During my wandering around the Thames below the Pool of London and beyond along its edges, a few derelicts have been seen. There are more than would imagine. The reason is perplexing: I understood the authorities normally ‘ordered’ the removal of a sunken vessel.

I suppose if a ship is just abandoned and the owner just disappears then there is little an authority can do other than remove themselves or just leave, perhaps to another who wants a dedicated berth.

Erith water front.

Down at Erith, by the yacht club, the edge of Crayford marshes are littered with abandoned lighters, work vessels and small craft rotting in the reeds growing here. In the reeds behind the fine looking club headquarters rests the sprittie Redshank, whilst along the shore sits the gnarled and rotting hull of the Lady Mary – once used as a store by the club.

The Lady Mary at Erith.

Once this area is left behind, apart from the visible signs of a vessels bottom on the foreshore in Gallions Reach there is nothing until the Thames flows by Isleworth and Brentford. Both places are home to house boats of various sorts, but at Brentford along the waterside running inside the Ait there are a plethora of vessels that have a ‘hang-dog’ look. Some clearly all but abandoned.

Looking down upon an abandoned little motor boat … it is at least supporting an array of plant life!

Along this front were vessels partially cut up with bottoms and jagged bottom structure remaining – leaving a useless berth. Towards the Brent’s meeting of the Thames sits an island of greenery.

Trilby and another abandoned ship – the stern could just be made out in the ‘darkness’…

It all looks normal enough with a vessel sitting outside what looks to be an overgrown wharf. The vessel has its hatches falling in – clearly long abandoned. But looking closely a the ‘island’ I spotted what looked like the bow badge of a barge behind a layer of buddleia.

The Trilby at Brentford.

This barge was built in 1896 in Rochester (Strood) and later rebuilt as a larger craft in 1947. I could make out what looked to be a big steel ‘plate’ rudder. Her reincarnation was as a motor barge. She ceased trading as late as 1982 – and was apparently abandoned here some twenty years ago. You can find her up by Brentford Watermans Centre…

That wasn’t all. Upriver by the lower Richmond Bridge sits the partially dismantled hull of a riveted inland waterways barge…

Wreck near Richmond lower bridge.

Passing through St Katherine Docks I spotted a sailing barge looking a little sad. In fact there are two here. Bothe need heaps of money throwing at them. One though has that little sign that all isn’t well…

T

Is the May on the way too…

The sailing barge May, once a glorious sight upon the estuary, is sprouting buddleia… A few spritsail barges have sunk in these docks over past decades. This doesn’t look good!