The Shtandart, a faithful replica of Russia’s first warship built for Peter the Great in 1703, has arrived in the Medway. The tsar, using the name Peter Mikhailov, learned the art of shipbuilding from Dutch and English shipwrights when Chatham dockyard was at its peak. Shtandart was accompanied as far as Rochester Bridge by the Medway Ports launch, then turned back and berthed outside Chatham Marina this afternoon.
Category: History/archaeology
Launched Sideways in Faversham Creek
This is a trailer for A Sideways Launch by Mike Maloney, available on DVD from www.cwideprods.co.uk
Faversham Creek: it’s not a street
At Faversham Creek sailing barges and other traditional craft are still moored and repaired, but for how much longer? Planners and developers seem ignorant of history and geography, also blind to what is lost if the edges of such navigable waterways are simply covered with housing and shops as if the creek was a suburban street.
Dr Arthur Percival, director of the Faversham Society’s Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre, has written a wonderfully eloquent letter to the clerk of the council on behalf of Faversham Creek Trust: http://favershamcreektrust.com/2013/06/30/arthur-percival-its-a-creek-not-a-street/
Six weeks on Darnet Island
Local canoeist, artist and photographer David Wise spent six weeks in 2012 camping (with the owner’s permission) on Darnet Island. His moving film “Otherness” is on his website and you can order his book, illustrated with atmospheric pinhole photographs at http://www.davewise.biz/new/summerontheestuary/page.html
Isle of Sheppey News
Tim Bell of the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club invites sponsorship of the Round the Island Race on 7 September.
It would help the race if as many as possible nominate it for the Yachts and Yachting promotion:- IOS Round the Island race, for sponsorship see #GetOutAndSail, [date of race 7th September,] [Sheppey Island race] [Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club] [leave classes blank]. The more nominations we get the more chance we have. Other clubs may like to nominate their event on another month.
Anyone interested in more information, history, great photos, and videos about the SS Richard Montgomery may like to see: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SS-Richard-Montgomery-The-Wreck/200095340014422?ref=ts&fref=ts
Also some great Pathe newsreels about the tragic sinking of the Royal Navy submarine Truculent and about Chatham Dockyard. See http://www.britishpathe.com/video/selected-originals-truculent-disaster-1/query/TRUCULENT+DISASTER
Deadman’s Island: The River Medway Estuary as London’s Quarantine area
After an outbreak of epidemic plague in the Baltic Sea ports, the Stangate Creek area in the Medway Estuary in North Kent was designated a quarantine site for cargo ships destined for London in 1712. The quarantine of ships ended in 1896 but today evidence of the impact on the landscape can still be found. As far as we know, the area has never been documented despite its significant role in our maritime heritage.
Much of Deadman’s Island is covered by the highest tides. Access is difficult and years of coastal erosion have washed away much of what remains of the area’s past. The area has also been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England and the RSPB have identified it as an important bird breeding and nesting site.
A level of interpretation by a small team of professional creative artists collaborating with heritage workers is required to investigate and document the significance of the area. Since it unlikely the public will have any physical access at all to the island areas, now or in the future, we propose to employ a team of artists and heritage workers to produce a booklet, website, exhibition, school workshop programme, teaching resources and guided walks helping people to appreciate the area’s significance.
Archivist and local history writer, Nicola Waddington will lead on the research and identify the cultural significance of the quarantine area. The information gathered will inform the significance of the cultural and physical aspects of the area’s heritage. The archival and interpretive materials will form the items for a temporary public exhibition on quarantine. We will organize boat tours sailing to the site to appreciate the heritage and celebrate the volunteers involvement in the project. We are therefore recruiting project volunteers to work and train with our archivist.
For those interested in getting involved or finding out more about this project please email Trevor Mason at Dilute to Taste at: kentband@blueyonder.co.uk. We have also set up a Facebook page.
Meet James Wharram at Queenborough on 19 April 2013
Queenborough Harbour Trust is proud to say James Wharram will be coming to Queenborough on Friday 19/04/13 and will be giving a talk about the Lapita Voyage. This voyage demonstrates that the Polynesians were capable of ocean travel using traditional designs.
For a little information regarding James Wharram and the voyage please visit the web addresses below.
http://www.lapita-voyage.org/en/lapita_voyage.html
http://wharram.com/site/
James is stopping off at Queenborough on his way to London to pick up an award from the Ocean Cruising Club and offered to present this talk as he is a Patron of Queenborough Harbour Trust. If you are interested in building a boat, sailing a catamaran or sailing across oceans you will find James highly skilled and able to answer questions.
The talk will be held from 19.30 at Queenborough Yacht Club
7 High Street
Queenborough
Kent. ME11 5AA
Admission is £7.00 which is to cover the cost of the buffet. Could interested people please contact Eddie Johnson by e-mailing edcjohnson@aol.com or calling 07749375449.
Buried warship identified at Chatham
Painstaking detective work has finally identified the 18th century ship found in pieces under the floor of the Wheelwrights’ Shop at the Chatham Historic Dockyard: