Charles Kingsley was born in Holne, Devon , and the second son of the Rev. Charles Kingsley and his wife Mary. He spent much of his childhood in Clovell y, very near to the town of Bideford. He studied at King's College London, and then at the University of Cambridge from where he graduated in 1842 and then chose to pursue a ministry in the church.

Charles Kingsley is best remembered as an author and for his stance on social reform which is shown in several of his writings, including The Heroes (1856), a children's book about Greek mythology, and several historical novels, of which the best known are Hypatia (1853), Hereward the Wake (1865), and Westward Ho! (1855).

Kingsley ’ s main connection with Bideford is due to his novel Westward Ho!, which he wrote whilst staying in Bideford and that led to the founding of a town by the same name. As a side note, it should be highlighted that this is the only place name in England, which contains an exclamation mark.

Kingsley also inspired the construction of a railway, the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. Few authors can have had such a significant effect upon the area that they eulogized.

Tourist Tip: - Although the railway line to Bideford has now been decommissioned there are still numerous references around the town regarding Charles Kingsley, like the Kingsley statue near Victoria Park. Also, if you get the chance we would suggest that you pay a visit to the Royal Hotel at the East-the-Water end of the long bridge. This is because it offers the oak-paneled Kingsley Room (where Charles Kingsley is reported to have stayed while he wrote Westward Ho!), with its ornate, sculpted ceiling. It really is a magnificent room that makes you feel like royalty when you stay.