As predicted, Arthur Percival’s ‘Nutshell Guide’ to Faversham Creek produced a good few barge related snippets. I knew, of course, of the use of ‘Hufflers’ to help barge crews lower and raise rigging when shooting bridges, but there was a whole Huffler (or “hoveller”, says AP) industry in manually towing barges up the creek from the Hollow Shore, Shipwrights’ Arms junction. The Huffler would meet you at Hollow Shore and drag you up by walking up the west bank of the Creek. The job became known as “a couple of bob on the line” because 2 shillings was the rate for the job. AP even cites a magazine article in his bibliography entitled “A Couple of Bob on the Line” by boat builder Dick Dadson (Magazine of the Faversham Society, 1966, Vol 1, No 2)
Some of you will know the Creek and Faversham pretty well, but did you know that the HGV yard, now used by Francis Davis Haulage (Agrigano) round by Morrison’s used to be a barge building yard owned by shipwright Cornelius? Or that there was a barge building yard called Whites on “Crab Island” at the end of the Front Brents. Or that the far end of the new houses built on the former Pollock’s Ship Yard was Perry’s Brickfield which “saw its heyday at the end of the 19th Century and closed about 1907”. There were also barges being built around Hollow Shore itself by the firm Thomas Madam, Thomas also being the landlord of the pub there.
It is bitter sweet though to know that this history book is itself now a piece of Creek History, having been published in 1987. It pre-dates all the recent changes, demolition of Paul’s (Paul and White’s Foods Ltd) tall grain-elevator buildings and industrial stuff, now replaced by restaurants and new housing. AP still has Gillett Cook as an extant feed merchant occupying the wharf buildings and Whittle importing deal (wood) and the pub is called the Coal Exchange, its old name; It is now back to being the Swan and Harlequin. He also has Decima owned by Dennis “Beefy” Wildish.
A nice read if you can get hold of a copy.
Cambria becalmed, Thames Match 2012; Picture by Phillip Barnes Warden