Search

22 Oct 2025

Exeter council upgrades Topsham Quay’s waterfront

Exeter City Council replaces deteriorating timber piles at Topsham Quay, improving waterfront safety and sustainability

Image: Exeter City Council

Image: Exeter City Council

Topsham Quay has undergone a major refurbishment, with Exeter City Council’s waterways team replacing timber piles along the waterfront during the first three weeks of the year.

The previous piles, which had deteriorated over time, were no longer fit for purpose, with some even missing. These wooden piles are vital for protecting the quay’s stone wall from damage caused by ships, as well as providing support for vessels mooring alongside.

The repairs were carried out by the waterways team using the Port Constructor mooring maintenance barge, alongside a local contractor operating a crane-equipped barge.

The timber piles used for the replacement were sourced from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Borough Council. Purchased at a modest cost of £200 each, the piles were originally part of a coastal protection project in Bournemouth, installed in the early 1970s. The council there was upgrading the defences with taller timbers and offered the old piles to other councils at a discounted price.

Delivered in 10-metre lengths, the piles were cut to the required size on-site. Any offcuts were repurposed for projects at the canal or in Exmouth, staying in line with the council's ethos of sustainability: 'reduce, reuse, recycle.'

Despite being exposed to the sea for over 45 years, the hardwood piles remain in excellent condition, looking almost as good as new.

Cllr Ruth Williams, Lead Councillor for Exeter's waterways, praised the work at Topsham, emphasising its cost-effectiveness. “Buying new timber piles of the same size would have cost around £2,000 each, plus additional fitting costs. By using second-hand piles and installing them ourselves, we’ve saved the council a significant amount of money, while still completing the necessary repairs. This is a perfect example of how we can save resources and money while doing what’s needed,” she said. The project will continue with an additional eight piles to be replaced later in the summer.

To continue reading this article,
please subscribe and support local journalism!


Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.

Subscribe

To continue reading this article for FREE,
please kindly register and/or log in.


Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!

Register / Login

Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.

Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.