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Wreck of a Steam Drifter

16/3/2013

9 Comments

 
Picture
Following on from my previous blog about the remains of the wherries at Newburn Bridge, I decided to investigate this wreck which is further upriver, although on the same (south) bank of the River Tyne. At low tide, it is clearly visible from the path between the river and railway line, on the stretch between Ryton Golf Club and Ryton Ferry House. The stern section with propeller shaft and rudder can still be seen, but much of the vessel is buried in mud.

The existing woodwork above ground level has had photographic targets attached, showing that it was probably surveyed some time previously. The only publication referring to it I could find online was a short article in the free advertising newspaper, Tyne Valley Express, in 2011.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Above photos © Copyright Andrew Curtis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
The wreck was brought to the attention of local archaeologist, Alan Williams, and Patrick Taylor an undergraduate student at Newcastle University, when they were recording the remains of the wherry hulks just west of Newburn Bridge in 2009.

They established that unlike the wherries, this vessel was carvel-built, and is the wreck of a Steam Drifter, a type of fishing boat in common use around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, often fishing for herring. Many were based at North Shields.
Like the Tyne Wherries, very few steam drifters survive.

'Lydia Eva', built in Kings Lynn Shipyard in 1930 with a steel hull, was preserved and is now a floating museum in Great Yarmouth. She is the last surviving Steam Drifter of the formerly huge Great Yarmouth herring fleet.
Picture
The Lydia Eva, Great Yarmouth. Photo by Evelyn Simak (2011).
© Copyright Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
The North Shields registered Steam Drifter, 'Chris', built 1910 by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd. of Middlesbrough is now in Hamburg, renamed 'Rambler Rose' (a name she had in Scotland after 1932) and has been converted to sail. There is a photo of her at Scarborough.
Another still extant steam drifter, Feasible, was built in 1912 by John Duthie of Aberdeen. She was called up for service as a patrol boat in World War I and assisted in the destruction of U-Boat 48 on 24 November 1917. Once demobilised, she went back to herring fishing, renamed as Meloy in Norway in 1946 and fitted with a diesel engine. She is now in Penzance Harbour awaiting restoration and still has her original steam winches and derricks. The National Register of Historic Vessels gives her dimensions as: length 89.93 feet (27.43 metres), breadth 18.00 feet (5.49 metres), depth 9.08 feet (2.77 metres), and gross tonnage 150.00.
Picture
Wooden Steam Drifter 'Radiant' by by Wilton Motley (1920). Collection: Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums.
The name and history of the vessel rotting on the Ryton shore of the River Tyne, is not currently known. Alan Williams told me that his request for information in Tyne Valley Express did however evoke some information.

Two correspondents mentioned a steam drifter called The Sheila, although one of them said that this was located on the north bank of the river before it broke up, so this name is far from certain.
Another source told him that the Ryton bank drifter had been formerly used by the Sea Scouts as a headquarters. It is also possible that it might have been converted into a houseboat and moored somewhere nearby. Several were based at Ryton Willows just downriver.

A Memory of Newburn posted by Jimmy Burrows on the Francis Frith recalls the popularity of Ryton Willows for outings:
It was about 1957 and before, when the Willows was a place to picnic on a Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It was a very popular place, with the Shuggy boats and the river to play in, and there were houseboats galore tied up on the bank side. Rumour has it that there was a brothel on one of these boats.

In years gone by there were ice games on the pond there, but I can't recall this, but what I do recall was when Tommy Watt and his friend, who were both at school, took a houseboat for a joy ride and sailed it down the river. They were nearly at sea before the  river bobbies caught them. They were on the front page in the local paper with reports about the two 'pirates' in one way or another and making great fun of the situation.
The same article has more interesting information about the wherries:
The old derelict timbers structures on the bank opposite the Boathouse pub are almost gone now, but when I was a kid these were full size sea barges, maybe two or three roped together that were no longer sea-worthy and were brought here to see their days out. We used to try and get on board but there was a small hut on one and it had a little smoking chimney, this is where the watchman stayed, and when he chased us we would go back and hoy a stone at the hut, eeeee. I do remember seeing someone cover his little chimney with something and him running out choking with a black face. This was a trick learned at the Imperial from one of the cowboy pictures.
Picture
The Boat House, Ryton, 1889. iSee Gateshead. Ref: GL009796.
Picture
Ryton Rowing Club-house at foot of River Lane, c1900. iSee Gateshead, Ref: 04_04 (orientation corrected).
Volume 113 of The Northumbrian carried the following letter from Dalton Linkleter:
Who remembers the Ryton houseboats?

AT the end of the 1940s to early 1950s Tynemouth Sailing Club arranged a programme of winter racing at Ryton using the boathouse as a base.

At high tide during these races there was sufficient depth of water to be able to sail further up river than the dredged stretch opposite the ferry ramp. On these adventures we could see a few dozen yards upstream a collection of houseboats moored among the trees on the south side.

Can anyone remember these boats and how many there were? I believe they were residential because we met a family of youngsters who crewed for us and must have lived in one of those houseboats.
Alan Williams would dearly like to know more about the wreck so if any reader has more information please get in touch and I'll forward it on.

In July 2013, I was able to add the following photo to this blog, courtesy of Eddie Tingate from Heddon. It is the first photo I have seen of the houseboats on the Ryton shore of the River Tyne and is in the Past Times Collection of his photography website.
Picture
Houseboats on Ryton shore of River Tyne. Photo by Eddie Tingate.

