The Story of Island Street, Salcombe: From Shipwrights to Studios

Tucked beside the sparkling waters of the Kingsbridge Estuary, Island Street is one of Salcombe’s most distinctive thoroughfares — a place where the salty tang of the sea still lingers in the air, mingling with the scent of paint, varnish, and artisan craft. Today, it’s known for its creative studios, galleries, and independent shops, but behind the polished facades lies a rich maritime heritage that helped shape Salcombe itself.

Unlike Salcombe’s medieval core of winding lanes and fisherman’s cottages, Island Street is a relative newcomer. Until the early 20th century, much of this area was tidal creek and mudflat, lapped by the waters of the estuary. Local archives record that land reclamation began in earnest in the early 1900s, transforming the shoreline into a narrow strip of usable ground. The new land provided space for workshops, slipways, and quays — essential infrastructure for a town whose life revolved around the sea.

From the 1930s onward, Island Street developed into the industrial heart of Salcombe’s marine world. Boatbuilders, engineers, sailmakers, and shipwrights lined the water’s edge, working on everything from fishing boats and yachts to naval craft. The 1940s saw the construction of the long, narrow workshops that still characterise the street today — timber-built, with wide doors that could open directly onto slipways for launching vessels.

In 1951, the Island Cruising Club was founded here, promoting seamanship and sailing education. The street bustled with marine trade, a working artery that linked the town’s livelihoods directly to the tides.

By the late 20th century, the economic winds began to shift. Traditional boatbuilding declined, and tourism emerged as Salcombe’s defining industry. Yet, Island Street adapted — rather than losing its identity, it reinvented it. Many of the old workshops found new life as galleries, artisan studios, boutique shops, eateries and bars alongside a wider variety of businesses such as property management and even dentistry, all being drawn to the street’s rugged authenticity and charm.

This evolution preserved the street’s working character, even as its industries changed. One of the most symbolic additions to modern Island Street is Salcombe Gin, whose distillery and bar now occupy a converted boatyard, blending maritime history with contemporary craft, or if you fancy a different tipple, you could pop along to Salcombe Brewery, a unique concept built on the site of a decommissioned water reservoir.

The same buildings that once housed shipwrights now echo with the creative energy of modern makers such as Kitty Ward Pottery, where you can find functional domestic pottery in clean, modern designs, and Will Bees Bespoke, which sells custom-made accessories using more than five hundred fabrics and two types of vegetable tanned leather. Furthering your waterside fashion is Jam Industries, a family owned and operated lifestyle fashion brand which offers fun and functional clothing.

And other modern types of businesses sit here too, blending seamlessly with the street’s character, such as property management company Pebbles, which provides property services for private holiday homes and luxury holiday lets.

The story of Island Street mirrors Salcombe’s broader transformation — from a hardworking boatbuilding port to a thriving, creative coastal town. It remains a place where heritage and innovation meet, where every weathered plank and workshop door hints at a seafaring past that still shapes the town’s spirit.

This maritime history sits at the heart of the street’s businesses, with Salcombe Boat Store, where you can find everything you need to get out on the water, and Salcombe Sailing, which carries a fantastic selection of stylish and practical clothing and accessories for all ages.

Food offerings for hungry sailors can be found at The Rockfish, where you can find the freshest fish every day, prepared by a team of skilled fishmongers, and Salcombe Dairy, which makes naturally pure ice cream as well as utterly scrumptious non-dairy ice creams and sorbets.

In an age of change, Island Street stands as a reminder that the best communities — like the best boats — are those that keep their keel steady while learning to sail with the wind.