Thames barges

After so many wet days here in this corner of Essex we have wall to wall sunshine, at last!! It has been a glorious Wednesday, blue skies, bees a buzzing and children laughing outside. With weather like this it was a great opportunity to take the children down to the beach; sand, sea and lots of fresh air.

Here are a couple of photos of I took while on Clacton beach enjoying the sun! A Thames barge slowly making its way back to London. They do look quite spectacular with their dark sails against the blue sky.

and…

Thames sailing barges

The Thames sailing barges have a history dating back to the early 19 century when it was built. Big, sturdy, flat-bottomed boats with distinctive rust coloured sails to enable them to navigate the creeks and inlets along the coastline. The ‘Pudge’  built in 1922, seen here in the photo is one of the numerous Little Ships who ferried the soldiers back from Dunkirk. Today this beautiful sailing barge is mainly used for pleasure trips.

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