The strong winds and big seas of this early November brought to mind “our” Eddystone Lighthouse and the great storm 1703. The Eddystone reef consists of three ridges of spiky rocks and two central rocks 14 miles SSW of Plymouth. For centuries the reef claimed the lives of countless sailors, increasingly so in the late…
Early hotel brochures often described Hope Cove as “A sleepy fishing village”, but was it ever the case? Tales of smugglers in earlier centuries indicate they were lively and interesting times, locals outwitting the many Coastguards working in the village, with plenty of contraband. So sleepy probably not, but is was a fishing village. There have…
This bumper apple year made me think of the time this area, and much of the south west was known for its cider apples and orchards. Most orchards have disappeared, but Reg Hall planted a new one in Galmpton abut 20 years ago using local cider apple varieties. There were hundreds of varieties, two local…
My first Slipway is at at Inner Hope and was used for launching the Lifeboats. In the 1700’s this area was known as Hope Gate. This slipway has good for access to all the beach at low tide only. This is one of the first lifeboats pre-1900; the slipway presumably built or improved in 1878 when…
The picture in the Delving into the Past, The Gazette 14.2.20, of Kingsbridge Cottage Hospital, (which was built on land donated by Mr Ilbert of Bowringsleigh,) reminded me how lucky we are to have such a good local hospital where so many people from the parish have been looked after. Then I thought of two…
Well, may be not quite, officially Old Masters were artists painting before 1800, but artists have been drawn to Hope Cove since the mid 1800’s. Thanks to research started by Mike Clark, we know about renowned artists who came to Hope Cove and Galmpton. In the mid 1800’s The Earl of Devon encouraged his tenants…
Oh dear, it seems I didn’t press the vital button to post the November contribution, and have recently been bogged down in post Christmas clear up. Now I am now thinking about the celebrations of the past when there was a more balanced and resident population. In addition to events at The Cottage there were parties…
The gales have been fierce this November with wind speeds of 100mph recorded at Prawle Point, but in past years, there have been some more notable November storms in Hope. The earliest I know of was one on the 7th November 1588 when The Armada hospital ship the San Pedro el Mayar was lost. The…
Being the season of ghost stories and bonfires, I thought I’d look for stories involving the parish, but came up with virtually nothing. There was a bonfire of course as part of the alarm system to warn the Nation of the approach of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The bonfire was at the end of…
As parking and the numbers of cars in the parish is currently a hot topic, this month I am looking at the situation years ago. Before piped water came, water was delivered by horse and cart, and butcher Adams also delivered meat on horse back into the 1940’s. Shoeing and repairs were done at the blacksmith…