Black Sheep
Well-Known Member
From a faded photograph in my mum's house. Looks East Coast-ish to me, but could be France for all I know.
Are they spritsail Thames barges?
Are they spritsail Thames barges?
Where is it? (and what are they?)
- Thread starter Black Sheep
- Start date
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Certainly a Thames barge.
From the presence of what appears to be a punt, and what may be several rowing skiffs, the wooded banks and the seemingly gravel bottom, could this be the Thames somewhere below Teddington Lock?
From the presence of what appears to be a punt, and what may be several rowing skiffs, the wooded banks and the seemingly gravel bottom, could this be the Thames somewhere below Teddington Lock?
PeterWright
Well-Known Member
Well done noticing the gravel, I missed that. The fact the near one is a stumpie, with no topmast, suggests she's rigged for working under bridges rather than coastal trade, so upper Thames is quite likely.
Black Sheep
Well-Known Member
Thank you both - I never cease to be amazed at this forum! That's an excellent job of extracting a lot of information from not much data! Of course the interesting question is when it was taken, but beyond saying it was while barges were trading, I don't think we can say a lot. Unless anyone knows better?
There's nothing on the back of the frame. It's sealed so I haven't been inside.
There's nothing on the back of the frame. It's sealed so I haven't been inside.
Aquaboy
Well-Known Member
Is she a stumpie, think the top mast is lowered, shows up against the sail. The other barges don't have rigs up so yes may well be upper Thames. They put the mast back up to load/unload? The sprit makes a good derrick.
Looks like head stones beyond the barges, any water side cemeteries?
Looks like head stones beyond the barges, any water side cemeteries?
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Lucy52
Well-Known Member
It could be the Thames at Isleworth, just North of Isleworth Iat, the site of All Saints Isleworth. Just along from the London Apprentice.
I remember in the sixties lighters being moored up there. The church has been extended since then but there is a graveyard slightly raise which would be visible from where the picture was painted. There is still a slipway there.
When the tide is out the river is very low and as far as I can remember the main channel is the other side of the Iat.
Many times I rode my bike along the tow path opposite, but I could be wrong.
I remember in the sixties lighters being moored up there. The church has been extended since then but there is a graveyard slightly raise which would be visible from where the picture was painted. There is still a slipway there.
When the tide is out the river is very low and as far as I can remember the main channel is the other side of the Iat.
Many times I rode my bike along the tow path opposite, but I could be wrong.
Sniper
Well-Known Member
I wondered that too, but I can’t see any crosstrees so suspect she is stumpy rigged. The mast appears to have hounds high enough to accommodate a top mast so maybe the rig was reduced at some time in her life?
Black Sheep
Well-Known Member
I've had another look at the original photo, and I think that Aquaboy & Lucy52 are right, it does look like a graveyard on the left. There really isn't a lot more detail than in my snap of it, but enough to support that theory.
And I've just gone to google maps & streetview for Isleworth - that does look very convincing! Including the steepness of the opposite bank.
And I've just gone to google maps & streetview for Isleworth - that does look very convincing! Including the steepness of the opposite bank.
Aquaboy
Well-Known Member
Hadn't spotted the lack of cross trees, tho' they can usually be folded up on a barge so she can lay alongside a ship etc. safely in a swell.