Winter Waterside Wander - November 2025

Following the success of two previous walks with Friends of Exeter Ship Canal Heritage Harbour, the idea for a special Winter Waterside Wander was born!

Supported by Felix (Community Physical Activity Organiser) and Zoe (Community Builder) from Wellbeing Exeter, the route started at the Piazza Terracina on the Quay and covered a variety of history snippets.

Highlights included the newly repainted marker buoy outside the River & Canal Office and photos of the Big Freeze of 1917, when the canal and river froze over and people skated, rode bicycles on the ice and even roasted an ox!

The group was then invited to coffee and mince pies with the Thursday Activity Group at Shilhay Community Centre. Here, local resident Ken Broad kindly joined us to share memories of his childhood home on the Canal Bank - and his grandparents’ home on the island where the large buoy sculpture now sits. One resident said: “It’s so nice to see the community room full of people!”

Felix said: “Another fantastic guided history walk with the Friends of Exeter Ship Canal. The mild and dry weather was on our side, as a group of 25 of us went on a gentle stroll along the waterside, listening to stories about the shipping canal's past. These strolls have been organised to be a gentle pace on paved areas so they are accessible to all. Thank you to all who joined us on the walk and to everyone involved in organising and running the event. We are planning further walks for the new year!”