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Summary

Bideford developed, as its name implies, by a crossing point on the Torridge and the construction of a bridge at the end of the 13th century made it the lowest dry crossing point. It is first recorded as a royal manor in Domesday Survey of 1086. The king in turn granted the manor to the Grenville family who held it for more than 600 years. It gained borough status in the early 13th century and a market and five day fair is recorded in 1272. Bideford was to flourish as a sea port and by the late 16th century had become an active ship-building centre. Its overseas trade benefitted greatly from the activities of the Grenville family in North America and it was to become a leading port in the tobacco industry. In the 19th century it became an import emigration port for travellers to North America. Some coastal trade continued into the 20th century with the result that the quay is still in use and the ship-building industry also remains active.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS42NE/85

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SETTLEMENT (First mentioned, XI - 1086 AD to 1086 AD)

Full description

Torridge District Council, Bideford Conservation Area Partnership Scheme. Action Plan for 1996-1999, 3 (Un-published). SDV345901.

Unknown, 1720-1760, A Plan of So Much of the Town of Bideford as is Adjacent to the Established Key (Plan - measured). SDV356673.

Reichel, O. J., 1928 - 1938, The Hundred of Shebbear in Early Times, 412-581 (Article in Monograph). SDV7713.

Bideford was Bediforda in Domesday. It was one of the forfeited subjects lands given to Queen Matilda. Before the Conquest it had belonged to Brictric. The manor included a fishery value from the River Torridge. The Grenville family held the manor for more than 600 years. Early descents of the manor given.

Timms, S. C., 1975-1976, Notes During DCRA Urban Survey (Un-published). SDV356682.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 86-107 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

Bideford's location beside the River Torridge complements that of Barnstaple which lies beside the River Taw. As the name suggests ('Byda's Ford'), the early settlement was situated by a crossing point on the Torridge, where the river narrows appreciably. The construction of a bridge at the end of the 13th century made Bideford the lowest dry crossing point. Bideford is first recorded in 1086 as a royal possession granted to the king by Matilda. The king in turn gave the manor to the Grenvilles who held it down to the 18th century. The early urban development of the town depended upon its role as a centre of communications. It is significant that Bideford did not have a castle, priory or even a hospital. Its civic pride lay instead in its bridge. It gained borough status in the early 13th century and in 1272 the grant of a market and five day fair is recorded. However, its early urban growth seems to have been slower than other North Devon towns; it was placed below Barnstaple, South Molton and Great Torrington in a tax assessment of 1332, but it was to flourish as a sea port. In 1420 it is named as one of the three ports on the North Devon coast, the other two being Barnstaple and Ilfracombe and in 1442 imports from Brittany were coming into Bideford. It obtained a charter of incorporation in 1573. By the late 16th century Bideford had become an active ship-building centre. Its interest in maritime trade increased in the 17th century with the result that Bideford, which had been part of the port of Exeter together with Barnstaple and Ilfracombe, became independent in 1672 with its own customs house. Its trade benefitted greatly from the activities of the Grenville family in North America and it was to become a leading port in the tobacco industry as well as an active participant in the Newfoundland fisheries. In 1717 Bideford was third only to Plymouth and Exeter in overseas trading and it was to remain very active until the general decline in foreign trade at the end of 18th century. In the early 19th century Bideford began to build up an important new business as an emigration port for travellers to North America. Following the decline in emigration some coastal trade continued with the result that the quay at the bottom of High Street is still in use and the ship-building business remains active.
No documentary evidence for the location of a settlement at Bideford is found until the early 13th century and street names do not occur before the early 14th century. However, it is presumed that the early settlement was located within the area of the later town, beside the fording point over the River Torrodge. The exact location of this ford is unknown but the medieval wooden bridge may have replaced it. It is likely that the first nucleated settlement was in the vicinity of the parish church; a Norman font still survives and evidence for a 'Saxon' church was found during 19th century works. Discussion of the development of the town plan given. Burgage plots are recognisable on either side of Meddon Street. Which runs from Old Town towards the river. Although it is suggested that Meddon Street and High Street were the principle thoroughfares it is noted that the direct access from Bideford Bridge is to Honestone Street via Bridge Street and it is possible that this was the main thoroughfare and economic focus of the medieval town. Bideford's major significance, however, lies in its development as a port and maritime centre in the medieval period.

Timms, S., 1987, The Archaeology of North Devon Towns (Un-published). SDV354573.

Timms, S., 1987, The Archaeology of North Devon Towns, 2 (Un-published). SDV354573.

Unknown, 1988-89, Material Collected for Re-Survey of Historic Buildings in Bideford, 1988-89 (Un-published). SDV356683.

Exeter Archaeology, 1996, Archaeological Assessment of the DCC Bideford East-the-Water Industrial Link Road, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV18926.

