A Short History of Salcombe | 03.08.2023

A Short History of Salcombe.  
An illustrated talk by Roger Barrett on Thursday, 3rd August, 2023 at 7pm in The Devon Rural Archive.

The small harbour town of Salcombe near Devon’s southernmost point has always earned its living from the sea. Now a thriving yachting and tourist centre, with a small fishing fleet, the town was once a haven for merchant mariners and a notorious haunt of pirates, privateers and smugglers. In the 1800s it became famous throughout the maritime world for its beautiful clipper-like fruit schooners. When competition from steamships led to the end of wooden shipbuilding in the 1880s the town began its transition into the town we know today. In this talk, based on his 2022 book of the same name, Roger Barrett will give an account of the rich and varied history of Salcombe and its surroundings.

Roger Barrett is the curator of Salcombe Maritime museum and research co-ordinator/archivist for Salcombe History Society. His previous roles include curator of Salcombe Lifeboat Museum and Station Manager at the Prawle Point National Coastwatch Station. Roger has written a number of books about the history of Salcombe and the South Hams Coast including ‘Salcombe: Schooner Port’ which was awarded the Devon History Society’s W. G. Hoskins prize in 2018.

Image: The town of Salcombe – from the DRA Image Bank.  

Tickets are £7.00 each, and must be purchased in advance.  To purchase a ticket please use the button below.

A Season Ticket to attend all 11 lectures in our 2023 programme is also available in our online shop.  
Please note that payments are non-refundable. 

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