Island Harbour Marina, on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
,
UK, is a commercial
marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
on the
River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, England, rising at St Catherine's Down near Chale, and flowing northwards through the county town Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newpo ...
in the small
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of
Binfield
Binfield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 8,689. The village lies north-west of Bracknell, north-east of Wokingham, and south-east of Reading at the westernmost extremity of ...
. It is located approximately halfway between
Cowes
Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floa ...
and the
County Town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of
Newport. Visiting yachtsmen will find it just past the Folly Inn on the East bank. Being a relatively small marina, it best suits pleasure craft of up to 20 metres in length. The marina accommodates both annual berthholders and short-term visiting craft.
As the River Medina is tidal, the marina has
lock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
gates to maintain a sufficient operational depth. It also means that access to the marina by boat is dependent on the state of the tide and the draught of the vessel concerned. A table showing the approximate access times is shown below.
Island Harbour Marina was built in 1966 on the site of a demolished water mill, with the main part of the marina being formed by enlarging the original millponds. The marina's creators and first owners were cousins Alan and Colin Ridett, together with Robert Trapp.
As well as arriving by boat, access to the marina can be gained by car, bus and river water taxi. A new riverbank cycle-way has recently been completed between Newport and Island Harbour Marina, with further plans for it to be extended to the Folly Inn in the future.
Features
As well as the marina, there is a large hardstanding area for around 100 boats to be stored ashore. The marina also has its own on-site restaurant. There is an on-site
chandlery
A chandlery was originally the office in a wealthy medieval household responsible for wax and candles, as well as the room in which the candles were kept. It could be headed by a chandler. The office was subordinated to the kitchen, and only exist ...
, boat builders and repair workshop, with a 50-ton travel hoist.
At Island Harbour there are also 96 holiday homes and three permanent dwellings situated within the marina grounds. In November 2014, work began on building a further 25 holiday apartments, due for completion in early 2017. A brand new customer showerblock was completed in June 2015 and in 2016, work was started on two more blocks of apartments. Also in 2016, the on-site restaurant was greatly enlarged and refurbished and a new chandlery and boat repair workshop was built on land to the rear of the hardstanding.
A major feature of the site is the paddle steamer
''Ryde'', currently in a very poor state. More details of this vessel are shown below.
At the far eastern end of the marina is a nature reserve, where birds and other wildlife are left completely undisturbed. On the southern boundary of the marina land is a fairly large lake, which is currently unused.
Road access to Island Harbour is via Mill Lane, which connects to North Fairlee Road (A3054). In Mill Lane, adjoining Island Harbour, is
Binfield
Binfield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 8,689. The village lies north-west of Bracknell, north-east of Wokingham, and south-east of Reading at the westernmost extremity of ...
Farm. The farm has long been associated with Island Harbour and been in common ownership.
Tidal access times
The safe access times up the
River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, England, rising at St Catherine's Down near Chale, and flowing northwards through the county town Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newpo ...
to Island Harbour, before and after High Water are as follows, depending on draught:-
To stay in the deepest water, yachtsmen should steer straight for the green navigational buoy immediately off of the marina's holding pontoon. A 90 degree turn to port just before it, will take vessels parallel to the pontoon and into/through the lock. Yachtsmen should be beware of the mudbanks either side of the entry channel and stay within the channel markers.
The Spice Bus
![The actual Spice Bus from the film Spice World](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/The_actual_Spice_Bus_from_the_film_Spice_World.jpg)
On 18 July 2014, The Spice Bus was put on permanent display at Island Harbour Marina. It is the original bus used in the
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
' 1997 film, ''
Spice World''. In the film, the brightly-coloured, Union Flag painted tour bus driven by Dennis (
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
) transports the Spice Girls around
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
to all of their engagements and appearances.
The Spice Bus is a 1978
British Leyland
British Leyland was an automotive engineering and manufacturing conglomerate formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC), following the merger of Leyland Motors and British Motor Holdings. It was partl ...
Bristol VRTSL3 double-decker.
History
From the Medieval times onwards
The known history of Island Harbour goes back to the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
when the land was owned by the medieval abbey of St Mary of the Quarry (or
Quarr Abbey
Quarr Abbey (French: ''Abbaye Notre-Dame de Quarr'') is a monastery between the villages of Binstead and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight in southern England. The name is pronounced as "Kwor" (rhyming with "for"). It belongs to the Catholi ...
), which was founded in 1132. The abbey was granted areas of the nearby parish of
Whippingham
Whippingham is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. The population of the Civil Parish at the 2011 Census was 787. It is located south of East Cowes in the north of the Island.
