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67-609: From around 1600, fishermen arrived "each spring on the fishing ships from South Devon ( Dartmouth , Teignmouth , Totnes , Dawlish , Torbay )" and "made their way" to Quidi Vidi, where they established fishing rooms. They then went home each fall. However, a few overwintered "to take care of the rooms and procure timber for construction and for fuel". Around the middle of that century some began staying permanently and houses were built, and these fishermen married and had families. However, "even as late as 1835, migratory men from southwest England and from southeast Ireland were still engaged in

134-432: A bunkering port, with coal being brought in by ship or train. Coal lumpers were members of gangs, who competed to bunker the ships by racing to be first to a ship. This led to the men living as close as possible to the river, and their tenements became grossly overcrowded, with the families living in slum conditions, with up to 15 families in one house, one family to a room. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution opened

201-641: A dedicated pontoon. British Railways formally closed the line to mainline passenger trains in 1973, but it immediately re-opened as a heritage line and has run as one ever since. Local TV coverage is provided by BBC West and ITV West Country . Television signals are received from the Beacon Hill TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter situated south east of the town. Local radio stations include BBC Radio Devon on 104.3 FM, Heart West on 96.4 FM, Greatest Hits Radio South Devon on 105.5 FM, and Radio Exe on 107.3 FM. The Dartmouth Chronicle

268-774: A local radio station, is in a "state of disrepair, empty and overgrown". There was another battery, the Quidi Pass Battery, which was constructed by the British during the early years of the Napoleonic Wars , on a hill above both the village and the Lake. There is a sign marking this site. Mallard Cottage "built sometime between 1820 and 1840, ... was the home of the Mallard family who settled in Quidi Vidi at

335-538: A painting by Thomas Allom of the interior of the church, showing the rood screen, provided the inspiration for Letitia Elizabeth Landon 's poetical illustration Dartmouth Church in Fisher's Drawing Room scrap Book, 1833. In medieval times, land access from the Totnes direction passed the manor at Norton and the parish church at Townstal before falling steeply along what are now Church Road, Mount Boone and Ridge Hill to

402-608: A popular BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. Many of the scenes from the BBC's popular series Down to Earth , starring Ricky Tomlinson , were filmed at various locations around the town. Notable tourist attractions include the Dartmouth Royal Naval College , Bayard's Cove Fort , Dartmouth Castle and the Dartmouth Steam Railway which terminates at Kingswear on

469-576: Is a former merchant's house in Higher Street, now a Good Beer Guide listed public house called the Cherub , built circa 1380. Agincourt House (next to the Lower Ferry) is also 14th century. The remains of a fort at Gallants Bower just outside the town are some of the best preserved remains of a Civil War defensive structure. The fort was built by Royalist occupation forces in c. 1643 to

536-427: Is heard of lordship rights, and the borough became effectively independent of any lord. St Saviour's Church was constructed in 1335 and consecrated in 1372. It contains a pre-Reformation oak rood screen built in 1480 and several monuments including the tomb of John Hawley (died 1408) and his two wives, covered with a large brass plate effigy of all three. A large medieval ironwork door is decorated with two leopards of

603-736: Is now the Royal Avenue Gardens. It was originally linked to the corner of the Quay by a bridge, opposite Duke Street. At the other end of The Quay, Spithead extended into the river for a few yards. Dartmouth sent numerous ships to join the English fleet that attacked the Spanish Armada, including the Roebuck, Crescent and Hart. The Nuestra Señora del Rosario , the Spanish Armada's "payship" commanded by Admiral Pedro de Valdés,

670-436: Is protected by two fortified castles, Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle . Originally Dartmouth's only wharf was Bayard's Cove, a relatively small area protected by a fort at the southern end of the town. In 1373 Geoffrey Chaucer visited and among the pilgrims in his Canterbury Tales , A schipman was ther, wonyng fer by weste; For ought I wost, he was of Dertemouthe. Notwithstanding Dartmouth's connections with

737-690: Is the Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios, which is an incubator for craft based entrepreneurial businesses. In 1930, Varick Frissell filmed most of The Viking (named for a sealing ship) in Quidi Vidi. For realistic footage, Frissell then took his crew to the Grand Banks and Labrador to collect exciting action sequences. The film debuted at the Nickel Theatre at St. John's on March 5, 1931, where Frissell decided that his movie needed more real scenes from

