Friends of Purton

Who could possibly have known? Following intentional beaching of a small fleet of semi-redundant timber lighters, in the winter of 1909, to strengthen the nearby eroding canal bank, that the site, now know as the ‘Purton Ships’ Graveyard’ would ultimately form a collection of some 86 beached vessels, stretching from Sharpness to Purton. The largest assembly of maritime artefacts on the foreshore of mainland Britain. This website catalogues over twenty years of research, initiated by Paul Barnett. Leading to the formation of the ‘Friends of Purton‘, a society dedicated to the research and protection of this and other ships’ graveyards.