Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts of Oak
CRETEHILL and
CRETABODE
The Concrete
Barges at each end of Cornwall.
CRETABODE On the Tamar,
near Plymouth
ON
142701
Ferroconcrete
dumb barge.
Built 1918 Hill, Richards & Co.
Ltd., Hamworthy, Poole, U.K.
CRETABODE
was launched for Concrete Seacraft Ltd., who were based at Fiddler’s Ferry on
the Mersey, and had their subcontractor at Hamworthy, Poole. Hill, Richards & Co. Ltd. were
established, under contract to the Marine & General Concrete Construction
Syndicate Ltd, the Lake Shipyard at Hamworthy, Poole Harbour.
662
grt, 620 nrt
190ft
x 35ft 8ins x 15ft 5ins
Built
with concrete guard rail at bow and stern, hatchcombing amidships, and a
wheelhouse, funnel and boat in davit aft. The smokestack was from a boiler which
served winches, pumps, etc.,.
1917
Ordered as PD 26.
1918
Completed for The Shipping Controller, London, U.K. as CRETABODE.
1921
Transferred to The Board of Trade, London, U.K.
1922
Crete Shipping Co. Ltd., London, U.K. (managed by Stelp & Leighton Ltd.)
1923
Albert Batchelor, Broadstairs
1935
George Batchelor, Rochester
1936
George J. Mills, Higham
1942
Sold to U.K. Government
The
CRETABODE was laid up ( with CRETEFIELD and CRETESHORE ) between the wars, at
Wiveliscombe Creek, near Plymouth.
Viscount
Lennox-Boyd acquired Ince Castle around 1955. He was Colonial Secretary
1954-59. He objected to these hulks being placed in front of his house and the
Queen’s harbourmaster had them moved to the Torpoint shore, around 1955.
Locals
again objected and one of the hulks was towed out to sea and scuttled,
around
1956.
The
CRETABODE had been damaged when it had been beached, but later she was
re-floated with great difficutly and towed to her present position off
Deadman’s Point, St Johns Lake, on the Cornish side of the Tamar estuary,
protecting the shore of HMS Raleigh.
Thanks to David Page for the pictures of the CRETABODE
http://www.navyphotos.co.uk
Raymond
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