One of the best drama series to hit our TV screens in the
1970s was The Onedin Line, which charted the fortunes of a 19th
century shipping line. The stirring
theme music set the scene for this maritime epic, starring the late Peter
Gilmore as James Onedin and Anne Stallybrass as his wife Anne, which gave a
fascinating insight into seafaring life at the time, both at sea and on
shore. The shore base of the shipping
line was meant to be Liverpool, but much of the filming took place in Dartmouth,
while many of the dock scenes were filmed in Gloucester Docks (moving to
Pembroke Dock for the last series). Dartmouth’s
historic riverfront, with its reminders of the town’s seafaring past, made a
convincing backdrop for the filming of a story set during this period, while
the massive 19th century waterside warehouses of Gloucester Docks,
overlooked by the majestic tower of Gloucester Cathedral, served equally well
for the shore-based scenes.
The action filmed in Dartmouth centred around Bayards Cove
and the surrounding picturesque streets.
The 16th century fort at Bayards Cove was used as a gun
emplacement intended as an additional line of defence to the Dartmouth and
Kingswear castles, which face each other at the mouth of the Dart. The fort was deliberately sited at the
narrowest point of the channel forming the entrance to the harbour. In the period leading up to the construction
of the fort, Dartmouth had developed into an important trading port, serving
the wine trade with France, and later on the cloth trade. The town went into a decline in the 18th
century, and with it the fort, but its fortunes were revived with the opening
of the Naval College and the town’s popularity as a tourist destination. The fort is now owned by English Heritage,
who also own the castle.
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| Dartmouth's waterfront |
As well as the town’s historic sights, Dartmouth’s main
appeal is its beautiful river. Boat
trips are available, some of them linking Dartmouth with Totnes, an attractive
market town further upstream. There is a
steam railway on the Kingswear side of the estuary offering trips to Paignton,
and tickets combining this with the boat trips are available. The town itself is an appealing mix of pubs,
restaurants, cafes and shops. Dartmouth Museum is housed in the row of houses known as The Butterwalk, built in the
1630s as merchants’ trading houses.
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| Dartmouth Castle |
It was the 1827 opening of the Gloucester and Sharpness
Canal, linking the city to the mouth of the River Severn and the Bristol
Channel beyond, which led to Gloucester taking off as a trading port in the 19th
century. The docks’ facilities steadily
grew during the course of the century, with the arrival of the railway in the
1840s providing a further fillip. By the
second half of the century goods were being imported from Northern Europe and
the Black Sea ports, and even as far afield as North America and the Russian
Arctic. The produce reaching our shores
via Gloucester ranged from timber to wines and spirits and even guano for
fertiliser. In the early 20th
century steamers began running services from Gloucester to ports on the
Continent. It was the increasing size of
many of the vessels which eventually contributed to the decline of the
docks.
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| Gloucester Docks |
Nowadays, it is largely pleasure craft that make use of the
facilities, with traditional canal barges rubbing shoulders with river cruisers
in the 50-berth marina. Anyone wanting
to relive the glory days and immerse themselves in the Onedin Line experience
should visit during the Tall Ships Festival, when visitors get the chance to view
these evocative vessels at close quarters.
In the last few years, particularly since last year when the city hosted
some of the Rugby World Cup matches, Gloucester Docks has really taken off as a
tourist attraction, with Gloucester Quays Outlet shopping centre, a host of
bars and restaurants, and a Waterways Museum from where tickets can be
purchased for a boat trip along the canal.
There are also a number of other events each year besides the Tall Ships
Festival, including a Food Festival, a Sea Shanty Festival and a Victorian
Christmas Market.
Map of Dartmouth.
Map of Gloucester.
