SS Freshspring Trust

27/05/2026

⚓ Come along for an afternoon of island life, maritime history and unforgettable stories from Lundy with former Lundy Agent John Puddy – Wednesday 3rd June, 2.30pm at the Weare Giffard Village Hall 🚢

20/05/2026

🚢Welcome the Iconic Waverley to Bideford!🚢

Join us on Monday 15th June for a very special evening as the world-famous paddle steamer Waverley arrives in Bideford on the evening high tide.

SS Freshspring are offering a limited number of VIP Viewing Tickets so you can enjoy the best views as Waverley steams into Bideford — and later wave her off as she departs!
📍 Location: SS Freshspring, Bideford Quay, Landivisiau Walk, EX39 2BX
🗓 Date: Monday 15th June
🕔 Time: 17:15 – 19:15
🎟 Tickets: £10 per person

Your VIP ticket includes:
• Complimentary glass of Prosecco & Nibbles
• Union Flag to welcome Waverley in style
• Choice of seated or standing viewing positions
Even better, all profits from ticket sales will go directly towards the ongoing restoration of SS Freshspring, proudly berthed in Bideford

Buy your tickets:
https://www.ssfreshspring.co.uk/events/the-waverley-visits-bideford
Spaces are limited, so book early and be part of this memorable maritime occasion! 🚢
Waverley Estimated Timings for 15 June:
Bideford Pilot Station: 1715, Passing Appledore: 1730,
At Bideford: 1750, Alongside Quay: 1800, Depart: 1900,
Disembark Pilot: 1930, Sunset: 2141

Please share with fellow maritime enthusiasts and local supporters 🙌

20/05/2026

Take a look at this fantastic new photo gallery of SS Freshspring captured by talented local photographer Tom Maund from SKY RELICS

Tom has beautifully captured the atmosphere, detail and character of the ship through a stunning collection of photographs now available to view online.

📸 View the gallery here:
https://madmount.com/freshspring/

Thank you, Tom, for your continued support of the ship and for sharing your work with the wider community.

12/05/2026

🚂 Full Steam-punk Ahead for Freshspring! 🎩

SS Freshspring had a fantastic day at the Lynton & Lynmouth Steampunk Gathering with Edna the Engine stealing the show!

Last Saturday, our Chair John Puddy and the Freshspring team had a fantastic time attending the annual Lynton and Lynmouth Steampunk Gathering — and what an incredible day it was!
The streets were filled with spectacular steampunk costumes, creativity, and fun, making it a joy simply to people-watch throughout the event. 🎩⚙️🕰️
Our very own miniature steam engine Edna was the star of our show, delighting visitors of all ages as she steamed along Lynton’s main street! 🚂❤️
One of the highlights of the day was a visit from the wonderful local dance collective Switchframe, who stopped by for photos with Edna — and insisted John joined in too! 📸💃 The smiles say it all. A huge thank you to for bringing such fantastic energy and supporting the day! ✨
We were also proud to display our Freshspring model ship, which initiated so many conversations about the ship’s remarkable story — from her near escape from the scrapyard, to her rescue and ongoing restoration, and ultimately our aim of seeing her return to sea once again. ⚓🚢
It was wonderful to meet visitors from across the world including Germany, Moldova, and Brazil, while also connecting with many people closer to home who are now looking forward to visiting Freshspring during our FREE summer openings, every Sunday 11-4pm until the end of September. ☀️
Events like these remind us just how valuable community connections are, and we’d like to say a huge thank you to the organisers of the Lynton & Lynmouth Steampunk Gathering for looking after us so well and making the whole event such a pleasure to attend. 🙏
⚓🚂

03/05/2026

⚓ Inspiring Future Shipwrights at Westcroft! ⚓

02/05/2026

3300 Tons by Sea, 117 Lorries Off Our Roads 🚢🌍

New images from inside the GT Cetus, following her arrival from Klaipeda into Appledore last week. 🛳️📸

🚜 Now empty, the vessel delivered 3300 tons of animal feed for farms across North Devon.
🛣️ By delivering into the port, she has taken over 117 trucks (28 tons of cargo) off the main UK road network.

The arrival marks the 20th feed shipment into Navantia Newquay since August 2024.

Torridge District Council and Navantia UK continue to work together to bring these ships in and are actively looking for other cargos to reduce road congestion and carbon emissions wherever possible.

21/04/2026

📣 Book Launch Event – Join Us!

SS Freshspring is pleased to share details of an upcoming local event: the launch of “The Many Lives of Jane Hannah MacDonald” by Annemarie Munro.

📍 The Fairway Buoy, Westward Ho!
📅 Saturday 23rd May 2026
⏰ 10:30am

This new publication tells the story of Jane Hannah MacDonald III, and importantly…
⚓ All profits from the book will go towards the renovation of JHM III.

If you’re interested in maritime history, local heritage, or simply enjoy a good story, this is well worth attending.

👉 Pop it in your diary and come along!

11/04/2026

🚢 SS Freshspring Open Sunday 12th April 🚢

Step aboard a piece of living maritime history right here in Bideford!

We’re open tomorrow from 11:00am to 4:00pm, and everyone is welcome to come and explore this incredible historic steamship.

⚓ Discover the engine room and see how this unique vessel once powered the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
⚓ Learn about her fascinating story and preservation
⚓ Chat with our friendly volunteers
⚓ A great day out for families, history lovers, and the curious alike

Whether you’ve visited before or it’s your first time, there’s always something new to see on SS Freshspring. Come down, say hello, and support this amazing local project ❤️

05/04/2026

🚢 We’re OPEN for the 2026 season! 🎉

Today’s the day — SS Freshspring is open to visitors for the first time this year!

🕚 Open today: 11am – 4pm
📍 Landivisau Walk, Bideford EX39 2BX

Come aboard, explore this incredible historic steamship, and discover her story.

🌞 We’d love to be open every Sunday until the end of September — but to make that happen, we need more volunteers.

🙌 If you can spare some time and would like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you!

Bring your friends and family for a unique day out ⚓

31/03/2026

🚨 Volunteers Urgently Needed – Help Keep Freshspring Open! 🚨

We need your help to keep something truly special alive in our community.

This Easter Sunday, the Steamship Freshspring will be lowering its gangplank for free public visits — and we’d love to stay open every Sunday (11am–4pm) right through to the end of September.

But right now, that’s at risk… simply because we don’t have enough volunteers.

💙 Could you spare a few hours?
No experience or maritime knowledge is needed at all — just a friendly face and a willingness to chat and welcome visitors.

👋 What you’ll get:
• A warm, supportive team
• A chance to meet new people
• The opportunity to be part of preserving an important local charity and historic ship

Whether you’re young, retired, or anywhere in between — if you enjoy talking to people, we’d love to have you on board!

⚓ Help us keep the gangplank down and the doors open.

👉 Find out more: https://www.ssfreshspring.co.uk/

📩 Comment on this post or send us a direct message for more details

Please share this post to help us reach more people 🙏

RHS Garden Rosemoor Bideford Bike Show eford

The last of her kind — now open to explore in Bideford, North Devon