Yantlet
Member
I was reading something or other that mentioned the Jenkin Swatchway which started some bells ringing which in turn resulted in me uncovering a book by a gentleman named Harry Lander - anyone heard of him?
Anyway peeling back the layers of my fast fading memory I finally recalled that it used to be a swatchway that ran from about Hole Haven and ended at Grain Spit and was used by barges in the good old days to cut the corner when running down Sea Reach bound for the Medway - is it still there or long silted up?
Copied below is an atmospheric passage from Landers book of about 1898 Lucky Bargee which I thought may be of interest
He stood at the wheel, with his mous-
tache waving in the wind, a short clay pipe
clenched in his teeth, and his eyes sparkling
with pleasure. Now the wash of a steamer
slushed over her head, and came swirling
down the waterways, while Ted nimbly
skipped on to the gunwhale, and Thomas
snapped and growled. Now they went
about on the edge of the Blyth; for a mo-
ment the sails flapped, the sprit swung
over, the sail whisked the traveller across
the horse with a bang, and away they went,
laying for the Chapman with the wind
howling around them, and the water seeth-
ing in a long foaming wake, tinged with
crimson by the setting sun. So, until they
rounded the Jenkin in a pelting rain squall,
and easing the sheets went crashing up the
swatchway. It was a scene of wild gran-
deur; to a landsman awe-inspiring. In
the gloom of rain and twilight Warden
Point loomed lonely and desolate, like the
last corner of a world. Beyond was a
black waste of angry sea, grim, drear, and
threatening. Four miles away the Nore
light was bobbing and blinking; between,
the wind driven water was rioting upon the
sand. Beneath the darkling sky, upon
which the long bars of heavy black clouds
intensified its ghastly, fading yellow, the
heavy white rollers came tumbling into the
narrow swatch. Twice they rose high to
weather, but sank, having splashed their
deck. Then came the third like a wall,
which, breaking just forwyd of the main
horse, deluged them with a seething mass
of water. Thomas, leaping out of his coil,
ran up and down the hatches with stiffened
tail, barking and snapping, defiant in his
rage. Then before their laughter had died
away, the Good Intent was ploughing swift-
ly along in a deepening two fathoms, with
the lights of the barges brought up on the
Grain Edge twinkling peacefully ahead like
those of home.
Cheers
Anyway peeling back the layers of my fast fading memory I finally recalled that it used to be a swatchway that ran from about Hole Haven and ended at Grain Spit and was used by barges in the good old days to cut the corner when running down Sea Reach bound for the Medway - is it still there or long silted up?
Copied below is an atmospheric passage from Landers book of about 1898 Lucky Bargee which I thought may be of interest
He stood at the wheel, with his mous-
tache waving in the wind, a short clay pipe
clenched in his teeth, and his eyes sparkling
with pleasure. Now the wash of a steamer
slushed over her head, and came swirling
down the waterways, while Ted nimbly
skipped on to the gunwhale, and Thomas
snapped and growled. Now they went
about on the edge of the Blyth; for a mo-
ment the sails flapped, the sprit swung
over, the sail whisked the traveller across
the horse with a bang, and away they went,
laying for the Chapman with the wind
howling around them, and the water seeth-
ing in a long foaming wake, tinged with
crimson by the setting sun. So, until they
rounded the Jenkin in a pelting rain squall,
and easing the sheets went crashing up the
swatchway. It was a scene of wild gran-
deur; to a landsman awe-inspiring. In
the gloom of rain and twilight Warden
Point loomed lonely and desolate, like the
last corner of a world. Beyond was a
black waste of angry sea, grim, drear, and
threatening. Four miles away the Nore
light was bobbing and blinking; between,
the wind driven water was rioting upon the
sand. Beneath the darkling sky, upon
which the long bars of heavy black clouds
intensified its ghastly, fading yellow, the
heavy white rollers came tumbling into the
narrow swatch. Twice they rose high to
weather, but sank, having splashed their
deck. Then came the third like a wall,
which, breaking just forwyd of the main
horse, deluged them with a seething mass
of water. Thomas, leaping out of his coil,
ran up and down the hatches with stiffened
tail, barking and snapping, defiant in his
rage. Then before their laughter had died
away, the Good Intent was ploughing swift-
ly along in a deepening two fathoms, with
the lights of the barges brought up on the
Grain Edge twinkling peacefully ahead like
those of home.
Cheers