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804-575: Is the town's local weekly newspaper. The town is home to the Royal Navy 's officer training college ( Britannia Royal Naval College ), where all officers of the Royal Navy and many foreign naval officers are trained. Dartmouth has one primary school —St John the Baptist R.C. Primary School, and one all-through school — Dartmouth Academy —for those aged 3–16. Dartmouth also has a pre-school in

871-575: The Crusades of 1147 and 1190, and Warfleet Creek , close to Dartmouth Castle is supposed by some to be named for the vast fleets which assembled there. Dartmouth was a home of the Royal Navy from the reign of Edward III and was twice surprised and sacked during the Hundred Years' War , after which the mouth of the estuary was closed every night with a great chain. The narrow mouth of the Dart

938-604: The Dart Lifeboat Station at the Sand Quay in 1878, but it was closed in 1896. In all this time only one effective rescue was made by the lifeboat . The area to the north of Ridge Hill was a shallow and muddy bay ("Coombe Mud") with a narrow road running along the shore linking with the Higher Ferry. The mud was a dumping ground for vessels, including a submarine. The reclamation was completed in 1937 by

1005-612: The Plantagenets and is possibly the original portal. Although it is dated "1631", this is thought to be the date of a subsequent refurbishment coincidental with major renovations of the church in the 17th century. The gallery of the church is decorated with the heraldic crests of prominent local families and is reputed to be constructed of timbers from ships captured during the defeat of the Spanish Armada , although this has not been categorically substantiated. An engraving of

1072-851: The Red Arrows and fireworks. A Royal Navy guard ship is often present at the event. Other cultural events include beer festivals in February and July (the latter in Kingswear), a music festival and an art and craft weekend in June, a food festival in October and a Christmas candlelit event. The Flavel Centre incorporates the public library and performance spaces, featuring films, live music and comedy and exhibitions. Bayard's Cove has been used in several television productions, including The Onedin Line

1139-423: The "fundus" or bed of the river. In 1335 Edward III granted Dartmouth to Joan of Carew, whose husband was Lord of Stoke Fleming, and almost immediately she obediently passed the lordship to Guy de Bryan, one of the king's leading ministers. In 1341, the town was granted a Royal Charter, which allowed for the election of a mayor. The borough was required to provide two ships for forty days per year. After 1390, no more

1206-461: The Abbey having been founded in 1196, and the present stone-built church was probably started shortly after this. Manorial transactions are first recorded in 1220, when the manor house was at Norton, about half a mile west of Townstal. Names of occupations also started to appear, including taverner, tailor, coggar, korker, goldsmith, glover, skinner and baker. The "Fosse", now Foss Street, a dam across

1273-462: The Butterwalk whilst sheltering from storms in 1671 in a room which now forms part of Dartmouth Museum . Much of the interior survives from that time. The Royal Castle Hotel was built in 1639 on the then new quay. The building was re-fronted in the 19th century, and as the new frontage is itself listed, it is not possible to see the original which lies beneath. A claimant for the oldest building

1340-524: The Dartmouth and Kingswear ward of South Hams District Council, which returns three councillors. At the upper tier of local government Dartmouth and Kingswear Electoral Division elects one member to Devon County Council. The Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta takes place annually over three days at the end of August. The event sees the traditional regatta boat races along with markets, fun fairs, community games, musical performances, air displays including

1407-535: The English in the Azores , docked at Dartmouth Harbour . It attracted all manner of traders, dealers, cutpurses and thieves and by the time Sir Walter Raleigh arrived to reclaim the Crown's share of the loot, a cargo estimated at half a million pounds had been reduced to £140,000. Still, ten freighters were needed to carry the treasure to London. Henry Hudson put into Dartmouth on his return from North America, and

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1474-695: The Labrador ice floes. Within days, Frissell with his crew had joined the SS Viking for its annual seal hunt. The ship got trapped in ice near the Horse Islands . On March 15, Frissell and 26 others were killed when an explosion on the Viking set off a fire and the ship sank. Some of the survivors made the over-ice trek to the Horse Islands, while some were rescued by other vessels dispatched to

