Steel Lighters & Barges
The steel vessels are all located at the southern end of the site, stretching from the base of the Severn Railway Bridge swing pier to the old dock entrance at Sharpness. They represent the most recent of the boats that were intentionally beached here. Eighteen steel vessels can be found on site, including examples of numbered dock lighters, Appledore barges named after local villages, Severn "Bird" barges" and a former oil tanker barge.
Click on images to open a larger version with text.
Fuller histories of these vessels can be found on the Friends of Purton website.
Click on images to open a larger version with text.
Fuller histories of these vessels can be found on the Friends of Purton website.
Numbered Lighters:
Lighter No. 6 - Built 1902 - Beached c1972. Lighter No. 9 - Built 1902 - Beached c1972. Lighter No. 20 - Built 1928 - Beached c1973. Lighter No. 23 - Build date unknown - Beached c1976. Lighter No. 32 - Built 1928 - Beached c1976. "Bird" Barges: Severn Eagle - Built 1935 - Beached c1972. Severn Falcon - Built 1935 - Beached 1974. Severn Hawk - Built 1935 - Beached c1972. |
Appledore Barges:
Barnwood - Built 1913 - Beached c1973. Birdlip - Built 1915 - Beached c1972. Brockworth - Built 1913 - Beached c1972. Cam - Built 1905 - Beached c1973. Chedworth - Built 1923 - Beached c1972. Cranham - Details unknown. Matson - Built 1924 - Beached c1972. Sandhurst - Built 1924 - Beached c1972. Tuffley - Built 1916 - Beached c1972. Former Tanker Barge: Severn Conveyor - Built 1930 - Beached 1970. |