Peter Gilmore, star of the hit BBC series The Onedin Line, filmed partly in Dartmouth in 1971, died last Sunday, aged 81.

Peter played Captain James Onedin, which gave the actor his biggest starring role .

The Onedin Line was a BBC drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham and was set between 1860 to 1886, dealing with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin. The series was filmed partly in the Bayards Cove area of Dartmouth.

Peter and his fellow leading actress and wife, Anne Stallybrass, who played his wife Anne in the series also, loved the area so much that they bought a property in Crowthers Hill.

But in October 2006, they sold the house because of Peter's health.

That year, Peter and Anne wrote a joint letter to the Chronicle saying they would be leaving the town.

They said: 'While filming the BBC series The Onedin Line in 1971, we fell in love with Dartmouth and since 1978 we have had our lovely home in Crowthers Hill. Sadly, ill health is forcing us to leave.

'We want to say goodbye to this very special town and its warm and caring people.

'Thank you for 35 wonderful years.'

Peter Gilmore was born on August 25 1931 in Leipzig Germany, and has lived all over the world since. Peter had one great desire from his early age; which was to become an actor. He studied at the Royal Acadamy of Dramatic Art. In 1958 Peter married for the first time: Una Stubbs became his wife with whom he adopted his son Jason in the mid 60s.

He later met Anne while filming The Onedin Line and they married in 1987.

Since they left Dartmouth, Peter and Anne have been living in Barnes, west London, but 'Dartmouth will forever be in his heart'.