1541-519: The Newfoundland Base Contractors' personnel began arriving, and construction was taken over by them. The Quidi Vidi Brewing Company was founded in 1996 by David Fong. Located in a former fish plant, the brewery is an important tourist destination. Currently, eight different beers are brewed, including, Iceberg Beer, said to be made with water from pieces of icebergs harvested off the coast of Newfoundland. Also in Quidi Vidi

1608-459: The River Dart as far as Dittisham , and continuing to Totnes via Cornworthy , Tuckenhay and Ashprington . The area has long been well regarded for yachting, and there are extensive marinas at Sandquay, Kingswear and Noss (approximately one mile north of Kingswear). The nearest Met Office weather station is Slapton , about 5 miles south-south west of Dartmouth and a similar distance from

1675-461: The area. Prominent Canadians from Quidi Vidi include theatre director Walter Learning . 47°34′54″N 52°40′39″W  /  47.58167°N 52.67750°W  / 47.58167; -52.67750 Dartmouth, Devon Dartmouth ( / ˈ d ɑːr t m ə θ / ) is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon . It is a tourist destination set on the western bank of

1742-488: The beginning of the 19th century. With its low hipped-roof and two-room, central chimney plan, it is typical of houses built by the immigrants who came from southeast Ireland to Newfoundland in the first half of the 19th century". The cottage is recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada . The cottage was the home of the Mallards, a fishing family, until the 1980s. In 1985, the cottage became an antique shop. In 2011,

1809-404: The centre of town, established for over 40 years and based in the old Victorian school rooms at South Ford Road. It provides care for 2- to 5-year-olds and is run as a charitable organisation. Dartmouth has a Non-League football club Dartmouth A.F.C. who play at Long Cross. Dartmouth also hosts the annual "World Indoor Rally Championship", based on slot car racing in the late summer. At

1876-528: The church. Walter of Douai rebelled against William II, and his lands were confiscated and added to the Honour of Marshwood (Dorset), which sublet Townstal and Dartmouth to the FitzStephens. It was probably during the early part of their proprietorship that Dartmouth began to grow as a port, as it was of strategic importance as a deep-water port for sailing vessels. The port was used as the sailing point for

1943-605: The churches failed and a new building was constructed by the Anglicans , to a "simple cruciform plan of Henry Purcell of Cork," which was consecrated by Bishop Spencer in 1842, "as a chapel of ease for St. Thomas’s Anglican Church in St. John’s". A bell tower was added in 1890. In 1966 the building was taken over by the Newfoundland Historic Trust. Subsequently the church building was a town hall, an antique store,

2010-534: The coast. As with the rest of the British Isles and South West England , the area experiences a maritime climate with warm summers and mild winters—this is particularly pronounced due to its position near the coast—extremes range from a record low of just −8.0 °C (17.6 °F) in January 1987 up to a record high of 30.5 °C (86.9 °F) during June 1976. Dartmouth is linked to Kingswear , on

2077-527: The cod fishery at Quidi Vidi". In 1762 the French constructed Quidi Vidi Battery. When the French left, it became part of the system of batteries defending St John's. A reconstruction of this site opened in 1967 and it was designated the Province's first Historic Site in 1974. However, since 2011 it has been closed to the public, because of "a lack of available parking and accessibility issues" and, according to

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2144-520: The cottage was purchased and restored along guidelines set out by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador . In 2013, the work was recognized with a Southcott Award . The same year, the newly restored cottage was established as a restaurant. It was in 1834 that "Anglicans, Methodists, and Congregationalists combined to build a church," though services had been conducted in the village for some years. However, co-operation between

2211-460: The creek known later as The Mill Pool, was first mentioned in 1243. The flow of water out of the pool through the Mill Gullet powered a tidal mill. The dam was used as an unofficial footpath linking Clifton, to the south, with Hardness, to the north. Before this it was necessary to go westwards to the head of the creek at Ford to travel between the two settlements. The lord of the manor was given

2278-483: The crossing to Cape Cod . Dartmouth's sister city is Dartmouth, Massachusetts . The town contains many medieval and Elizabethan streetscapes and is a patchwork of narrow lanes and stone stairways. A significant number of the historic buildings are listed. One of the most obvious is the Butterwalk , built 1635 to 1640. Its intricately carved wooden fascia is supported on granite columns. Charles II held court in

