Norfolk wherry
Encyclopedia
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
on The Broads
The Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England. Three main types were developed over its life, all featuring the distinctive gaff rig with a single, high-peaked sail and the mast stepped well forward.
Development of the wherry
Before wherries, there was the Norfolk Keel, a square rigged, transom sterned clinker-built boat, around 54 feet by 14 feet, and able to carry 30 tons of goods. The keel had been built since the Middle Ages and the design probably went back to the Viking invasion. After 1800, the Norfolk Keel (or 'keel wherry') disappeared, partly because a wherryWherry
A wherry is a type of boat that was traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers on rivers and canals in England, and is particularly associated with the River Thames and also with the Broadland rivers of Norfolk and Suffolk. London passenger wherries evolved into the Thames skiff, a...
could be sailed with fewer crew, and it had limited manoeuvrability and lacked speed.
Types of wherry
The Trading Wherry developed from the Keel. It is double-ended, its hull painted black with a white nose to aid visibility after dusk. Most trading wherries were clinker-builtClinker (boat building)
Clinker building is a method of constructing hulls of boats and ships by fixing wooden planks and, in the early nineteenth century, iron plates to each other so that the planks overlap along their edges. The overlapping joint is called a land. In any but a very small boat, the individual planks...
, but Albion, surviving today, was the sole example to be carvel-built
Carvel (boat building)
In boat building, carvel built or carvel planking is a method of constructing wooden boats and tall ships by fixing planks to a frame so that the planks butt up against each other, edge to edge, gaining support from the frame and forming a smooth hull...
. They carry a gaff rig, the sail historically also black from being treated with a mixture of tar and fish oil to protect it from the elements. The mast tops and wind vanes were often painted or shaped (respectively) to identify the wherry's owner - a traditional design is a Jenny Morgan, after a folk song character. Sizes varied, but many of these vessels would carry around 25 tons of goods. Wherries were able to reach larger boats just off the coast at Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
or Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
and take their cargoes off to be transported inland through the broads and rivers. The last trading wherry, Ella, was built in 1912.
The Pleasure Wherry evolved as railways took on the cargo business that had supported the traders. Enterprising owners realised that conversion to carry passengers was a way to replace the lost income, especially as the Broads were at the same time being discovered as a destination for tourism and recreation. Early examples simply featured hammocks and a stove in the hold of a trader, but boatbuilders soon began to make craft specifically for pleasure sailing and holidays, using the same hull and rig design but incorporating living quarters instead of a cargo hold. Some were fitted out to a very high standard indeed; for example, Hathor
Hathor (wherry)
Hathor is one of only six surviving Norfolk pleasure wherries to be found on the Norfolk Broads. Like two of the other surviving wherries, Maud and Solace, she was built by D.S. Halls of Reedham...
, built for the Colman family (of mustard fame), features highly detailed marquetry in Egyptian designs below decks.
For some holidaymakers, the distinction between the working boats and pleasure wherries was not strong enough, and the sleeker and more genteel Wherry Yacht was developed. The main distinguishing features are a smooth, white yacht-like hull and a large counter-stern providing a quiet seating area away from the sail winch and any quanting activity.
Wherries came in different sizes, according to the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
they used. The North Walsham & Dilham Canal
North Walsham & Dilham Canal
The North Walsham and Dilham Canal is a waterway in the English county of Norfolk. It is accepted officially that this waterway is the only canal in Norfolk although it is the canalization of the upper reaches of the River Ant. This navigation was constructed with locks a little wider than most...
Wherry was maximum 50 ft (15.2 m) x 12 ft (3.7 m) x 3' 6". The River Ant
River Ant
The River Ant is a tributary river of the River Bure in the county of Norfolk, England. It is 17 miles long , and has an overall drop of 25 metres from source to mouth...
Wherry was 50' x 12' max. The River Bure
River Bure
The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in The Broads. The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head of navigation. Nowadays, the head of navigation is downstream at Coltishall Bridge...
Wherry was 54' x 12' 8", but for the Aylsham
Aylsham
Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, about north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, although it was only made navigable after 1779, allowing grain,...
Navigation, i.e. the upper reaches of the Bure, the boats had to be 12' 6" x 3' 6" maximum.
On the southern Broads, steam wherries were used. The River Waveney
River Waveney
The Waveney is a river which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads.-Course:The source of the River Waveney is a ditch on the east side of the B1113 road between the villages of Redgrave, Suffolk and South Lopham, Norfolk...
Wherry was 70' x 16' max.
