Northfleet Harbour Restoration

[Conrad]

Hi

Since I last wrote to this forum Northfleet Harbour Restoration Trust has come very far as an organisation and also as a project, we have initiated a full community based archaeological dig in the ancient harbour, we have moved hundred of tons of mud and rubble exposing two old docks and a 200 year old slipway with ancient public rights, we have cleared over half a mile of harbour wall so we can now see the full extent of the harbours size and potential. We are also exposing an Elizabethan beach and a tidal mill the site of which date back to be domesday book.

We now have a small waiting list of historic ships waiting to use Northfleet for restoration and have the harbour as a base for their operation.

Whilst we are going full pelt with the archaeology we do have one eye on the future and are now actively raising funds and getting quotes for a feasibility study, if anyone would like to help us provide this much needed community asset please get in touch or send a cheque payable to Northfleet Harbour Restoration Trust co NHRT, 80 Dover Road, Northfleet, Kent DA11 9QD or use the paypal donate button on our website.

The following links give an idea of some of our activities, progress to date, achievements, aims and objectives www.northfleetharbour.org.uk and https://www.facebook.com/NorthfleetHarbour.

Thanks for taking the time to read these, please do visit our website and Facebook site to get a real idea what we will be offering back to the Thames boating community.

Regards

Conrad Broadley

 

[lynall]

Years ago i used to work on the top of that very wall, day in day out no matter what the weather.


Lynall

 

[oldgit]

Years ago i used to work on the top of that very wall, day in day out no matter what the weather.


Lynall

May one ask what ?

 

[lynall]

I used to look after the Turners trucks that hauled cement for Blue Circle, was nice in the summer apart from the dust and bitter in the winter, used to sneak the trucks around to the other side of the site and work under the kilns.
Couple of hundred yards further down was the old loading quay for loading large ships, i think the top one had been out of operation for years, the one even further down still worked with the odd ship coming in
Of course nowadays all the cement traffic comes the other way!


Lynall

 

[Conrad]

I used to look after the Turners trucks that hauled cement for Blue Circle, was nice in the summer apart from the dust and bitter in the winter, used to sneak the trucks around to the other side of the site and work under the kilns.
Couple of hundred yards further down was the old loading quay for loading large ships, i think the top one had been out of operation for years, the one even further down still worked with the odd ship coming in
Of course nowadays all the cement traffic comes the other way!


Lynall

Lynall, I don't suppose you have any pictures of boats using the harbour do you?

Pictures of the harbour in use are very few and far between.

 

[lynall]

No the wall was complete, i worded it badly in my initial reply, what i should have said was i used to work on top of the wall repairing trucks, instead of saying i worked on that wall.
Sorry.


Lynall

 

[Conrad]

No the wall was complete, i worded it badly in my initial reply, what i should have said was i used to work on top of the wall repairing trucks, instead of saying i worked on that wall.
Sorry.


Lynall

ok thanks

 

[Conrad]

Bottom of College Road, Northfleet, Kent if anyone is local and wants to pop by for a look.

 

[lynall]

Just looked on google earth, so much has changed, the whole cement works has gone apart from what iirc was the coal shed, shed being a loose word as it was absolutely massive.
If you look to the right of the old harbour you can see some trucks, i still service these!
Didnt realise they had reopened the old railway tunnel, what are they carrying?
Also reminded me how long a drop it was from the top of the wall down to the harbour floor when the tide was out.


Lynall

 

[Conrad]

Also reminded me how long a drop it was from the top of the wall down to the harbour floor when the tide was out. Lynall

Lynall

The big drop gives the harbour a good five metres draft in places when full and with a lock gate that would be all the time. The shallowest place would be about 2m's

 

[CX54WEK]

Just looked on google earth, so much has changed, the whole cement works has gone apart from what iirc was the coal shed, shed being a loose word as it was absolutely massive.
If you look to the right of the old harbour you can see some trucks, i still service these!
Didnt realise they had reopened the old railway tunnel, what are they carrying?
Also reminded me how long a drop it was from the top of the wall down to the harbour floor when the tide was out.


Lynall

The tunnel is carrying spoil from HS1 which is being loaded into ships.

As it happens too slowly as they now have huge stockpiles appearing.

 

[lynall]

The tunnel is carrying spoil from HS1 which is being loaded into ships.

As it happens too slowly as they now have huge stockpiles appearing.

Thanks for that, i suppose they are dumping it at sea?


Lynall