Cooks Yard
Encyclopedia
Walter Cook established a Thames sailing barge
building business in 1894 on the bank of the River Blackwater
at Maldon, Essex
, England. The business, known as Walter Cook and Son, operated until the 1980s - at which time, it was the last remaining barge yard in Britain.
In 1999, Topsail Charters took on the lease of the yard and refurbished it. They restored boatbuilding and barge repair to the site and maintain the last set of original barge repair blocks on the east coast of England.
at Maldon
in 1894 to build the Thames sailing barge
Dawn, which had been ordered by James Keeble, a member of a well-known local barge owning family.
The Dawn was launched in 1897 and, not long afterwards, the yard started work on the Lord Roberts, for Meesons of Battlesbridge
. In 1902, the British King was launched - a second barge built by Walter Cook and Son for the Keebles.
As well as building barges, Cooks yard built the steamboat Annie for Charrington the brewer. The Annie was used for taking passengers to Osea Island
and it was the first of a succession of pleasure craft that ran from the beach at Maldon promenade.
In 1907 Cooks were contracted by the Admiralty
to build the prototype of the newly designed Montague Whaler. This resulted in many years of work on subsequent orders. The yard built a hundred whalers during the second world war, launching one roughly every three weeks.
In the 1920s a visit by Josh Francis of the Colchester
barge owners Francis and Gilders led to forty years of steady barge building work for Walter Cook and Son.
As wooden barges started to get old, their owners became reluctant to spend money repairing them and some of them were sold off for other uses. In 1937, Cooks converted the sailing barge Challenger to a yacht.
A lot of barges were requisitioned during the second world war and many of them were damaged as a result. Cooks' yard was very busy with repair work after the war ended. In those days, too, a lot of barges were coming to the yard to be fitted with diesel engines as the days of trading under sail alone began to pass.
Walter Cook retired in 1946 and the yard was taken over by his son Clifford, who had been working there since 1919.
G F Sully contracted Cook's yard to maintain all their barges, including the Hydrogen. Cooks were also contracted by the Leigh Building Company to maintain their fleet of barges, which suffered from very rough treatment and were constantly needing repair.
Clifford Cook retired in 1976 and the yard was bought by Barry Pearce and Gordon Swift, and later Roger Beckett. Cook's yard continued with barge maintenance and boat building until 1992, when the last shipwright left.
In 1999, Topsail Charters took over the yard and restored shipwrighting and rigging to their traditional place by the river there.
Thames sailing barge
A Thames sailing barge was a type of commercial sailing boat common on the River Thames in London in the 19th century. The flat-bottomed barges were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow rivers....
building business in 1894 on the bank of the River Blackwater
River Blackwater, Essex
The River Blackwater is a river in England. It rises in the northwest of Essex as the River Pant and flows to Bocking, near Braintree, from where its name changes to the Blackwater. Its course takes it near Stisted, and then via Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall and Coggeshall and near Witham where it is...
at Maldon, Essex
Maldon, Essex
Maldon is a town on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon district and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of Cuijk...
, England. The business, known as Walter Cook and Son, operated until the 1980s - at which time, it was the last remaining barge yard in Britain.
In 1999, Topsail Charters took on the lease of the yard and refurbished it. They restored boatbuilding and barge repair to the site and maintain the last set of original barge repair blocks on the east coast of England.
History
Walter Cook took on the shipyard on the River BlackwaterRiver Blackwater, Essex
The River Blackwater is a river in England. It rises in the northwest of Essex as the River Pant and flows to Bocking, near Braintree, from where its name changes to the Blackwater. Its course takes it near Stisted, and then via Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall and Coggeshall and near Witham where it is...
at Maldon
Maldon, Essex
Maldon is a town on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon district and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of Cuijk...
in 1894 to build the Thames sailing barge
Thames sailing barge
A Thames sailing barge was a type of commercial sailing boat common on the River Thames in London in the 19th century. The flat-bottomed barges were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow rivers....
Dawn, which had been ordered by James Keeble, a member of a well-known local barge owning family.
The Dawn was launched in 1897 and, not long afterwards, the yard started work on the Lord Roberts, for Meesons of Battlesbridge
Battlesbridge
Battlesbridge is a village in Essex, England, through which the River Crouch flows.The bridge over the tidal River Crouch was kept in repair from the earliest days by the Bataille family, hence the name of the hamlet...
. In 1902, the British King was launched - a second barge built by Walter Cook and Son for the Keebles.
As well as building barges, Cooks yard built the steamboat Annie for Charrington the brewer. The Annie was used for taking passengers to Osea Island
Osea Island
Osea Island is an inhabited island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex, East England. It is approximately in size and is connected to the north bank of the river by a causeway, covered at high water....
and it was the first of a succession of pleasure craft that ran from the beach at Maldon promenade.
In 1907 Cooks were contracted by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
to build the prototype of the newly designed Montague Whaler. This resulted in many years of work on subsequent orders. The yard built a hundred whalers during the second world war, launching one roughly every three weeks.
In the 1920s a visit by Josh Francis of the Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
barge owners Francis and Gilders led to forty years of steady barge building work for Walter Cook and Son.
As wooden barges started to get old, their owners became reluctant to spend money repairing them and some of them were sold off for other uses. In 1937, Cooks converted the sailing barge Challenger to a yacht.
A lot of barges were requisitioned during the second world war and many of them were damaged as a result. Cooks' yard was very busy with repair work after the war ended. In those days, too, a lot of barges were coming to the yard to be fitted with diesel engines as the days of trading under sail alone began to pass.
Walter Cook retired in 1946 and the yard was taken over by his son Clifford, who had been working there since 1919.
G F Sully contracted Cook's yard to maintain all their barges, including the Hydrogen. Cooks were also contracted by the Leigh Building Company to maintain their fleet of barges, which suffered from very rough treatment and were constantly needing repair.
Clifford Cook retired in 1976 and the yard was bought by Barry Pearce and Gordon Swift, and later Roger Beckett. Cook's yard continued with barge maintenance and boat building until 1992, when the last shipwright left.
In 1999, Topsail Charters took over the yard and restored shipwrighting and rigging to their traditional place by the river there.
See also
- Thames sailing bargeThames sailing bargeA Thames sailing barge was a type of commercial sailing boat common on the River Thames in London in the 19th century. The flat-bottomed barges were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow rivers....
- ShipbuildingShipbuildingShipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
- River Blackwater, EssexRiver Blackwater, EssexThe River Blackwater is a river in England. It rises in the northwest of Essex as the River Pant and flows to Bocking, near Braintree, from where its name changes to the Blackwater. Its course takes it near Stisted, and then via Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall and Coggeshall and near Witham where it is...
- Maldon, EssexMaldon, EssexMaldon is a town on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon district and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of Cuijk...