The mast is pivoted with a large counterbalance weight at the bottom. This enables the wherry to lower the mast for passing under bridges. The mast can be dropped, the wherry continues forward under its momentum and the mast is raised again on the far side by the crew of two. If there is no wind, or the wherry must be turned or otherwise manoeuvred, quant pole
Quant pole
A quant is a pole used to propel a barge or punt through water. A barge quant often has a cap at the top and a prong at the bottom to stop it from sinking into the mud. On the Norfolk Broads these are called a Bott and a Shoe respectively...
s are used to provide the required force.
A special wherry wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...
was used to unload cargo, e.g. stone, from the wherries. It was made from wood and strengthened with iron bands. It had no legs, therefore it could be rested on the 11 inches (279.4 mm) planks on the side of the wherry.
Survivors
All types of wherry eventually became uneconomic to run, but a small number have been saved either by private individuals or charities. Most of the survivors can be seen sailing up and down the rivers and broads today, although some are awaiting full restoration. Of the eight surviving examples of recreational and commercial sailing wherries, seven are on the National Register of Historic Ships. An eighth wherry listed on the Register is Jester a motorized ice wherry of 1923.In April 2011, a base was opened in Wroxham
Wroxham
Wroxham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish of Wroxham has an area of 6.21 square kilometres and in 2001 had a population of 1532 in 666 households. The village is situated within the Norfolk Broads on the south side of a loop in the middle reaches of...
where work on the restoration and maintenance of the Edwardian pleasure wherries; Hathor, Norada and Olive can be undertaken in all weathers. The site located in Hartwell Road was part of a £1.5 million project.
| Vessel | Type | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albion Albion (wherry) The Albion is a Norfolk wherry. Built in 1898, she served as a trading vessel and then as a lighter until being acquired by the Norfolk Wherry Trust for restoration and preservation in 1949. Since 1981 she has been moored at the Norfolk Wherry Trust wherry base at Womack Water near Ludham... |
trading wherry | 1898, Oulton Broad | Owned by the Norfolk Wherry Trust. |
| Maud | trading wherry | 1899 Halls of Reedham | Under private ownership. Restored after being sunk for several years on Ranworth Broad. |
| Solace | pleasure wherry | 1903 Halls of Reedham | Under private ownership. |
| Hathor Hathor (wherry) Hathor is one of only six surviving Norfolk pleasure wherries to be found on the Norfolk Broads. Like two of the other surviving wherries, Maud and Solace, she was built by D.S. Halls of Reedham... |
pleasure wherry | 1905 Halls of Reedham | Owned by Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust. Awaiting restoration. |
| Ardea | pleasure wherry | 1927 Robinson of Oulton Broad | Under private ownership. Spent more than 40 years in Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... as a houseboat; returned to Broads in 2005 and was restored to use. |
| Olive | wherry yacht | 1909 Ernest Collins of Wroxham | Owned by Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust. Awaiting restoration. |
| Norada | wherry yacht | 1912 Ernest Collins of Wroxham | Owned by Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust. Under restoration. |
| White Moth | wherry yacht | 1915 Ernest Collins of Wroxham | Available for charter (Norfolk Broads Yachting Company). Extensively restored. |
Images of wherries can be seen on many pub signs and village sign
Village sign
A village sign in some areas of England is a symbol of a village's history, heritage, or culture. They differ from regular road signs in that they are decorative, with the designs usually depicting some aspect of the history of the village...
s. There is also a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
of a wherry at North Walsham
North Walsham
North Walsham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England in the North Norfolk district.-Demographics:The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 11,998. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North...
, part of a special monument commemorating the Millennium celebrations.
Cultural references
- Arthur RansomeArthur RansomeArthur Michell Ransome was an English author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. These tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; other common subjects...
's children's novel Coot ClubCoot ClubCoot Club is the fifth book of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books, published in 1934. The book sees Dick and Dorothea Callum visiting the Norfolk Broads during the Easter Holidays, eager to learn to sail and thus impress the Swallows and Amazons when they return to the...
(1934) depicts life on board a Norfolk wherry; AlbionAlbion (wherry)The Albion is a Norfolk wherry. Built in 1898, she served as a trading vessel and then as a lighter until being acquired by the Norfolk Wherry Trust for restoration and preservation in 1949. Since 1981 she has been moored at the Norfolk Wherry Trust wherry base at Womack Water near Ludham...
was used for a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television adaptation of this book
Further reading
- Black Sailed Traders – Roy Clark.
- Wherries and Waterways – Robert Malster.
- Albion; the Story of the Norfolk Trading Wherry – Martin Kirby/Norfolk Wherry Trust.
External links
- Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust - sailing and caring for Hathor, Olive and Norada
- The Norfolk Wherry Trust - Home of the Albion
- Last wherry returns to new career (BBC News article on Ardea)
- National education Network gallery of Wherry pictures
- Boats of the Norfolk Broads Style Gallery - Wherries