A brief history :- Ipswich Dock was once Europe’s large grain terminal and was the only British port that could compete with London. The docks success was largely due to the natural advantages of Harwich Harbour which allowed the big ships to moor, lie safely and cheaply while their cargoes were discharged into sailing barges or lighters for distribution to smaller estuary ports. The dock, with Cranfields the Millers and R & W Pauls the Maltsters, was once Europe’s largest grain terminal. Malt was a valuable cargo and much of what they produced was shipped to London breweries. Both companies had their own fleets of barges working between Ipswich and London. Between 1877 and 1997 R & W Paul owned a total of 45 sailing barges, several of which are still afloat today.
Ipswich History Cruise – May 31st Sailing 1030-1630 with historian Stephen Nunn, talking about Ipswich as a Port, the River Orwell and Thames Barges. £50 fully catered.
Loyalty Club Offer – Book Two Places, get second place half-price
Barge crew "yarning" on deck, 1913
On a typical Orwell Cruise, we leave Ipswich Dock, at the head of the Orwell, from the Old Customs House at Common Quay alongside the old warehouse and maltings. We can look back towards the old town, the historic central street plan dates, in parts, from the seventh century. We pass by Cliff Quay and into New Channel.
Spanning the river at Black Ooze is the Orwell Bridge. It was funded by the Department of Transport and was built by a Dutch company out of concrete box girders that allow movement for expansion and contraction, pilings were sunk 40 meters into the river bottom. Construction started in December 1979 and the work was completed in December 1982. The main span is 190 meters, it has a total length of 1287 meters, a 24 meter width and an air draft of 43 meters. Beyond the bridge is the village of Wherstead. Wherstead Hall was formerly known as Wherstead Lodge and was built in 1792 for the Harland family, the grounds adjoining the river were designed by Humphrey Repton.
Sailing along Freston Reach and past Pond Ooze we arrive at Freston Park with its famous tower which is easy to spot from the river. This is a Tudor Folly built by Lord de Freston and once used as a schoolhouse for his daughter, Ellen. She studied different subjects on each of the six floors – charity on the first floor, tapestry on the second, music on the third, painting on the fourth, literature on the fifth and, following a short break, at night astronomy on the sixth. Leaving Feston Reach at Mulberry Middle, we sail in to Downham Reach. Opposite Cathouse Point, on the edge of the woods is Woolverstone Marina. This is also home to the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. The RHYC clubhouse is located near the distinctive stripped pink brick landmark – the ‘Cat House’. Look carefully for the white cat in the window, said to have originally been a warning signal for smugglers.
Behind Hall Point is the 80 acres of Woolverstone Park. The large formal, Grade 1 listed hall, of grey brick and stone, was built by the architect John Johnson and was once the seat of the Berners family. Since 1992 it has housed the Ipswich High School. Opposite is Orwell Park House. It was built for the Pretyman family in the 1930’s. They formerly lived in the mansion at the other end of the park but sold it to a boy’s preparatory school – the Orwell Park School. We are now in Potter’s Reach and opposite Potter Point. Located just below Chelmondiston is the famous East Coast sailing centre of Pin Mill. It was once an important smuggler and barge haven. It has an excellent pub – the 17th century Butt and Oyster, which sits right on the waters edge.
"Thistle" leading the fleet in Pin Mill Barge Race
Pin Mill featured in the BBC’s series Lovejoy and was also the setting for Arthur Ransome’s book ‘We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea’. Ransome’s boat, Selina King, was built at King’s Boat Yard. The hard is still used by visiting barges and is the final resting place to a number of others.
Broke Hall overlooks Buttersman’s Bay, named after the fast schooners that transported perishable cargoes. It was also the place where large steamships offloaded onto barges and lighters. Continuing in to Long Reach, the creek just before the bend in the river leads up to Levington, a place again linked to barging and smuggling. Along with other place it features in Richard Cobbold’s novel ‘Margaret Catchpole’.
The artificial marina cut in to the bank near Stratton Hall is the Suffolk Yacht Harbour. Passing round Collimer point, Lower Reach now takes us along the edge of Trimley Marches and eventually to Fagbury Point. Shotley is the final settlement on the River Orwell before passing in to Harwich Harbour. Shotley was the home of HMS Ganges from 1905 to 1976 and thousands of naval trainees passed through its gates. There is now a ‘Ganges Museum’ situated in the marina. Shotley is also used as a mooring for Trinity House Lighthouse Service Vessels.
The Port of Felixstowe dates from the Victorian era and was created by local landowner Colonel Tomline. His plan was to have a port to rival Harwich and Ipswich and to develop a seaside resort for family holidays. Today it is Britain’s biggest and busiest container terminal. The shingle spit to the south of Felixstowe is Landguard Point, so named after its defensive position. The fort there was originally built in 1588 to protect Harwich and served its purpose well in 1667 when the Dutch fleet tried to invade. Decommissioned in 1956, the local historical society has renovated it as a tourist attraction.
On the opposite side of the harbour is Harwich and the international port and ferry terminal serving Holland, Germany and Scandinavia. This place is historically important and was granted a charter by King James I. It has provided a sheltered anchorage for shipping through the ages. Adjacent, Dovercourt, with its Blue Flag beach, appears more modern, but is actually mentioned in the Domesday Book.
We return back to Ipswich at the end of a relaxing and interesting day.
Ipswich Dock about 1959
