Demise of a Dutch botter
We bring the second part of Fritz van der Mark’s research into the demise of a Dutch botter. The article is primarily a reconstruction of… Read More »Demise of a Dutch botter
Workboats
Posts relating to the work and subsequent leisure use of traditional workboats powered by sail, steam or diesel
Botters in English hands
Fritz van der Mark shares the first part of his research into the demise of a Dutch botter, which ended her days on the River… Read More »Botters in English hands
James Herbert, 19th century bargemaster
This extract tells the story of James Herbert, son of an agricultural labourer, who followed many local young men in choosing a life afloat rather… Read More »James Herbert, 19th century bargemaster
Riding the Severn bore in a small sailing boat: May 1958
David Grainger continues his account of sailing a small boat ‘down Severn’ in 1958. He includes some historic detail of Severn trows and the Severn… Read More »Riding the Severn bore in a small sailing boat: May 1958
Douarnenez: historic fishing port
Until the 16th century, Douarnenez was a busy commercial centre exporting local cloth, but its greatest period of prosperity was in the 19th century as… Read More »Douarnenez: historic fishing port
Trawling in the 1940s
This post has a link to an ‘Instructional film’ from the Pathé Archive providing a clearly-presented overview of trawling in the 1940s, as steam began… Read More »Trawling in the 1940s
Sail gives way to steam on the Thames, 1935
This rare colour footage from the British Film Institute archive shows life on the River Thames in the 1930s. Its quite magical to drift along… Read More »Sail gives way to steam on the Thames, 1935
Thames Sailing Barge ‘Pretoria’, 1964
This Pathé archive film tells the story of Thames Sailing Barge ‘Pretoria’ which became a restaurant on the Thames in the ‘swinging sixties’. It starts… Read More »Thames Sailing Barge ‘Pretoria’, 1964
Crossfields of Arnside boatbuilders: 1840 – 1950
Arnside is located in Cumbria at the top of Morecambe Bay on the Kent Estuary. Historically the estuary was the port for Kendal. Unusually for… Read More »Crossfields of Arnside boatbuilders: 1840 – 1950