Purton Hulks on Gloucester and Sharpness

[cotswoldsman]

I am presently moored at Purton on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and was facinated by the remains of about 20 concrete boats I would love to know more about these.

 

I took some photos and these can be viewed on my website Click Here for Photos of Purton Hulks

 

Any information would be appreciated!!

[carlt]

This is probably the most informative site: Clicky and I understand the Nautical Archaeological Society have done an extensive survey, of the boats: Clicky.

[Josher]

Interesting - more information Here.

[cotswoldsman]

This is probably the most informative site: Clicky and I understand the Nautical Archaeological Society have done an extensive survey, of the boats: Clicky.

 

 

Interesting - more information Here.

 

Thanks did do a google but found little that is all very useful.

Edited July 27, 2010 by cotswoldsman

[carlt]

I recall that, very recently, Harriet, the Kennet barge, received listed status, from EH.

 

It may have been Josher who reported it, here.

[cotswoldsman]

I recall that, very recently, Harriet, the Kennet barge, received listed status, from EH.

 

It may have been Josher who reported it, here.

 

Some people I was talking to yesterday said that one had been taken for retoration, trying to find out is that is correct so will read the links you and Josher provided if I can find out where it is!! Would love to see one restored.

[bottle]

Hi John

 

Seen you go past a couple of times, we are moored at Saul, I believe there is a concrete boat at Gloucester Waterways Museum, moored in arm that goes along side.

[Josher]

I recall that, very recently, Harriet, the Kennet barge, received listed status, from EH.

 

It may have been Josher who reported it, here.

 

here.

[cotswoldsman]

Hi John

 

Seen you go past a couple of times, we are moored at Saul, I believe there is a concrete boat at Gloucester Waterways Museum, moored in arm that goes along side.

 

Thanks Keith will have a look when I go back to Gloucester went past you yesterday. If you are looking for a good mooring down here can recommend where I am it is the old BW yard just after the bend when you have been through the second swing bridge at Purton on the right there is also a water point and you are about 20 yards from some of the Purton Hulks.

 

 

here.

 

Thanks for that Josher it is certainly amazing what you can stumble across on the system not even sure why I decided to moor here!!

[Bat & Frog]

I've seen these from the far side of the severn and wondered about them for a while, keep meaning to visit. Their clearly visible on google maps, (other online mapping available ) http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=purton+bar...mp;t=h&z=18

Thanks, I now know where to go. There are a couple of old floating concrete barges in Bristol floating harbour, which I believe the harbourmaster would like to see the back of. I understand these were also built for the war effort, landings etc.

[cotswoldsman]

I took a long walk yesterday and took some more photos of The Purton Hulks anyone interested <CLICK HERE>

 

Thanks to everyone who provided links on this subject I am now doing more research and hope to go to a meeting of The Friends Of Purton during my stay in the area.

[richardf]

I took a long walk yesterday and took some more photos of The Purton Hulks anyone interested <CLICK HERE>

 

Thanks to everyone who provided links on this subject I am now doing more research and hope to go to a meeting of The Friends Of Purton during my stay in the area.

 

If you get the chance to go on one of Paul Barnett's tours - then take it, because he has spent years in researching this site and it's a fascinating couple of hours. They run fairly frequently and are advertised locally.

[cotswoldsman]

If you get the chance to go on one of Paul Barnett's tours - then take it, because he has spent years in researching this site and it's a fascinating couple of hours. They run fairly frequently and are advertised locally.

 

Thank you for that will try and find out I am not booked to go down The Bristol channel until 3 September

[Christine]

There are a couple of old floating concrete barges in Bristol floating harbour, which I believe the harbourmaster would like to see the back of. I understand these were also built for the war effort, landings etc.

Anthing to do with this?:

Hayling Island Mulberry harbour

[Dorlan]

Some people I was talking to yesterday said that one had been taken for retoration, trying to find out is that is correct so will read the links you and Josher provided if I can find out where it is!! Would love to see one restored.

FCB52 was recovered in 1990 by the Friends of the Waterways Museum.

There is information about it here on the Friends of Purton website.

[cotswoldsman]

There is a site tour this Sunday 15 August starting at 2pm starting from Purton lower bridge I will certainly be going on this tour and thought I would post this as it might be of interest to anyone else in the Gloucester Area.

[Tim Lewis]

I've seen these from the far side of the severn and wondered about them for a while, keep meaning to visit. Their clearly visible on google maps, (other online mapping available ) http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=purton+bar...mp;t=h&z=18

Thanks, I now know where to go. There are a couple of old floating concrete barges in Bristol floating harbour, which I believe the harbourmaster would like to see the back of. I understand these were also built for the war effort, landings etc.

 

On the subject of Concrete Barges I took a walk along the Essex Thames foreshore yesterday and came across a collection of abandoned concrete barges, the signage states that they were used for the D-Day landings and abandoned after being used as bank protection during the 1953 floods. There are a few photos in the following album:

 

http://timlewis.smugmug.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?swfPop=true&noClickURL=true&url=http://timlewis.smugmug.com/Other/Industrial-Essex-Thames/14863021_8SVxR#1109031776_zvqeX

Tim

[cotswoldsman]

On the subject of Concrete Barges I took a walk along the Essex Thames foreshore yesterday and came across a collection of abandoned concrete barges, the signage states that they were used for the D-Day landings and abandoned after being used as bank protection during the 1953 floods. There are a few photos in the following album:

 

http://timlewis.smug...109031776_zvqeX

Tim

 

Nice photos Tim (can you give me some lessons) they do look the same as the Purton Boats.

