DREDGERS AT WORK

Keeping the silt at bay

By Stephen Morris

 

With the Sospan Dau currently dredging the main channel, I found some pictures of the previous dredgers that used to visit the port to reduce the mud from the harbour entrance after the bucket dredgers Testside and  Foremost Prince had departed.

Photo:Westminster Dredging owned W.D. Thames at work in the river

Westminster Dredging owned W.D. Thames at work in the river

Photo:W.D. Waterway dredging across the river. Meeching at her berth, and an Ellerman's container ship at the lay-by berth.

W.D. Waterway dredging across the river. Meeching at her berth, and an Ellerman's container ship at the lay-by berth.

Photo:W.D.Severn by the old East Pier lighthouse

W.D.Severn by the old East Pier lighthouse

This page was added by Stephen Morris on 02/08/2016.
Comments about this page

More memories for me, Stephen. WD Waterway and WD Thames were our regular visitors in the 60s and 70s, after the departure of Foremost Prince. Their job back then was to keep the main channel deep enough for the ferries and the cargo ships visiting the East and North Quays, with Testside doing the close in work.

Once Testside finished in 1985 we got smaller, but probably more capable, dredgers like Sospan Dau. However, as we all know, that real close in work up river from the ferry ramps was no longer done. You can see the resulting silt build up very clearly at low tide. 

By Andy Gilbert
On 05/08/2016
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