1pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
2pm, meet at Purton Lower Bridge
A programme of guided tours through the remains of the Purton Hulks, in the company of L. P. Barnett, Marine Historian and Winner of the Nautical Archaeological Societies: National Adopt A Wreck Award 2007 and Certificate of Merit 2008.
Tour fee £3.50 per person. Approx tour time 2 hours, weather permitting.
Slide show presentations also available upon request. For more information, phone Paul Barnett on 07833 143231 or email below:
www.mythornbury.co.uk/thornbury/l...
Email:
How to find Purton Hulks
About this map.Purton Hulks
Latest News:
The Future of the Purton Hulks debated in Westminster
The Friends of Purton are celebrating in the wake of the recently televised adjournment debate between Stroud MP David Drew and the Culture Secretary Margaret Hodge in order to secure the way forward and a real future of Gloucestershire' Purton Hulks.
During the frank and open discussion lasting thirty minuets, Mr Drew outlined the site's significance and the wider implications of the shelved Heritage Protection Bill whilst exploring what role English Heritage, Gloucestershire Constabulary, Stroud District Council and the County could play in the protection of this national treasure. He further went on to state that he welcomed input from the many stakeholders and therefore felt it would be useful for the Minister to organise a round table in order to bring together the various parties.
In response Lady Hodge congratulated Mr Drew for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Stroud Constituency whilst commenting on the efforts of her department to bring about a successful resolution to this complex question of protection of the nations maritime heritage and she called upon all players to consider playing their part. In line, the Minister reiterated an earlier statement that the "...Local Authority can and should seriously consider taking action to compulsory purchase the site at Purton...."
Finally the Minister agreed to direct her officials to clarify the question of whether the Hulks should be formally scheduled or not. This she suggested should take place by March 2010 at which time she intended to convene the requested round table discussion and explore options for a suitable solution.
Upon hearing the findings Friends Chairman Paul Barnett stated "The Friends are elated at the wonderful news that future of these historic Hulks are to be explored and I eagerly await the opportunity to fully co-operate with all parties in order to secure adequate protection for our maritime heritage."
For further details or to see the debate in full please visit www.friendsofpurton.org.uk or www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2009-12-08a.65.0&s=Purton+Hulks#g70.5
Purton photos catalogued
The Friends of Purton have now catalogued the 2007 acquisition of the Graham Farr photographic collection. Started c.1930s the collection consists of several thousand black and white images of local schooners, trows, lighters coasters, paddle steamers and much much more.
Thanks are duly made to the late Robin Craig's widow, Yvonne, Michael Farr and Llanelli Photographer Derek Newton Goverd for their generosity, foresight and continued support.
Further details regarding individual images and database searches are available upon request to the Friends of Purton. Please email
The Purton Hulks Story:
When one considers the nation's long and rich maritime heritage, one does not ordinarily consider the windswept shores of the upper reaches of the River Severn.
Neither, might I add, does one ordinarily associate the sleepy Gloucestershire hamlet of Purton as a last bastion of this once proud maritime way of life.
However, look closer, as first impressions can often be deceptive.
None more so than the adjacent foreshore and beyond the rolling hills and gently grazing cattle, as here lies the last resting place of bones of the nation's largest collection of nautical wrecks.
This however, was never always the case and as we will see it has taken some 10 years of in-depth research and only now is the mighty Severn giving up her secrets and unearthing the wonder that is the Purton Hulks.
Paul Barnett, born the third son of a merchantman within the shadow of the mighty shipbuilding gantries of Swan Hunter, Newcastle upon Tyne, and therefore a stranger to these southern shores, has subsequently dedicated his life to researching and comprehensively recording and documenting this national treasure.
He picks up the story “I originally discovered the site in 1976 further to my family's relocation due to work commitments. At that time as a boy the site left me spellbound and with so many questions unanswered - the whys, the whens and the what fors”.
“In 1998 upon returning to the UK following a life at sea employed as a Hydrographic Surveyor, I once again became intrigued with the site and embarked on a programme of research in the hope that one day this site would eventually give up its secrets. Little did I know what lay ahead”
“My initial efforts were to identify what I believed were the remains of 23 former vessels/piles of decomposing timbers to the north of the study area. However it is now my firm belief that the site, which stretches from the waste weir in the north to the Sharpness New Dock entrance in the south, is the final resting place of 81 vessels which encapsulate steel, timber and concrete constructions.”