[Josher]

... on a similar theme ...

 

Historic Gloucestershire shipwrecks denied protection BBC for full details.

 

... Two shipwrecked barges involved in a river disaster in Gloucestershire 50 years ago have been refused protection by English Heritage.

 

... Paul Barnett, chairman of the Friends of Purton maritime heritage group, said: "To be honest, I'm absolutely devastated. "This was an important event here in Gloucestershire and, of course, it's not being remembered as such.

"As a former maritime nation, we should hang our heads in shame. "I have real concerns about Purton, I have real concerns about the River Severn, I have real concerns about the United Kingdom's maritime heritage."

[cotswoldsman]

... on a similar theme ...

 

Historic Gloucestershire shipwrecks denied protection BBC for full details.

 

... Two shipwrecked barges involved in a river disaster in Gloucestershire 50 years ago have been refused protection by English Heritage.

 

... Paul Barnett, chairman of the Friends of Purton maritime heritage group, said: "To be honest, I'm absolutely devastated. "This was an important event here in Gloucestershire and, of course, it's not being remembered as such.

"As a former maritime nation, we should hang our heads in shame. "I have real concerns about Purton, I have real concerns about the River Severn, I have real concerns about the United Kingdom's maritime heritage."

 

This is one of them at low tide

 

 

[Derek R.]

I find the pictures that Tim took of the Thames side environs just the kind of places that give me the creeps. The acres of stagnating mud, inhospitable landings, semi dereliction and total dereliction, modern industry young yet decaying - none of these things appeal, yet the photos are hauntingly attractive, they seem to cry hopelessness. The concrete barges are at their final resting place. Who in their right mind would want to rescue such delapidated pieces of crumbling cement and aggregate, fit for nothing save a perch for Gulls and a curio for the inquisitive. In the latter is there a single benefit. That questions such as "What are they for?" be asked, may lead one to realise that there is a thread that leads to a plan of defense, and of transporting a retreating army of men and women from the beaches of Dunkirk. There, crumbling in decay, is the living touchstone to history. Maritime archaeology, links to events past and the people who made, sailed, and even scuppered them. There is much to past artefacts that link lost souls together in ways that are seldom understood by the cynic who would have them removed and destroyed. Like pound shillings and pence, Postmen who wore proper uniforms, buses with conductors and open platforms, and a nation that was not subservient to a foreign power. Corner shops, and hardware shops that sold everything and smelt of paraffin. Corn merchants with open sacks of meal and grain that smelt of far off farms, butchers with sawdust on the floor, and silver sand on the floorboards in Woolworths. Vats of sweet syrups being made into sweets at a stall off the High Street the steamy aromas carrying far, shops that sold bags of broken biscuits half the price of those in bigger shops.

 

Such are memories unknown to the online games player, not that there is any reason why they should have same. Reality is virtual, and ever changing with a new chip, and a few more terabytes - or is it tetrabytes, all the same to me - Latin or Greek, Double Dutch and Chinese. Mind boggling. Secateurs or a windlass - now that I can get a grip on.

 

Just a meander through an empty hulk.

[Chris Pink]

This is one of them at low tide

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I think you'll find that's both of them in their final embrace.

 

It seems a lot of fuss over nothing, they're not going anywhere, you wouldn't want to board them or dive near them as the only time you can get a boat near is when the tide is running. There's not much on them worth plundering or it would have been done years ago. Why bother to attach a load of bureaucracy to a couple of wrecks that will be visible for my lifetime at least.

[RogerM]

I think you'll find that's both of them in their final embrace.

 

It seems a lot of fuss over nothing, they're not going anywhere, you wouldn't want to board them or dive near them as the only time you can get a boat near is when the tide is running. There's not much on them worth plundering or it would have been done years ago. Why bother to attach a load of bureaucracy to a couple of wrecks that will be visible for my lifetime at least.

 

You say that, but the wrecks have indeed been plundered, with several parts removed. Sadly this was done in 2010 when the 50th anniversary of the Severn Bridge disaster was being remembered, so personally I very much stand by the remarks made by Paul Barnett.

[johnthebridge]

You say that, but the wrecks have indeed been plundered, with several parts removed. Sadly this was done in 2010 when the 50th anniversary of the Severn Bridge disaster was being remembered, so personally I very much stand by the remarks made by Paul Barnett.

 

I agree, belatedly, with Chris Pink. To attach official status to these boats would be pointless. They aren't even wrecks in the proper sense, as they were mostly dumped there as bank protection after their useful lives had ended. It should also be borne in mind that the Arkendale and the Wastdale are potentially a grave site, as the one crewman was never found. I feel that they are best left to lie there, unfettered by bureaucracy or official listing.

When the concrete narrowboat was rescued at some expense and risk from Purton bank some years ago, officialdom (BW and the Museum etc.) trumpeted her recovery as a minor miracle which would enlighten and educate generations of people yet to be born and yet, there she sits today in the Arm, virtually ignored. As are the Severner (have you seen her condition recently, after all the money spent on her at Warwickshire Fly years ago?), the Josher butty and the River boat.

Leave them be.