Picture
River Tyne, Ryton. Old postcard ref. L3111. Postmarked 1961.
LINKS:

A Fishy Tale from the Riverbank' in Tyne Valley Express Issue 19 (November 3rd 2011), p19.

European Logger Project - an article from 'Fishing Boats', issue No. 23 - the newsletter of the 40+ Fishing Boat Association.

Photos of the Ryton wreck from 2011

Wreck of a Steam Drifter on Geograph

Steam Drifter 2 on this blog

Picture
'From Tree to Sea: The building of a wooden steam drifter' by Ted Frost (Terence Dalton Ltd, 1985).
Picture
Wooden Steam Drifter 'Formidable', built in 1917 at Oulton Broad, Lowestoft. From Tree to Sea by Ted Frost p.164.
9 Comments
Andy Curtis
22/3/2013 02:11:10 am

Alan Williams kindly answered my question on how he identifies the wreck as a steam drifter. He says, "She’s the right length (about 90 feet), and has the characteristic curving or counter stern, as per the painting in your article. The book to clinch the matter is 'From Tree to Sea' by Ted Frost which is a beautifully illustrated account of building a steam drifter in pre-First World War days in Lowestoft. It’s a really fascinating book."

He also suspects that the 'Feasible' is steel hulled (like the 'Lydia Eva'), which means that the hulk at Ryton is in some ways more interesting. Much of the detail of construction on extant wooden boats remains hidden, so examination of the Ryton remains can provide important information.

Reply
Arthur Newton
7/6/2015 02:52:02 pm

The boat you are enquiring about was called Reflect. It was to be a house boat at Ryton, for the sea scouts but sank before it was converted.

Reply
Andy Curtis
21/6/2015 08:17:57 am

Many thanks for the information, Arthur.
You also told me that your father bought the boat from Clayton & Davis ship breakers at Dunston in the early 50's but was never made into a houseboat.

Reply
Andrew Hall link
30/6/2019 04:24:44 pm

Hi I found your info on this drifter and thought I would give you this history.

Kessingland: (LT 210) (1908 – 1940) (Wood)
O.N. 127626: 84g 38n 81.4 x 16.6 x 9.2 feet
20 hp T.3-cyl by Elliot & Garrood, Beccles Suffolk (monkey engine)

1902: Launched by S. Richards & Co Ltd, Lowestoft (Yd. No 146) for Robert S. Gouldby, Kessingland, Suffolk as “Kessingland” LT 210. 1908: Completed. 14.08.1908: Registered at Lowestoft LT 210. 04.1915: Requisitioned as a Net Laying Vessel (Ad No. 1056) based at Dover. 1919: Returned to Owners. 1919: Owned by George Keable, Lowestoft. 02.1920: Owned by Charles Owston, Scarborough. 11.02.1920: Lowestoft registry closed. 12.02.1920: Registered at Scarborough SH 212 (77.7g/37.3n). 29.06.1920: Owned by Rannas Steam Drifter Co, Ltd, Scarborough (William H. Sellers manager). 25.10.1924: Owned by Matthew Cammish, Scarborough (James Johnston manager). 04.1926: Owned by Clifford G. Allerton, Lowestoft (owner/manager).14.04.1926: Scarborough registry closed. 15.04.1926: Registered at Lowestoft LT 294. 30.08.1926: Renamed “REFLECT”. 1933: Owned by Cedric V. Henderson, Colchester, Essex. 1936: Owned by Aldous Successors Ltd, Brightlingsea, Essex (Roger L. Wild manager). 02.1942: Requisitioned aa an Examination Vessel. 03.1945: Returned to Owners. 1947: Sold as scrap to Clayton & Davie, Dunton on Tyne. Later bought for use as a houseboat for the Sea Scouts at Ryton on Tyne. Remains of hulk lying on the south shore of the Tyne at Ryton and visible at low water.

Reply
Andy Curtis
1/7/2019 01:45:42 pm

Hi Andrew
Many thanks for that amazing information. It has taken 6 years to get this far but well worth the wait. The full history of names and registration details is outstanding and I am very graeteful.
Andy

Reply
julian foynes
12/3/2021 02:01:35 pm

This vessel (KESSINGLAND) is visible in photos taken at Aldous's Shipyard, Brightlingsea, in 1938 and 1941. She was not used by the Navy there (though they based many drifters and other craft there in wartime), and I am unsure why they kept it there till, as you say, at least Feb.1942. The manager you mention was actually Job L Wild, not Roger L (my parents worked for him). How did you find out about the Brightlingsea connection and do you have any idea why it happened?
Good website!

Reply
Andy Hall
28/3/2021 08:05:53 pm

I found all the details published here in The Mercantile Marine lists, Olsens Almanac and the Register of Fishing vessels.
Hope this answers your question

regards

Andy

julian foynes
5/4/2021 06:17:17 pm

many thanks.

Reply
Nigel Gray
22/1/2022 06:32:52 pm

What an interesting story about the drifter and the house boats.
I remember after the bad winter of 1963 seeing the house boats carried away by a big flood. I was on the train going to school on Newcastle.
It was saddening to see them breaking up and tumbling over in the tide.
I'm often up the river in my boat and think about that day.

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