Paradise Point has an enviable position on the River Dart thanks to its incredible views of both the town and the mouth of the river. This position means it has been involved in some of the town’s most notable historical events and coveted by some of its greatest men.
Paradise Point
In 1402 a man named John Corp applied for, and obtained, a licence to ‘crenellate’ his house overlooking Warfleet Creek ‘in defence of the King’s enemies’.
It’s not difficult to understand why he thought he needed protection from enemies of the King – Dartmouth was a prime target for raids by the men of Britanny. They were liable to attack, in the most part, because of one man – John Hawley.
Hawley had spent much of the previous twenty years fighting a near one-man war against the Bretons, who had taken him hostage and humiliated him in 1384, despite him having the blessing of the Duke of Brittany. This was right in the middle of the Hundred Years War and the former lands of William the Conqueror were supposed to be friendly to British.
Hawley decided this meant the gloves were off. Against the wishes of the incumbent King Richard II, he put together a fleet that captured 32 Breton vessels in 1386, stealing their valuable cargo of salt.
This didn’t go down well.Soon after, King Richard ordered Hawley to build a castle at the mouth of the River Dart to protect the port. This was begun in 1388 but slowed down somewhat after 1389 when peace was declared between England and France.
However, it was soon evident that even though war was not officially in progress, both sides were employing ‘privateers’ to wage an almost secret war along the English Channel. Hawley’s ships and men were enthusiastic participants in this war, raiding along the Breton and French coasts.
To help with the build of the castle, King Richard gave Dartmouth sole rights to export tin from the country. This made Dartmouth a vital port within the South West economy, hence the need for protection from marauding Frenchmen!
The crenellating Mr Corp was an important man in the town, known as ‘Deputy Chief Butler’. The Deputy Chief Butler was a tax officer and John Corp was charged by the king to collect all the duty on wine brought into Dartmouth.
This placed him high up the Dartmouth power rankings for the time, only just below the legendary Hawley. He would have not only been influential but, in all probablility, also very rich.His home overlooked Warfleet Creek and gave an unparalleled view of the river. It would have been a perfect place to use as a firing point should enemy vessels sail up the Dart.
The tower, for tower it was, stood high above the river until 1855. But it did not do so unscathed – in fact it was badly damaged during one of the most difficult periods in Dartmouth’s history – the Civil War.
The Civil War’s effect on Dartmouth reflects the division and heartache it caused elsewhere. The town was first attacked and then occupied in 1643 – Families were divided, people of integrity were ruined and people lost their lives. Dartmouth strongly supported the Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell. Charles I sent his European nephew to take on the Royalist sections of the west country. He decided that he would try to take Dartmouth before moving on to Plymouth. It’s a mark of the town’s importance as a port that Prince Maurice considered this a priority. However, it is clear he thought the port would be an easier target than it in fact turned out.
A combination of dogged defending and terrible weather meant that it took months to take.Starting in Warfleet Valley, Maurice’s forces took Paradise Fort quickly and this gave them a commanding position from which to bombard both the Castle and the town with cannon. Cannon balls from this hail of metal have been found all over the town – and using this position, along with another site above the Castle at Gallants Bower, enabled the Royalist forces to prevail.
They had spent so long doing so, however, that Plymouth had the time to fortify themselves and the city never fell to the Royalists – a vital factor in the final victory for Cromwell’s Roundheads.
After it played a part in this exciting chapter of Dartmouth’s history, Paradise Fort settled into almost obscurity for a few hundred years – until someone knocked it down in 1855 and built a beautiful home there.
Three years later, a remarkable man sailed into the harbour and did what so many others before and after have done – he fell in love with Dartmouth.George Parker Bidder had been an attraction at fairs in his youth as ‘the calculating boy’ – able to do amazing sums in his head despite never having gone to school. In a turn of events more likely to be found in a Dickens novel, a rich benefactor saw him perform and paid for his education. This gave George the chance to make his mark in the world and he became a huge success as a civil engineer – arguably as influential as the Great IK Brunel whom he knew and with whom shared many interests.
Bidder had made a large fortune and was looking for a country retreat when he first came into Dartmouth in 1858 – and in 1861 he bought ‘Paradise’ (as it was referred to at the time). Renaming it ‘Ravensbury’ after his other home in Surrey, the town became a refuge for the high achieving former savant. Bidder played an important role in the local community, helping to build the Warfleet Bridge and drew up the first plans for the construction of the Embankment. He also teamed up with that other great engineering son of Dartmouth, Samuel Lake, to create the first steam trawler and even became a local councillor.
Paradise Point had charmed the Calculating Boy to make Dartmouth his permanent home.
First published By the Dart 2014