Bideford’s waterfront on the River Torridge

seldom fails to offer something of interest to see, and this week it has been more than usually interesting with a visit by the Army hovercraft on three weeks of exercised in the Bristol Channel area.

Our photograph show its first visit at the weekend, with one of the helicopters of RAF Chivenor doing its own kind of hovering overhead.

This is the first time an Army hovercraft has operated in the Bristol Channel, and exercises will extend across to South Wales.

The craft is 39ft by 24ft, has a top speed of 60 knots and a four-hour cruising range. It is powered by a Bristol-Siddely Gnome gas turbine of 900 shaft-horse power, and has radar and radio.

Arrangements were made for representatives of local authorities to be taken for trips around the Taw and Torridge estuary on the hovercraft.

Gazette article dated 13 October 1967