2345-437: The crown and respectable society, it was a major base for privateering in medieval times. John Hawley or Hauley, a licensed privateer and sometime mayor of Dartmouth is reputed to be a model for Chaucer's "schipman". The earliest street in Dartmouth to be recorded by name (in the 13th century) is Smith Street. Several of the houses on the street are originally late 16th century or early 17th century and probably rebuilt on

2412-527: The end of August and early September there is the annual Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta . Since 1905 Dartmouth has had a greenhouse as part of the Royal Avenue Gardens. In May 2013 this building, used for the previous 10 years by Dartmouth in Bloom, a not-for-profit organisation affiliated with Britain in Bloom , was closed as structurally unsound. There are proposals to restore the greenhouse to its prior Edwardian style. SS Viking SS Viking

2479-594: The estuary of the River Dart , which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes . It lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and South Hams district, and had a population of 5,512 in 2001, reducing to 5,064 at the 2011 census . There are two electoral wards in the Dartmouth area ( Townstal & Kingswear ). Their combined population at the above census

2546-562: The extension of the Embankment and the reclamation of the mud behind it, which became Coronation Park. In the 1920s, aided by government grants, the council made a start on clearing the slums. This was aided by the decline in the use of coal as a fuel for ships. The slums were demolished, and the inhabitants were rehoused in new houses in the Britannia Avenue area, to the west of the old village or hamlet of Townstal. The process

2613-431: The ferry. No railway has ever run to Dartmouth, but the town does have a railway station , opened on 31 March 1890 to replace the original facility on the pontoon, although it is now a restaurant. In fact Dartmouth Railway Station was built while the line from Paignton to the River Dart was still being built, anticipating a bridge across the river being built near the present Greenway Halt. The railway line to Kingswear

2680-460: The ice. Captain Abram Keane was badly hurt, but survived. Many of the survivors made the over-ice trek to Horse Island, 8 miles distant, while others were rescued by the steamers Foundation Franklin and Sagona , which had been dispatched to the area. In total the accident killed 28, including Frissell and Penrod. A later government commission could determine no more definitive cause for

2747-472: The latter part of the Second World War the town was a base for American forces and one of the departure points for Utah Beach in the D Day landings . Slipways and harbour improvements were also constructed. Much of the surrounding countryside and notably Slapton Sands was closed to the public while it was used by US troops for practise landings and manoeuvres. Between 1985 and 1990 the Embankment

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2814-601: The opposite bank of the river. Boat cruises to nearby places along the coast (such as Torbay and Start Bay) and up the river (to Totnes , Dittisham and the Greenway Estate ) are provided by several companies. The paddlesteamer PS Kingswear Castle returned to the town in 2013. The South West Coast Path National Trail passes through the town, and also through extensive National Trust coastal properties at Little Dartmouth and Brownstone (Kingswear). The Dart Valley Trail starts in Dartmouth, with routes either side of

2881-534: The other side of the River Dart, by three ferries. The Higher Ferry and the Lower Ferry are both vehicular ferries. The Passenger Ferry , as its name suggests, carries only passengers, principally to connect with the Dartmouth Steam Railway at Kingswear railway station . The nearest bridge across the Dart is in Totnes , some 11 miles (18 km) away by road. The A379 road runs through Dartmouth, linking

2948-503: The rights to hold a weekly market and an annual fair in 1231. In 1281, a legal case proved that the Lord of Totnes had the right to charge tolls on ships using the river, and this right was bought by Nicholas of Tewkesbury in 1306, who conveyed the town, river and port to the king in 1327, so making Dartmouth a Royal Borough. The king gave the river to the Duchy of Cornwall in 1333, who still own

3015-448: The river at Hardness. There were steeper routes via Townstal Hill and Clarence Street and also via Brown's Hill. These were all too steep for vehicles, so the only land access was by packhorse. In 1671 there is the first mention of the building of the "New Ground". A previously existing sandbank was built up using ships' ballast, and a quay wall was built around it to provide more mooring space. The area proved too unstable to be built on, and

3082-572: The ship, skippered by Captain Abram Kean , Jr., left port. She carried 138 sealers and two stowaways, in addition to the film crew. Late in the day on March 15, 1931, heavy ice was encountered off White Bay. Captain Keane ordered the ship butted into the ice jam to secure her for the night. At 9 p.m., an explosion blew the stern off the vessel, likely instantly killing the film crew in the saloon. The ship then caught fire, leaving survivors to fend on