Borough status granted in late 12th or early 13th century. While the Torridge divides parishes for virtually its entire length (and Saxon hundreds for a substantial part) Bideford is the sole exception, with roughly half the parish 'east the water'. This may have had its origin in the need for unified control over both banks at the time of the Viking raids.

Passmore, A. J., 2001, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Development Site at Bideford East-the-Water, Devon, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV336241.

Bideford is located at the lowest crossing point of the River Torridge, a wooden bridge having been constructed in the late 13th or early 14th century. Even prior to that date the town was of some importance, borough status having been granted in the late 12th or early 13th century. Earlier still, Bideford was a royal manor at the time of the Domesday Survey. It is noteworthy that while the Torridge divides parishes for virtually its entire length (and Saxon hundreds for a substantial part), Bideford is the sole exception, with roughly half of the parish being located ‘east-the-water’. This may conceivably have had its origin in the requirement for unified control over both banks of the river at the time of the Viking raids.
More settled times allowed the manor to be granted away, and by 1119 the occupier was one of the Grenville family. The Hundred Rolls for the 1270s refer to Richard Greynvile being granted free warren East of Water of Torridge. The manor was to remain in the same family until the 18th century.
By then the town had passed the peak of its prosperity as a port, outstripped by the growth of Barnstaple and Bristol. However, it retained a local importance, being prominent for shipbuilding and pottery making. It appears that the major part of the industrial activity was located beside the Torridge, particularly east of the river. A mid 19th-century directory lists two potters and two shipbuilders on that side, as well as the anthracite mining company. The arrival of the railway on that side in 1855 increased the tendency for industry and later that century there were five shipbuilders’ yards.

Torridge District Council, 2003, Bideford Townscape Heritage Initiative Stage 2 Bid, 6 (Un-published). SDV345899.

Permission to hold a market on Mondays and a fair for five days at the Festival of St. Margaret was granted in 1271/2. In 1573 Sir Richard Grenville made the town a free borough with powers of self government. This charter was confirmed in the riegn of James I. By the mid 19th century the Municipal Corporation Act had given power to a mayor, four aldermen and twelve councillors. The weekly market had moved to Tuesday, on which day it remains, with an additional pannier market on Saturday.
In the 16th century Bideford was building ships of over 100 tons, amongst the largest in the West Country, and by the end of the 17th century its trade was such that only the ports of London and Topsham exceeded the number of ships leaving Bideford.

Rushton, N., 2006, River Torridge Pipeline, Bideford, Devon: Rapid Archaeological Appraisal, 6-8, 12; site WA 06. (Report - Interim). SDV342463.

Torridge District Council, 2009, Bideford Conservation Area Appraisal, 6 (Report - non-specific). SDV351295.

The earliest documentary evidence for the location of settlement at Bideford dates to the early 13th century, and street-names do not occur before the early 14th century. It may be assumed that the 11th century settlement was located within the present town, and that it was situated beside the earliest fording point on the Torridge. The precise location of this ford is unknown, but it is probable that it was in the vicinity of the present medieval bridge, with St. Mary’s church forming the focus of the early settlement.
The core of the medieval settlement was probably defined by the line of Old Town Street, Higher Gunstone and Coldharbour to the west, Meddon Street to the south, High Street to the north and Allhallow’s (now Allhalland) Street to the east. The medieval waterfront is believed to have followed the line of Queen Street, and may have extended north towards the ropewalk. Before the consolidation of the waterfront in the late 16th century there was no direct access between the bridge and High Street, and it is possible that the alignment of Bridge Street/Honestone Lane/Abbotsham Road formed a principal thoroughfare and an economic focus for the medieval town.
The large increase in population in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and the prosperity of the port throughout the 17th century led to substantial modifications being made to the town plan. The street name Rope Walk marks the former presence of a 17th century, or earlier, ropewalk. The Pill was, during the post-medieval period, a tidal stream which was used by barges serving the pottery industry. During this period the waterfront was consolidated by the construction of a quay, and the laying out of Bridgeland Street completed the urbanisation of the low ground to the north east of Mill Lane.
To the north, Meddon Street, Silver Street and Buttgarden Street were possibly opened up in the late 17th century, and New Street had been laid out by 1618. Apart from the industrial area along North Road, the line of Old Town Street, Higher Gunstone and Coldharbour marked the western limit of the town until the late 18th century, when the ground to the north of the Pill was drained and the Orchard Hill area developed. The 19th century saw the expansion of land to the west and the redevelopment of the town centre.
By the mid 17th century the town’s merchants were importing wool from Spain and the first Quay was constructed by the Corporation in 1663. By the end of the 17th century the town had a large share of the Newfoundland trade, sending out more ships in 1699 than any other English port except London and Topsham.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Please note that map object is arbitrary.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4517 - Archaeological Appraisal of River Torridge Pipeline Routes, Bideford, Devon

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