Topsham

We know that Jeroen Vlieland sailed his Post of Topsham from Rotterdam to Topsham and back  for many years .

But what do we know about Topsham .

Just four miles away from Exeter city centre lies the historic port of Topsham. Famed for its shipbuilding and maritime history, Topsham on the Exe Estuary was once a larger port than Exeter itself. Now still delightfully self-contained, it offers a mixture of fascinating architecture including the Dutch style merchants houses is home to antique shops, tea rooms, pubs and restaurants of character.

The Nineteenth Century

In the nineteenth century trade through the port was healthy, with few predicting the decline that would follow the coming of the railway to Exeter, in 1844. A great storm in 1823 moved the channel between Exmouth and Dawlish Warren just at a time when ships were becoming larger. Additional silting of the channel into the port and the completion of the last great extension of the canal to Turf, saw an increasing number of ships unloading their cargoes into lighters, for transportation up the recently enlarged canal or to Topsham quay. The quays at Topsham were serving smaller ships, especially fishing vessel. Ship building went through a revival from around 1790 when there were at least seven shipbuilders in the town, up until 1815. From the turn of the century until 1830 at least 92 vessels were built in the Topsham yards.

TOPSHAM IN SLATER'S DIRECTORY OF 1852
Topsham is a seaport, market town and parish in the Hundred of Wonford, about 4 miles south from Exeter, and nearly 5 above the junction of the River Exe with the sea, and is within the port of Exeter. The river expands here to a considerable width, forming, at high tides, a noble sheet of water. About a mile to the south, on the opposite side of it, are the sea locks opening into the Canal leading to Exeter. A quay was constructed here by Hugh Courtney in the early part of the 14th century; in 1778 it was purchased by the Coporation of Exeter, who improved it and rendered it convenient. The coald and timber trades, ship-building, and rope, twine and sack-making were the chief branches of business carried on here, but they have considerably declined of later years. The beautiful Strand at this place, which is generally admired for the extensive and diversified prospects obtained from it, embracing views on the River Exe, the Canal, the railway and the road, within the distance of a mile, will principally arrest the observation of every stranger.

The places of worship at Topsham are the parish church, and meeting houses for Independents, Unitarians and Wesleyan Methodists. The church is dedicated to St Margaret, and contains some good monuments by Chantrey, and the view from the churchyard is considered very fine.


Topsham, the former port of Exeter, has a long and ancient history. Originally a Roman hamlet, as well as an Anglo-Saxon settlement, it is sited on land bounded by the Exe estuary and the Clyst river.

The Exe estuary was once navigable as far as Exeter, though Topsham’s importance increased when Countess Isabella de Fortibus built a partial weir across the river in 1290 to run her mills. This cut Exeter off from the sea and allowed Topsham to control all maritime trade.

Topsham’s town charter dates back to 1300. Its shipyards supplied three boats to sail against the Spanish Armada. The town was an important Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War. Though Exeter recovered some of the maritime trade when it commissioned England’s first ship canal to be cut between Turf Locks and Exeter Quay, Topsham continued to be a seafaring town of some importance. Shipbuilding was an important trade through the 19th century, and ships still came up to Topsham Quay until the end of the 20th century. Maritime trade with the Netherlands is reflected in the Dutch architecture of The Strand.

Now we know that at least 5 times each year het went to Tiverton.