Devon History Tours

12/06/2024

Its starting to get busy now the tourists are starting to arrive. Another sold out tour for tonight :)

08/06/2024

More 5 star reviews from happy guests who attended my tours I will leave it there :)

07/06/2024

Operation Pluto (Pipeline Under the Ocean)

Was an operation by British engineers, oil companies, and the British Armed Forces to build oil pipelines under the English Channel to support Operation Overlord, (D-DAY).
The Allied invasion of Normandy during the Second World War.

Watermouth Castle, Berrynarbor, Ilfracombe, was the HQ for PLUTO



🏰

06/06/2024

With a small window of opportunity in the weather, Eisenhower decided to go—D-Day would be June 6, 1944. Paratroopers began landing after midnight, followed by a massive naval and aerial bombardment at 6:30 a.m.

D-Day (Operation Overlord) was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Along with the associated airborne operations, more than 130,000 troops came ashore on five beaches across a 50-mile stretch of Normandy coast, with the first waves often facing intact defences. By the end of D-Day, there had been 10,000 Allied casualties.

It marked the beginning of the liberation of France and Western Europe.

Today commemorates the 80th anniversary.

05/06/2024

WWII something closer to home:

Ilfracombe became a garrison town, mostly for the American Pay Corps. The Americans occupied part of the golf course, again reduced to nine holes. The club lost all of its staff and the members complained of the long grass, especially as golf balls were not manufactured during the war.

Hele Beach was covered in barbed wire and the slipway and promenade are said to have been protected by concrete tank traps. There was a Coastguard lookout station at Widmouth, which can still be seen just above the coastal path.

Woolacombe and Braunton Burrows were major D-Day training areas.

04/06/2024

Magical secret places and hidden gems in Devon

As we are approaching the 80th anniversary of D-Day I thought it might be interesting to hear some home history facts regarding England's preparation and defences during WWII.

Devon has a web of hidden underground World War II bases. They were built in case Hi**er invaded and a secret army was trained and ready to kill.

The invasion never happened, but if Hi**er's troops landed on Devon's beaches, Sir Winston Churchill had ensured that these men in the innocently-named Auxiliary Units were ready to fight to the death in a guerrilla resistance.

They were prepared to literally disappear into thin air by going to ground in a series of 33 secret bunkers hidden all over Devon.

Many of these Bases have since collapsed. But a few remain: including the intact example at Newton Poppleford.

To this day historians are still trying to piece together the full story of the men in the Secret Army. Many of their families have never known exactly what they did in the war.

01/06/2024

What's on in June come and join one or more of our guided walking tours with your friendly guide Mark check out our reviews on TripAdvisor. devonhistorytours.com

31/05/2024

It is always great to read the reviews from my guests when they attend one of my guided tours.

Convincing Story Teller
TripAdvisor review: Ilfracombe Harbour Ghost Tour

Fun couple of hours learning about the many ghosts 'haunting' Ilfracombe's pubs, avenues, and harbour. Mark is a great storyteller and recommend highly.

Spine chilling in places and very convincing. Spent the next day looking for George in the harbour, looking over my shoulder in Rodney Alley, and wondering what did happen on that fateful night when the 'London' was lost on the rocks in Rapparee Cove.

30/05/2024

Tonight's ghost tour is fully booked check out our other tours at devonhistorytours.com

26/05/2024

You have seen the photos of the Famagusta Ghost Town now watch the video as I walk along one of the streets.

15/05/2024

Its happening the first local boat cruise History Tour will take place on 26th May. book your place come and join me :) aboard the Big Yellow Boat known as the Ilfracombe Princess

Journey Through Time with Devon History Tours Aboard the Ilfracombe Princess. Book online for this great history boat cruise.

13/05/2024

So a visit to the Ghost Town has been deserted since the invasion. A fantastic walk through but very somber and resembled something from the apocalypse I was waiting for the zombies to make an appearance. Anyway plenty of photos/video taken to show so you get a feel for what it was like.

12/05/2024

So a day spent in famagusta the Turkish side of the island. What a lovely place. Also stopped and toured the Ghost Town (photos coming later).

The Red bus tour was great and has given me an idea for local tours in my area.

10/05/2024

Day Two of Devon History Tours road trip of Cyprus. Came across a sculpture garden at Ayia Napa went on for miles certainly did all my steps for the day lol

09/05/2024

Devon History Tours is on a road trip and planning the next new guided tour this one is Cyprus.

Cyprus is an island with so much history who wouldn't love to do a tour here. I will post more photos of my travels daily whilst I'm out here.

Stay Tuned.

26/04/2024

It is always great when one receives positive feedback

Great ghost tour
Review: Ilfracombe Harbour Ghost Tour
Mark was an enthusiastic and engaging host, for our 90-minute ghost walk around Ilfracombe. The tour started at the George and Dragon Pub, where the stories were brought to life at the oldest pub in Ilfracombe. Other stops on the tour included the Britannia Hotel and harbour area. Very knowledgeable and plenty of stories to tell! Come and join me at

Embark on a journey through time with Devon History Tours. Located in the picturesque town of Ilfracombe, England, our guided walking tours offer a unique opportunity to explore Devon's rich history and culture. Our experienced guides are passionate about bringing the past to life, ensuring an unfor...

24/04/2024

COMING SOON

Appledore Guided History Walking Tour
A historic fishing village with winding narrow streets and colourful houses, Appledore is full of maritime history and cute pastel houses.

The village is built on a tradition of fishing and boat building which still continues today.

Come and walk the streets and hear of the history that surrounds them.

