Piracy, plunder and war in the Bristol Channel by Philip Ashford – 1st April 2025
Attendees commented how interesting they found Philips talk. Several new facts and unknown stories. Initially a distinction was made between Pirates and Privateers as the characters often switched between the two. It was said that the anchorage off Portishead (The Kings Road) was more important than the Bristol Docks. Apart from the docks Minehead, Bridgwater were well-known and indeed there were plans for Martello Towers along the channel, although none built. Lundy Island was quite prominent as being a navigational…