Brixham Trawlers

Many people already know of Brixham as a traditional fishing town; however, few know the full extent that this little village has had on fishing communities around Britain and northern Europe. 

In the late 18th century, motivated by dwindling catches, Brixham fishermen and boat builders set about creating faster boats that could fish in deep water. The design they developed was then known as a 'Brixham Trawler' and was adopted for use around the world. 

It was a wooden sailing trawler, about 18-24 metres in length, with a long, straight keel. Its sleek underwater profile and tall rig gave it the speed fishermen needed to reach remote fishing grounds, towing a large trawl, and return home in relatively short time.

The design of the Brixham Trawlers was copied around the British coast as new ports sprang up to take advantage of the deep-sea grounds that were opening up to faster boats. By the end of the 19th century there were more than 3000 sailing trawlers based at British ports, with a fleet of 400 at Brixham.

Brixham’s Red Sails

The characteristic colour of the 'red sails' used on Brixham Trawlers was the result of a preservation treatment known as 'barking'. Locally mined red ochre was combined with oil and used to coat sails to protect them from the harsh effects of seawater. It was boiled in great cauldrons together with tar, tallow and oak bark – the latter providing the name for the process. The hot mixture was painted on the sails in the barking yards at Overgang, and then hung up to dry.

An accidental side effect of this treatment was rust-prevention, leading to local entrepreneur Richard Wolston creating the world’s first rust-prevention paint in 1845. To move his new paint products north, Wolston was instrumental in connecting the railway from Churston to Brixham which in turn, helped the Brixham fisherman get their catch to the London market fresh.

Unfortunately, with no patent on the rust-prevention paint, and facing a legal battle against a competitor railway company, Wolston died a pauper. Wolston is still relatively unknown, however his contribution to Brixham undoubtedly helped fuel the success of the town’s fishing industry. Without Wolston’s railway and with limited other transportation techniques of the mid-1800s, the small town based in the far South West was unlikely to become the successful fishing port it is now.

Brixham’s Fishing Industry Today

Today, Brixham’s trawling heritage is evident in the distinctive setting of the harbour and the unique historic buildings and narrow streets. Still a busy port, anyone visiting Brixham is sure to pick up on the strong community spirit in Brixham, fuelled by the tight fisherman community. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see people lined along the harbour walls watching the modern trawlers coming in and out of the port, usually surrounded by flocks of seagulls.

Trawler design has undergone many changes since the 18th century and only a handful of the original sailed boats survive. One such trawler is the Vigilance, which is was made in Upham Yard - now Breakwater Beach - in 1926 and is still based in the harbour today.