A (very) short History of Dartmouth
Dartmouth isn’t actually that old: it isn’t listed in the Domesday Book, which was compiled in 1087.
It shows Stoke Fleming, Totnes and Blackawton, but not Dartmouth. This is because at the time Dartmouth was probably a tiny collection of houses used by fishermen.
The setting that is now admired by millions of visitors each year is one of the deepest natural harbours in the country. This prompted the British contingent of 164 ships of the Second Crusade in 1147 to gather here before setting off for the Holy Land.
Around the time the ships were gathering for the Third Crusade, people in the town were considering a remarkable engineering challenge, which would be the start of modern Dartmouth.
The problem with Dartmouth in these early years is that there was little flat ground for building and tidal basins made bringing in ships loaded with provisions tricky.
To solve both these problems the ‘Fosse’ – or large dam across the largest Creek in the river - was built. Following the line of the current Foss Street, water was let in a low tide and allowed out over waterwheels to grind corn – it was both the start of the town’s expansion and its means to feed its newly enlarged population.
From there, more and more land was reclaimed as rich merchants sought to place warehouses and their homes close to the river. One family, who built a warehouse off the Foss itself, was the Hawleys. They were to spawn the town’s most famous (or infamous) son: John.
Born in the mid fourteenth century to a family which was already well off, he increased his family’s power and wealth by any means necessary. Mayor fourteen times, he built a major part of St Saviours Church, was instructed by the king to construct the first Dartmouth Castle, saved the town from marauding Breton Knights in 1404 by organising the force which competed in and won the Battle of Blackpool Sands and ran a hugely successful international trading company. He also was a bit of a pirate who ended up in the tower of London and seemed to enjoy courting controversy and annoying the rich and powerful – even though he was both!
The town became a busy and prosperous trading hub and safe haven for all sorts of vessels: in 1620 two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell, sailed into harbour. Well, the Mayflower sailed, the Speedwell limped, taking on water. They had religious refugees on board – some would say dangerous zealots, some would say brave men and women of principal. They stopped at Bayards Cove and asked the local shipwrights to find out why the Speedwell was taking on water. The workmen found nothing wrong with the ship and they sailed away. Eventually they would make it to the ‘New World’ and form a vital part of the founding myth of the country that would become the United States of America.
The Royalists occupied the town during the Civil War: they took the town thanks to a base at Gallants Bower above the town’s Castle. The Castle had been developed in the 16th century as the first to feature specialist installations for artillery in Britain. Unfortunately for the defenders, the guns were aimed at the sea and had little defence to attacks from behind.
The town’s Roundheads put up such a fight that they delayed an army of Royalists reaching Plymouth on schedule, giving the Plymouthians time to prepare their defences. The Royalists never took Plymouth and this was one of the main turning points of the war. Dartmouth again played a small but significant role in an important historical event.
The town saw a real expansion and development in the Victorian era - the development of the Embankment transformed the town after many years of bitter infighting and even the bankrupting of the Harbour Authority.
Two hulks were dragged into harbour in 1863, but they were welcomed with open arms: they were the Britannia and the Hindustan, which were to be the new base for the training of Royal Navy officers. Not only was this connection to bring prestige and investment to the town, it would also create a Royal connection, as the sons of the Queen were sent to Dartmouth for their education, and they would all return.
In 1864 the railway arrived in Kingswear to great fanfare. Although it never achieved the dizzying heights of passengers and economic growth its supporters claimed, it would play a significant role in the town’s continuing growth.
The town continued to develop, with the building of the Britannia Royal Naval College, replacing the ageing hulks of Britannia and Hindustan in 1905.
The BRNC brought wartime worries close to home for many Dartmothains, and in the Second World War its strategic importance meant it was a hub for clandestine operations large and small. These culminated in the debacle of Exercise Tiger - in which 1,000 servicemen lost their lives training for D-Day – and the triumph of D-Day itself, as more than 400 vessels left from the Dart.
Since the war, the town has been a honey pot for tourists and has seen its development driven by the need to improve facilities and visitors’ experiences: the new Embankment in 1986 and the building of the Flavel Arts Centre and the Leisure Centre show how determined the town is to be a pleasant place to visit.
Dartmouth continues to shine as a jewel in the South West – and its history is as glittering as many much larger and more famous ports.
