The Canal Basin

🚢 In this evocative scene from 1915, tall-masted sailing ships are moored peacefully along Exeter’s Canal Basin, their rigging silhouetted against a hazy, smoke-filled sky. The industrial chimney in the background speaks of a changing Britain—where the age of sail was slowly giving way to steam and war loomed ever larger.

⚓️ Once a hub of maritime trade and local industry, the Canal Basin was vital for transporting goods inland from the coast. Even as the First World War engulfed Europe, Exeter’s docks remained a place of quiet labour, resilience, and timeless rhythm.

🧱 The scene blends pastoral calm with industrial presence: a dirt path, a horse cart, faint human figures, and the spires of Exeter’s skyline merge in sepia stillness. It is a powerful reminder of the intersection between tradition, toil, and transformation.

📸 Do you own old photographs of Exeter’s maritime past? Upload them to Oldpik.com and help preserve the hidden heritage of Britain’s working waterways.

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