The
Harbour in Flood
by
Barry Jackson
I was ten years old at the time of the floods in 1953 and lived at
Queens Road in Tankerton, which was on high ground and unaffected by the
flooding. However, I can well remember the fierce storm during the night
of 31 January and hearing about the damage on the wireless that
following morning.
The BBC News presenter outlined the terrible devastation on the East
coast and in Holland. Whitstable was mentioned as having "a seventy
foot wide area of flooding in the town centre". I cycled to the
harbour area that morning with my older brother and witnessed the
appalling scene. Some seventy foot wide flood indeed!! The whole town
centre was under water of varying depths, with tremendous damage to
areas such as Sea Wall, Island Wall and Nelson Road.
My interest at that age centred largely around the harbour and the
barges, and I can recall clearly that there were four barges in the
harbour at the time. These were the "Savoy", "Ardwina",
"Major" and "Eureso". When we visited the harbour on
the morning of the 1st February, the water level at high tide was only a
foot or so below the top of the quaysides even then, and the barges
towered over us, being almost on the quays themselves. Only the
"Major" seemed to have any damage, as her port side leeboard
was dangling, having broken the toggle and iron band at its head.
"Ardwina" and "Savoy" were both pure sailing
barges (with no engines) and were owned by Daniels Brothers whilst
"Major" was an auxiliary barge (that is, having an engine and
wheelhouse and full sailing gear but without a mizzen.) She was owned
locally by Andersons.
"Savoy" was berthed at the north quay and therefore sheltered
to some extent from the northerly storm by the granary. "Ardwina"
and "Major" lay at the south quay and were more exposed.
The fourth barge, "Eureso", was a small round sterned motor
barge which had been built as such between the wars, and was owned by
the Greenhithe Lighterage Company. She lay at the inner west quay ,where
the fishermen's sheds are now.
I thought you might be interested in this as, although much has been
written about the floods, I don't recall any mention of which barges
were in the harbour at the time.
Barry Jackson
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
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