3149-546: The shop of a furniture restorer, and in "the early ’70s it also served as a rehearsal space for a group of St. John’s theatre enthusiasts headed by Chris Brookes—a group that eventually became The Mummers Troupe. Finally, it became a private residence, though still retaining some original features. Quidi Vidi was also involved in the construction of the Pepperrell Air Force Base . Work began on October 15, 1940, near Quidi Vidi Lake. During April and May, 1941

3216-447: The site of earlier medieval dwellings. The street name undoubtedly derives from the smiths and shipwrights who built and repaired ships here when the tidal waters reached as far as this point. Smith Street was also the site of the town pillory in medieval times. The first church in the parish was St Clement's, Townstal, which may have existed in some form before the 1190s. It was granted by the FitzStephens to Torre Abbey in about 1198,

3283-457: The south east of the town, with a similar fort at Mount Ridley on the opposite slopes of what is now Kingswear . The Parliamentarian General Fairfax attacked from the north in 1646, taking the town and forcing the Royalists to surrender, after which Gallants Bower was demolished. Before 1671, what is now the town centre was almost entirely tidal mud flats. The New Road (now Victoria Road)

3350-572: The town to Slapton and Kingsbridge to the southwest and to Torbay to the east across the Higher Ferry. The A3122 connects Dartmouth to a junction with the A381 , and hence to both Totnes and a more direct route to Kingsbridge. Stagecoach South West provides local town bus services and links to Plymouth , Totnes and Exeter , and Kingsbridge. In addition it provides links to the Torbay resorts of Brixham , Paignton and Torquay from Kingswear via

3417-493: Was 6,822. In 1086, the Domesday Book listed Dunestal as the only settlement in the area which now makes up the parish of Dartmouth. It was held by Walter of Douai . It paid tax on half a hide, and had two plough teams, two slaves, five villagers and four smallholders. There were six cattle, 40 sheep and 15 goats. At this time Townstal (as the name became) was apparently a purely agricultural settlement, centred around

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3484-496: Was a wooden-hulled sealing ship made famous by its role in the 1931 film The Viking . During her use in the seal hunt in Newfoundland , the ship was twice commissioned by the film crew. During production, an explosion destroyed the ship, resulting in the loss of the director, Varick Frissell , and the cinematographer, Alexander Gustavus Penrod, in addition to the lives of 26 of the ship's crew and film crew. In 1881, Viking

3551-541: Was also cast in the role of the fictitious skipper, Captain Barker. White Thunder , the film's original name, was screened early in 1931, at the Nickel Theatre in St. John's. Paramount declined to release the film. Hoping to strengthen White Thunder with additional footage, Frissell, along with cinematographer, A. G. Penrod, H. Sargent, and their assistants, again chartered passage on Viking . On March 9, 1931,

3618-510: Was an ancient borough , incorporated by Edward III , known formally as Clifton-Dartmouth-Hardness , and consisting of the three parishes of St Petrox , St Saviour and Townstal , and incorporating the hamlets of Ford, Old Mill and Norton. It was reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 . The town returned two members of parliament from the 13th century until 1835, after which one Member of Parliament (MP)

3685-591: Was arrested for sailing under a foreign flag . The Pilgrim Fathers put into Dartmouth's Bayard's Cove, en route from Southampton to America. They rested a while before setting off on their journey in the Mayflower and the Speedwell on 20 August 1620. About 300 miles west of Land's End , upon realising that the Speedwell was unseaworthy, it returned to Plymouth . The Mayflower departed alone to complete

3752-617: Was built by the Nylands Shipyard at Christiania , Norway , the same location where another famous Newfoundland vessel, Southern Cross , was constructed. Viking was a vessel of 310 gross tons and equipped with a 90-horsepower (67 kW) auxiliary engine. She was launched in 1882 from the Nylands Shipyard. Viking sailed for a number of years hunting the saddleback seal off the coast of Greenland . In 1882, Norwegian explorer, scientist and diplomat Fridtjof Nansen used her for his first Arctic expedition. In 1904, Viking

