Axmouth
September 28, 2022
28 Sep 22. HM 205. Axmouth, the harbour which comes with two bits of advice... and a lot of history.
"There are two types of sailor who enter Axmouth, those who have hit the entrance wall... and those who are going to!" So says the Pilot Book...
"The only way to enter Axmouth safely at high water, is to visit the entrance at low water to see precisely where the bar channel currently lies. " That was the helpful advice I was given by Harbour Master and local fisherman Angus Walker when I visited on foot.
The shallow bar is impressive and the channel through it can shift by 50 ft from one day to the next. A webcam set up by the Yacht Club on the cliff above does publish a helpful "hourly photo" online.
Angus proudly told me Axmouth is the oldest harbour in England - now that is quite a claim but I did find this on www.ports.org.uk :
"In prehistoric times Axmouth was the most important harbour in the West of England, protected by the iron age hillforts of Hawkesdown and Musbury. The Phoenicians sailed into the River Axe and it was a significant port in Roman times. Ancient roadways all led to the harbour and the Fosse Way (Lincoln to Exeter) ended at Axmouth."
His story about 87 viking ships raiding the river Axe, being defeated by locals who then burnt all their ships... was a little more difficult to verify online!
What Angus did show me was a pill box which marked the end of the WW2 defensive "Taunton Stop Line" running from Axmouth to Highbridge on the Bristol Channel.
Angus himself made history by closing the harbour after the container ship Napoli went aground nearby in 2007. The wreck hit the news with locals using "salvaging rights" to claim washed-up goods including new BMW motorbikes. For the HM something else was first on his mind and he successfully laid a floating barrage across the harbour entrance to prevent oil polluting three local SSSIs.
Thank you Angus for showing me your beautiful harbour, I look forward to sailing Good Dog across the bar in 2023.
"There are two types of sailor who enter Axmouth, those who have hit the entrance wall... and those who are going to!" So says the Pilot Book...
"The only way to enter Axmouth safely at high water, is to visit the entrance at low water to see precisely where the bar channel currently lies. " That was the helpful advice I was given by Harbour Master and local fisherman Angus Walker when I visited on foot.
The shallow bar is impressive and the channel through it can shift by 50 ft from one day to the next. A webcam set up by the Yacht Club on the cliff above does publish a helpful "hourly photo" online.
Angus proudly told me Axmouth is the oldest harbour in England - now that is quite a claim but I did find this on www.ports.org.uk :
"In prehistoric times Axmouth was the most important harbour in the West of England, protected by the iron age hillforts of Hawkesdown and Musbury. The Phoenicians sailed into the River Axe and it was a significant port in Roman times. Ancient roadways all led to the harbour and the Fosse Way (Lincoln to Exeter) ended at Axmouth."
His story about 87 viking ships raiding the river Axe, being defeated by locals who then burnt all their ships... was a little more difficult to verify online!
What Angus did show me was a pill box which marked the end of the WW2 defensive "Taunton Stop Line" running from Axmouth to Highbridge on the Bristol Channel.
Angus himself made history by closing the harbour after the container ship Napoli went aground nearby in 2007. The wreck hit the news with locals using "salvaging rights" to claim washed-up goods including new BMW motorbikes. For the HM something else was first on his mind and he successfully laid a floating barrage across the harbour entrance to prevent oil polluting three local SSSIs.
Thank you Angus for showing me your beautiful harbour, I look forward to sailing Good Dog across the bar in 2023.