The oldest surviving
Brixham-built trawler.
Built at Upham's yard, 1895.
Pilgrim was built at Upham's yard in Brixham in 1895, next to where she is currently moored. She is the oldest surviving sailing trawler that was built and rigged in the port.
She later moved on to the East coast and Scandinavia before returning to Brixham in 1999 prior to a full restoration. Her red sails are icons for the port, and in the season she is under sail most days, helping bring historic sailing to new generations.
Sailing from Brixham.
When Pilgrim was built, Brixham and Torbay were home to a fleet of over 300 large fishing trawlers working the English Channel and farther afield. In the 1840s Brixham was the largest fishing port in Devon, with as many as 1,600 trawlermen working out of the port.
The seafaring past is alive in Brixham today, with Pilgrim joined every year for the Brixham Heritage Regatta and events like the annual Pirate Festival, which bring visitors from around the world.
Pilgrim Heritage Sailing Foundation.
The Pilgrim Heritage Sailing Foundation was formed in 2017 as a registered charity to take on the conservation, operation, maintenance and protection of the heritage sailing trawler Pilgrim of Brixham BM45.
We rely on donations and sponsorship for the upkeep a 130-year-old lady requires, and volunteers are key to her routine maintenance. It costs around £150,000 a year to keep Pilgrim operational and preserved — proceeds from sailing adventures and charter cover the operating expense of the sailing itself.