Photograph - The Dawn | 18th April | 2011

Cargo Vessels

Vessels built in the yards of Essex designed to carry a variety of cargos. Each vessel contains unique design traits, making them indicative of the requirements to work in their area as well as the cargo of their time.

The type of cargo that was transported by these vessels ranged from wheat and flour to hay and straw, bricks and ammunitions to the latest technology of the day, including large quantities of acid being carried in specially constructed barges such as SB Xylonite.

Thames Sailing Barges

  • The home of the Cann barges that were built for many years at the Gas House Creek site

  • Thames Sailing Barge May was built in 1891 at Gashouse Creek by John & Herbert Canns for to carry wheat and flour from East Coast to London

  • Thames Sailing Barge Centaur was built in 1895 at Gas House Creek by J & H Canns

  • Thames Sailing Barge was built in 1906 at Gashouse Creek by G&H Canns

  • Thames Sailing Barge Edme was built in 1898 at Gas House Creek by Canns

    Built to carry malt for the EMDE malting company. Her narrow design was a special order to allow her clear passage through Limehouse Cut, London.

  • Thames Sailing Barge Gladys was built in 1903 at Gas House Creek by Canns

  • Thames Sailing Barge was built in 1906 at Gashouse Creek by G&H Canns

The red sails and flat bottomed vessels of the Thames Estuary

  • The site of the famous Horlock family who were involved with barges from the early 1860’s to the barge race in 1971 ,which was to be the last time a Horlock would race a barge.

  • Steel barge built in 1924 at Fredrick William Horlock’s yard at Mistley

  • Steel barge built in 1925 by F.W. Horlocks

  • The third steel barge out of the FW Horlock yard. Built in 1926 to carry acid for the British Xylonite Co. Ltd

  • Steel built Thames Sailing Barge built in 1929 by FW Horlocks at Mistley

  • Built alongside her sister barge Adieu in 1929 by FW Horlock

  • Thames Sailing Barge built in 1930 by FW Horlock, the youngest surviving of the six Seven Sisters

  • Only one Thames Sailing Barge remains that was built at this Cinque Port

  • The last surviving Thames Sailing Barge built at Brightlingsea. Constructed at Stones in 1892

  • Although today Maldon is know for its barges, there are only three Thames Sailing Barges that remain that were built in the yards at Maldon.

  • Howard build wooden built Thames Sailing Barge in 1892.

    She has remained engineless for all her 130 years

  • Thames Sailing Barge built in 1899 by Howards.

    Has undergone an amazing rebuild by her present owner Garry Didhams.

  • The last example of a tiller steered stack barge built to carry hay and straw to London from the farm wharfs of Essex.

    Built in 1897 by Cooks of Maldon.

    The last of Walter Cook’s barges still operational. A unique pair, the barge and the yard still both here.

  • One barge is left that was built at the yard

  • Wooden Thames Sailing barge built at Shutterwoods Yard at Pagglesham in 1903

  • This Thames port has one barge remaining from its yards

  • The last example of a Grays built Thames Sailing Barge , she was built at Stanfield & Clarke’s in 1900

  • Sadly today there is no remains of the busy and productive shipyards that once lined the shores of this port

  • Built by Forest in 1896

  • Built by Forest in 1898

  • Built by Forest in 1898

Ketch

A once common rig on this flatbottomed cargo vessel

  • This important seaport at the Eastern edge of the country is still an important part of our trade

  • Such an important part of the fleet as the last example of a Ketch rigged Thames Sailing Barge built by W.McLearon in 1906 at the Naval Yard, Harwich.

    Today she is rigged as a spritsail barge.

Lighters

A simple working vessel but important link in the chain

  • At the mouth of the River Crouch there still remains an important maritime industry

  • Susan was built in 1953 by R&J Prior of Burnham on Crouch for Brown and Son, Timber Merchants of Chelmsford.

    She is the only surviving wooden lighter purpose built for the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation

  • A rich shipbuilding heritage existed in this port.

    Now sadly only shadows of that time remain

  • Built at the shipyard Cook’s in 1961

  • Cargo Vessel

    Thames Sailing Barges - Motor Barges - Open Boats - Ketches - Lighters

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  • Fishing Vessel

    Fishing Smack - Oyster Smack - Bawley - Cockler - Skiff

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  • Harbour Vessel

    Tugs - Dredgers - Workboats - Harbour Launch

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  • Passenger Vessel

    Ferry - Pleasure Craft - Trip Boat

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  • Small Craft

    Punts - Tenders - Pull Skiffs - Tow Boat

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  • Infrastructure

    Wharfs - Quaysides - Slipways - Cranes

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