3819-463: Was captured along with all its crew by Sir Francis Drake . It was reportedly anchored in the River Dart for more than a year and the crew were used as labourers on the nearby Greenway Estate which was the home of Sir Humphrey Gilbert and his half-brother Sir Walter Raleigh . Greenway was later the home of Dame Agatha Christie . In 1592 the Madre de Deus , a Portuguese treasure ship captured by

3886-635: Was chartered by the newly formed Newfoundland-Labrador Film Company to make a feature film set against the annual seal hunt off the coast of Newfoundland . In 1930, Varick Frissell, the director of the actuality scenes (but not of the fictional scenes), and his crew sailed to the ice floes aboard SS Ungava and subsequently the same spring aboard Viking. Viking was commanded on this second voyage in 1930 by Captain Bob Bartlett (the son of Captain William Bartlett, Viking' s first skipper), who

3953-750: Was completed in 1885 after much disagreement between the Borough, the Commissioners and the Railway (now the Great Western Railway ). A new station was also built at this time. The building of the Embankment left a section of river isolated between Spithead and the New Ground, which is known as The Boatfloat, and is linked to the river by a bridge for small vessels under the road. The coming of steam ships led to Dartmouth being used as

4020-459: Was constructed across the bed of the (silted up) Mill Pool and up the Ford valley after 1823. Spithead was extended in 1864 when the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway arrived in Kingswear and a pontoon was constructed, linked to Spithead by a bridge. The railway directors and others formed the Dartmouth Harbour Commissioners. At this time, all the roads in those parts of Dartmouth which were not land reclamations were very narrow. In 1864-7 Higher Street

4087-424: Was elected until the town was disenfranchised in 1868. It remained a municipal borough until 1974, when it was merged into the South Hams district, and became a successor parish of Dartmouth with a town council. Dartmouth Town Council is the lowest of three tiers of local government. It consists of 16 councillors representing the two wards of Clifton and Townstal. At the second tier, Dartmouth forms part of

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4154-529: Was interrupted by the second world war, but was resumed with the construction of many prefabs , and later more houses. Community facilities were minimal at first, but a central area was reserved for a church, which was used by the Baptists and opened in 1954, together with a speedway track. The latter was later used for housing, but a new community centre was opened nearby, together with a leisure centre, an outdoor swimming pool, and later an indoor pool, and supermarkets. There are also light industrial units. In

4221-406: Was opened in 1864. As a result of shortage of capital, a deviation from the original scheme to run the line from Churston to Greenway with a steamer service to Dartmouth was proposed, but defeated in Parliament. It had been suggested that this could, at a later date, be used as a jumping off point for a bridge to the west bank of the Dart and a line direct to Dartmouth. In 1900, a Light Railway scheme

4288-415: Was proposed for a crossing of the Dart near Maypool to join another line from Totnes and then proceed to Kingsbridge and Yealmpton , with a branch to Salcombe . This was also defeated by lack of funds. The railway terminated at a station called "Kingswear for Dartmouth" (now on the Dartmouth Steam Railway ) and a ferry took passengers across the river to the station at Dartmouth railway station , which had

4355-445: Was purchased by Bowring Brothers of St. John's , Newfoundland for the sealing industry . She was placed under the command of Captain William Bartlett, who remained her master until 1923. Subsequently, she was skippered by G. Whitley (1927), I. Barbour (1928, 1929) and R. Badcock (1930). Viking was the smallest of the Bowring Brothers fleet, but was capable of carrying 276 men. With funding from Paramount Pictures, S.S. Viking

4422-536: Was widened by 6 metres and raised to prevent flooding at spring tides. A tidal lock gate was provided at the Boatfloat bridge, which could be closed at such times. Dart Lifeboat Station was reopened in 2007, the first time that a lifeboat had been stationed in the town since 1896. It has initially been kept in a temporary building in Coronation Park. In 2010, a fire seriously damaged numerous historical properties in Fairfax Place and Higher Street. Several were Tudor and Grade I or Grade II listed buildings . The town

4489-421: Was widened into Southtown and linked to Lower Street, which was also widened, with the northern part renamed Fairfax Place. Some of the buildings were rebuilt further back with decorative frontages. In 1881 the Harbour Commissioners produced a scheme for an embankment or esplanade from near the Lower Ferry to Hardness, across the remains of The Pool, to provide an attraction for tourists and further mooring space. It

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