At the end of July, we welcomed a group of cubs, scouts and their leaders, who were on a camping trip to Somerset from Staffordshire. The group spent a couple of hours onboard learning to send messages using Morse equipment, led by our very own Morse expert, Mike. They were also each able to make […]
Our steamship welcomed Bideford District Photography Group onboard a couple of weeks ago; the group will be assisting with recording the impressive restoration progress achieved by our Freshspring volunteers. After an informative tour of the ship including a potted history of its career, the group were let loose to capture the essence of the vessel. […]
We had the pleasure of welcoming a group of home education families on board this week. On Monday 20th June, 16 children accompanied by their parents came to the Freshspring for a visit. The children were excited to explore the ship; learning about how ships communicated at sea before satellite and mobile phones with our volunteer […]
The long-awaited Christmas get together for the ship’s volunteers, helpers and Trust members, previously delayed by COVID finally took place on Friday 17th June on board the ship moored in Bideford harbour. Freshspring was certainly glowing (thanks to the recent hot weather) and received great attention from the guests, some of whom had travelled far and […]
We were pleased to share our ongoing steamship project with the BBC this month. Hear from our volunteers on why they love volunteering onboard and how it has made a real difference to their lives. Watch the full interview here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-devon-61719045
We had a fantastic day at the Bideford Bike Show on Sunday and were proud to be part of a well organised, community event alongside other local businesses and charities. We have never seen the quay so busy with bikes and this year was testament to the hard work and energy that goes into this […]
We will be reverting to opening on Sundays from 11am – 4pm from Sunday 12th June 2022 until the end of the season. We hope you would like to come and join us onboard! There is something for all the family from a children’s teddy bear hunt to exploring the mechanics of the steam engine or […]
We welcomed our youngest group of visitors last week, with 16 Reception children from Monkleigh Primary School spending the afternoon on board. The class split their visit to Bideford between the Burton Art Gallery and the ship, with 8 children on the ship at a time. As part of their studies on transport and history, […]
This week is ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’ (9 th -15 th May 2022) and as part of this national campaign, National Historic Ships UK are raising awareness around the positive impact that historic vessels can have on wellbeing and mental health. To recognise this week, our enthusiastic volunteers have been sharing their experiences of volunteering […]
Last month our chairman, John Puddy, shared a detailed presentation about our Steamship Freshspring project alongside other project presenters at a presentation ceremony held by Northam Town Council. The presentation gave insight not only into the very important history behind SS Freshspring, being registered with National Historic Ships as the only surviving vessel of her […]
We were delighted to have over 40 visitors join us on the Easter Bank holiday weekend. This was our opening weekend of the year and we were lucky to be greeted by sunshine, birdsong and the joy that Spring has finally arrived! Visitors enjoyed looking around the ship and learning all about her history, with […]
We are looking forward to welcoming you (the public) back onboard from Saturday 16th April (Easter weekend) from 11am until 4pm, and every Sunday thereafter throughout the season. To mark the Easter celebrations, we will be hosting an Easter challenge onboard for children with a small (edible) prize upon completion. The ladies from Bideford Women’s Institute came […]