Sailed Barges

A potential site has been located for a mosaic of a sailed barge bringing limestone from the quarry at Berry Head to the Cockwood lime kilns. Research is ongoing about what the barges looked like. They were probably Thames barges.
HERE'S a record, from the Mersea Museum,  of a barge named Active which sunk off Berry Head on May 29th, 1988.
A copy of  Big Barges (recommended by Ron Green of Mersea Museum) by Hervey Benham and Roger Finch is ordered.

 The real thing is not far away though. A Thames barge, The Vigilant,  is being restored on Topsham Quay by Andy Voysey, who has kindly sent these photographs.