Pleasure Steamers & Piers of the South Devon Coast

For more than a century between the 1830s and 1960s an essential part of a holiday in South Devon was a trip along the coast on board an excursion steamer. In addition to operating from local seaside piers and harbours, these ships were almost unique in being able to run their bows directly onto the open beaches between Seaton and Start Point and land their passengers directly onto the shingle by means of ingenious hinging gangways. The most famous were the paddle steamers Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, owned by the Exmouth-based Devon Dock, Pier and Steamship Company, which sits at the heart of the story, but there were many others based at Plymouth, Teignmouth, Dartmouth and Torquay. As well as offering local trips to view the delightful scenery of the coast, they ranged westwards as far as Falmouth and the Scilly Isles, eastwards to Weymouth and Bournemouth and even across the Channel to Guernsey, Jersey and France.

In addition to providing the first comprehensive history of these steamers and the piers, resorts and docks with which they were inextricably linked, this absorbing and carefully-researched book brings alive the story of both the ships themselves and the remarkable people who owned and operated them.  Numerous colourful incidents are described ranging from regattas and Naval Reviews through war service and periods of cut-throat competition, to the challenges of stormy weather, strandings and even one notable shipwreck. The revival of annual visits by Waverley, the World’s last seagoing paddle steamer, brings the story up to date and reminds the reader that it is still possible to relive the excitement and unique charm of sailing along the Devon coast on board a traditional excursion steamship.

Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources and illustrated by a superb selection of over 300 rare photographs, sailing bills and plans the book will fascinate maritime, social and local historians, pier and paddle steamer enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in the development of tourism, settlements and transport links in South Devon.