in 2003. Depending on the tide, it can be murky....
a tidal lido
Lido
The Lido is an 11 km long sandbar located in Venice, northern Italy, home to about 20,000 residents. The Venice Film Festival takes place at the Lido every September.-Geography:...
.
World War II
Adapted Bailey BridgeBailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
s were tested at Westward Ho! as part of the Mulberry Harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
project.
Notable residents
Rudyard KiplingRudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
spent several of his childhood years at Westward Ho!, where he attended the United Services College (later absorbed by Haileybury College, which is now in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
). His collection of stories, Stalky & Co, published in 1899, was based on his experiences at the College.
Twin towns
Westward Ho! is twinned with MondevilleMondeville, Calvados
-Economy:It is the home of Yachts Industries, manufacturer of Blubay and Yapluka brands of catamaran.-External links:**...
in France, and Büddenstedt
Büddenstedt
Büddenstedt is a municipality in the district of Helmstedt, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 6 km south of Helmstedt....
in Germany.