Ferro-Concrete Barges
Eight Ferro-Concrete Barges (FCBs) have been beached at Purton, although only six are visible on site now. Conceived by the Ministry of War Transport as a possible solution to wartime steel shortages and to replace steel harbour lighters that had been lost to enemy action, the FCBs were constructed by Wates Building Group Ltd of Barrow in Furness in 1941. They were only partially successful, suffering from a susceptibility to impact damage as well as being very heavy and difficult to steer. The concrete hulls were also found to be slightly porous, making them unsuitable for dry cargoes. However, they nevertheless proved the technology that was later employed to great effect in the last days of World War 2 with the construction of Mulberry Harbour.
The FCBs at Purton were delivered to Fred Ashmead & Sons of Bristol and later worked for GT Beard Ltd and Ben Cooke Ltd before passing to British Waterways. They spent their final years in use as floating pontoons at Sharpness before being beached at Purton in the early to mid 1960s.
FCB51 - Beached in 1965. Now completely buried.
FCB52 - Beached in 1965. Refloated 1990.
FCB67 - Beached in 1962.
FCB68 - Beached in 1962.
FCB75 - Beached in 1965.
FCB76 - Beached in 1962.
FCB77 - Beached in 1962.
FCB78 - Beached in c1964.
Click on images to open a larger version with text.
Fuller histories of these vessels can be found on the Friends of Purton website.
The FCBs at Purton were delivered to Fred Ashmead & Sons of Bristol and later worked for GT Beard Ltd and Ben Cooke Ltd before passing to British Waterways. They spent their final years in use as floating pontoons at Sharpness before being beached at Purton in the early to mid 1960s.
FCB51 - Beached in 1965. Now completely buried.
FCB52 - Beached in 1965. Refloated 1990.
FCB67 - Beached in 1962.
FCB68 - Beached in 1962.
FCB75 - Beached in 1965.
FCB76 - Beached in 1962.
FCB77 - Beached in 1962.
FCB78 - Beached in c1964.
Click on images to open a larger version with text.
Fuller histories of these vessels can be found on the Friends of Purton website.