This understanding has only been made possible following a epic journey that has taken him to Garmouth in the far north of Scotland, to the Devon seaport of Appledore, to the eastern boards of Lowestoft through the mountainous backdrop of Porth Madoc beyond to the emerald isles and rugged Irish coastline of Waterford. He now feels he has at least a mega grasp on the site's hidden treasures”.
The story begins around 100 years ago on 23 December 1909 after A J Cullis, then Chief Engineer of the Berkeley, Gloucester and Birmingham Canal, was hurriedly summoned to the outskirts of the village.
His task was to assess the massive landslip that had earlier removed 60 metres of the nearby riverbank and hedge, leaving the adjacent canal and a main artery to the Midlands exposed and in danger of destruction.
As a temporary solution he rapidly assembled a small fleet of five timber work barges which were then immediately taken into the river and ran up onto the foreshore in an attempt to shore up the eroding river bank.
It worked, and as a result of this epic rescue operation the canal and its vital link was saved.
That said, it has been necessary as a result of the ongoing march of coastal erosion or the desire to rid owners of the burgeoning cost of maintaining timber vessels, the site has continued to develop whilst allowing the last remaining ounces of a ship's soul to be preserved in silt, sand and Severn mud.
Paul continues: "After decades of tidal ebb and flow, I returned to the site in 1998 and was horrified to be met with a sight of total devastation and mindless destruction: the site had been ravaged by man and several vessels had been razed to the ground by fire.
"However, not before their images and locations were captured for posterity by an array of eminent maritime historians and interested players.
"To this end I am immensely privileged to have met, been tutored by and formed a lasting friendship with the eminent architect and maritime author David R MacGregor, who had previously studied the site during the early 1950s in the wake of his good friends and mentors, Bristol based Maritime Historian Graham Farr and a former curator of the Maritime Museum, Greenwich, Basil Greenhill.
"Sadly David died in November of 2003, but not before he had guided me thought the complex world of vessel construction, sail rig, registration and insurance classification. For this I will always be indebted for his kindness, continued encouragement and insistence that I pose questions regarding this ever expanding and unique collection of vessels.
To date I have in excess of 300 photographs, which chronicle the life and death of each vessel.
These are catalogued to represent the individual vessels afloat/in use, during earlier stages, post abandonment and pre decomposition/vandalism/arson/trophy hunters and finally as they look today.
With the use of several sources and modern surveying techniques, I have produced a schematic diagram, which locates each vessel by scale and heading.
I intend to document the site and its artefacts in the hope that a befitting testimony is created, recorded and deposited at the Gloucestershire office of the Sites and Monuments Record.
This is considered vital in order to document these once fine vessels, their courageous crews, forward-thinking ships owners, skilled shipwrights/builders, and associated country folk, who depended so heavily on this now long since departed way of life.
In doing so I wish to acknowledge the many researchers and individuals who have tirelessly relayed their knowledge and personal accounts, without whom the history of the site would have remained buried within the silent banks of the mighty River Severn.
Please be advised that this work is ongoing, with a view to identifying the remaining vessels. I continue to request any information, photographs or contacts and would welcome the opportunity to discuss my findings in greater detail.
Please note that the utmost care will be taken to preserve and accurately reference any information submitted.
To this end I am very keen to hear from any persons or organisations that have access to geophysical instruments in order to conduct a non-invasive ground penetrating survey or sub aqua personal who would be willing to conduct an underwater survey of the 9 vessels, which are currently submerged in the high visibility and non tidal waters of the adjacent canal.
Furthermore for those wishing to attend the site, I am willing to conduct guided tours for individuals or parties of up to 20 persons and I particularly welcome requests from local history or archaeology groups."
For more information and dates please contact Paul Barnett directly by telephone 07833 143231, by post to 22 Gurney Avenue, Tuffley, Gloucester GL4 OYL or via email at
To find out more about vessels in the Purton Hulks fleet, please visit
www.friendsofpurton.org.uk