Dates to be released soon stay tuned.

23/04/2024

Interesting Breakfast Networking Event this morning at Petroc College Barnstaple. Virtual Reality has given me an idea.

22/04/2024

NEW Guided Tour Released = Great Torrington English Civil War Trail

Are you interested in historical battles then join me on my new tour.
Known as the forgotten battle of the English Civil War.

The Battle of Torrington started during the early hours of 16th February 1646. It was the decisive and final battle of the South West of England,

Join us as we walk the route for the battle of Torrington where soldiers on foot and horseback took part in fierce fighting; most of it was hand-to-hand.

Who was victorious, Parliament or Royalists.

Book at www.devonhistorytours.com

20/04/2024

Busy Busy Busy
I am please to announce that I have been speaking to one of our local pleasure cruise boats Ilfracombe Princess and I will be running a coastal guided tour from there.

The first one is planned to take place at the end of May 2024. with further dates planned during the summer season.

Stay tuned for further updates.

18/04/2024

Firstly apologies for being quiet on here its been a busy Easter and things have just started to calm down. I have also been busy behind the scenes working on new tours details of which will be released over the next couple of days stay tuned.

Good news the website is now up and running follow the link below to follow:
www.devonhistorytours.com

Please visit and bookmark you will find details of all my tours here and if you want to join any of them you can book direct via there.

Embark on a journey through time with Devon History Tours. Located in the picturesque town of Ilfracombe, England, our guided walking tours offer a unique opportunity to explore Devon's rich history and culture. Our experienced guides are passionate about bringing the past to life, ensuring an unfor...

03/04/2024

THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642 TO 1646
Ilfracombe's role Part 5

During the Civil War, Thomas Bushell was Governor of Lundy and held mining rights in Combe Martin and South Wales. He probably constructed the Great Adit in Combe Martin, a long wide tunnel for drainage. He had a mint in Aberystwyth, and possibly at Lundy and Combe

Bushell was such a staunch supporter of the King that Lundy was the last Royalist stronghold in the country to capitulate. Parliament promised to restore Bushell’s interests on the mainland if he surrendered and Bushell wrote to Charles I for advice. The King replied that he was free to use his own discretion, but advised him to be "not overcredulous of vain promises, which hath made us great only in our sufferings, and will not discharge our debts".

This turned out to be good advice, for although Bushell surrendered Lundy with great courtesy and was granted a full pardon in 1647, he was later kidnapped and destitute by 1660 when he petitioned the newly restored Charles II. He was still trying to re-open the Combe Martin mines when he died, aged 80, with debts of £120,000. He was buried at Westminster Abbey in 1674

01/04/2024

THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642 TO 1646
Ilfracombe's role Part 4

Ilfracombe’s coat of arms incorporates three battle axes, said to represent three Civil War battles, presumably those of Warfield, Bloody Meadow, and Parliament Square. The six ships are said to represent those sent by Ilfracombe to Calais in service of Edward III in the early Middle Ages. It was designed by Dr Slade-King and adopted by the Ilfracombe Urban District Council in 1894. Apparently, it should not properly be used, since a quartered shield is conventionally used only for families, not for towns

30/03/2024

THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642 TO 1646
Ilfracombe's Role Part 3

Less than 18 months later, early in April 1646, Ilfracombe was stormed by Colonel Sheffield for Parliament, and Barnstaple fell a few days later to Fairfax. The raid on Ilfracombe may have been led by a Lieut-Col. Harris, who may have attacked the harbour (near Quay House are roads called Government Road and Parliament Square). Harris was later executed for regicide, but had a sort of revenge since his direct descendants include one of the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence and the 9th and 23rd Presidents of the United States! The forts at Ilfracombe and Barnstaple were closed in 1647

28/03/2024

THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642 TO 1646
Ilfracombe's Role Part 2

A few weeks later, on September 12th, 1644, Barnstaple was besieged by the Royalist General Goring and sent to Ilfracombe for aid, but the messengers are said to have been fired upon by the Ilfracombe garrison. The following day Ilfracombe Castle surrendered to another attack led by Doddington, without a shot being fired. One (Parliamentary) newspaper at the time referred to the treachery of the Governor of Melcombe Castle. The Royalists seized 20 canons, 20 barrels of gunpowder, and over 200 fi****ms and Barnstaple fell soon after on September 17th.

26/03/2024

THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642 TO 1646
Ilfracombe's role Part 1

At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, Ilfracombe, like many ports at the time, was in support of Parliament. In 1644 the Royalist Sir Francis Doddington marched on Ilfracombe from Minehead, and on August 20th attempted to seize Ilfracombe Castle, which area later became known as Warfields. He was repulsed but continued into the town, burning 27 houses and killing at least 11 of the defenders (who were recorded in the burial register the following day) before retreating. The location of this battle was probably the Brookdale Avenue area below the Torrs, which used to be known as Bloody Meadow - musket and cannon balls are said to have been found here in the past.

22/03/2024

Take a stroll through history with our guided tour of Ilfracombe's historical landmarks! 🏰
Book here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g191252-d24126003-Reviews-Devon_History_Tours-Ilfracombe_Devon_England.html

20/03/2024

Get ready to uncover the secrets of Ilfracombe's past with our ghost tour this Thursday at 8pm! 👻
Book here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g191252-d24126003-Reviews-Devon_History_Tours-Ilfracombe_Devon_England.html

18/03/2024

Did you know Ilfracombe has a fascinating history? Explore it with our self-guided tour of High Street! 🏛️

Scan the QR Code to download the tour and enjoy.