Exeter Heritage Harbour Festival celebrates city’s maritime history
Published: 14 May 2024
The popular Exeter Heritage Harbour Festival will be returning to Exeter Quayside in June to celebrate the city’s maritime history and Heritage Harbour status.
The festival will feature a packed programme of free entertainment for all the family, on Saturday 8 June, 11am to 10.30pm, and Sunday 9 June, 11am to 4pm.
It includes maritime history, live music, film and family-friendly activities. The festival aims to celebrate the historic area with free events throughout the weekend at the Quay.
Exeter is one of a few Heritage Harbours in the UK, preserving historic maritime features and buildings that connect the public to the area’s rich maritime past.
Festival highlights include:
Saturday 8 June:
Transit Shed & Custom House
- Saddles & Paddles taster sessions - pop in or call 01392 424241 to book a free one-hour sessions on a range of watersports
- Parker’s Harbour - Richard Parker shows the development of Exeter harbour over five centuries via his own brilliant illustrated re-creations. Custom House, 2pm
- Exeter Red Coat tour of Historic Quay, Custom House
- Take a trip on the River Exe Swan Boat (land-based version) with Burn the Curtain Theatre Company. Bookings from outside the Custom House.
- Drop-in and Visit Cricklepit Mill, throughout the day
Nautical Film Festival:
3pm: Finding Nemo (2003)
5.20pm: Captain Peacock and the Swanboat of the River Exe by Burn the Curtain followed by The Onedin Line Redux
6pm: Your Local Arena screening of Caroline 199 – A Pirate’s Tale, plus special guest panel talk. Enjoy a screening of a classic BBC Arena archive film on the story of Radio Caroline, followed by a panel talk and commissioned poem. Part of the Your Local Arena project produced by Speaking Volumes, Lucy Hannah and hosted by Quay Words.
8.30pm: The African Queen, classic feature film (1952)
Piazza Terracina & Canal Basin
Activities Celebrating 200 Years of the RNLI - Piazza Terracina, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Arrival of flotilla of vessels from the Steamboat Association of Great Britain
Canal Basin, Approx 12.30pm
Sunday 9 June:
Transit Shed & Custom House area
- Steam City Jazz Band
- Willow Workshop with Weird Sticks CIC.
- Take a trip on the River Exe Swan Boat (land-based version) with Burn the Curtain Theatre Company. Bookings from outside the Custom House.
Piazza Terracina
- Lord Mayor arrives by Steamboat, 11am
- Steam Traction Engines
- Maritime Market
- Ride-on Steam Railway
- Steam Vessels from Steam Boat Association of Great Britain
- Redcoat Tours of Historic Quay at 11am, 1pm and 3pm
- Live Music from Spin 2, Dilly Boys, Liberty Sisters
East Quay
- Co-Create Open Day, 12pm – 3pm
- Tours of sailing smack Britannia, 12pm – 3pm
- Traditional ship-working demonstrations
- Garden Railway Exhibition (Topsham Brewery)
- South West Maritime History Society talks at Haven Banks Outdoor Centre
For more information visit https://exetercustomhouse.co.uk/event/exeter-heritage-harbour-festival-2024-2/#top