Whippingham is best known for its connections with Qu ...
in the early to middle of the 13th century by Henry de Clavill. Shortly afterwards, the abbey also acquired the lands of Cleybrokes or Cleybroc, which would have encompassed the whole of the Island Harbour site. The prominent features of the site are the two 'lucks' or streams which flow into the River Medina. One of these has been known at various times as both Claybrooks Luck and Great Luck, whilst the other is North
Fairlee Luck.
Around 1250, the monks built a mill on the site and dammed the two lucks to form "sea-ponds" or fishing lakes. It is unclear whether they were actually used for fish or for oyster cultivation, which has always been a very lucrative industry on the River Medina. There was also a dedicated farm called Claybrook Farm, which is now known as
Binfield
Binfield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 8,689. The village lies north-west of Bracknell, north-east of Wokingham, and south-east of Reading at the westernmost extremity of ...
Farm. With its access to the River Medina, it is thought to have been a possible route through which the abbey transported its wool to
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
.
Later, in 1430, the Cleybrokes Farm site was leased by the abbey for life to William Knyt; and in 1487 to Joan Legge, widow of Thomas Legge. In 1517, this lease was passed on to John Pocock of
Chillerton
Chillerton is a village between Newport and Chale in the Isle of Wight in southern England. Chillerton is in the middle of a farming community. It is in the civil parish of Chillerton and Gatcombe, along with nearby Gatcombe; the parish had a tot ...
. Then, in 1536, with the
Dissolution of the Monasteries by
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
, ownership of the lands passed from Quarr Abbey to
The Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
. It remained a crown possession until 1628, when it was granted by
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
to The
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
in satisfaction of debts owed.
Later, Claybrook Luck came under the control of Claybrook Farm and North Fairlee Luck came under the control of Heathfield Farm. Both were being used for oyster production, which is perhaps an indication that this was always the case. Oyster production carried on here right through the 17th and 18th centuries, with the oysters of the River Medina being widely regarded as the best in England! In fact, oysters were still being cultivated commercially in the River Medina right up until 2005.
In 1711, there was a dispute over who had the rights to produce oysters in the two lucks, which went to court. John Redston and Edward Faulkner were farming them, with the permission of the land-owners. However, as a fisherman by the name of William Cave had been granted sole rights by the Borough of Newport to fish the whole of the River Medina, he believed that he also had the sole rights to the lucks as well. He confiscated 2000 oysters, as well as firing a warning shot over the head of one of Redston and Faulkner's workers.
East Medina Mill
In 1790, a local baker called William Porter built East Medina Mill on the site, in partnership with William Gregory, a Newport hairdresser.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 4 August 1945, Page 5] Built on the site of a former army barracks, it was to become one of the great English
tide mill
A tide mill is a water mill driven by tidal rise and fall. A dam with a sluice is created across a suitable tidal inlet, or a section of river estuary is made into a reservoir. As the tide comes in, it enters the mill pond through a one-way ga ...
s. The oyster lakes became the mill's millponds and the water wheel was placed right where the current marina's lock gates are now situated. Almost from the moment when William Porter built it, East Medina Mill became known as
Botany Bay
Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...
Mill, because it supplied the transport ships which were taking convicts to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
East Medina Mill was originally 80 feet long, 30 feet wide and built on five floors. It had an undershot wheel, two sets of barley stones, one American wheat cutter, one oat cutter, three pairs of French stones, a flat roof for drying; and could grind thirty loads of wheat per week. Having both mill ponds full on Spring tides, gave enough water flow to turn the wheel sufficiently to run the mill for six hours. Vessels of up to 70 tons could berth alongside the mill in the river, for loading and unloading.
The southern half of the mill, described as a "bakehouse and storehouse", was from the start still occupied as a hospital and barracks by His Majesty
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
's troops. These were
Hessian
A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse.
Hessian may also refer to:
Named from the toponym
*Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire
**Hessian (boot), a style of boot
**Hessian f ...
mercenaries from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
. In 1794, eighty four of these soldiers died of
typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure.
...
and were buried in the nearby
Whippingham
Whippingham is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. The population of the Civil Parish at the 2011 Census was 787. It is located south of East Cowes in the north of the Island.
Whippingham is best known for its connections with Qu ...
Church.
There is a memorial there to them, placed by
The Landgraf A F of Hesse in April 1906. During the
Napoleonic wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
in the early 1800s, French soldiers were also barracked at East Medina Mill as prisoners of war.
As well as building East Medina Mill, Porter also built West Medina Mill on the other side of the river (nicknamed '
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...
') and
Yarmouth Mill. However, in doing so, he over-stretched himself and the Newport Bank, which financed him, foreclosed on the loan. He was declared bankrupt in 1791, before their completion and died soon after in 1794 of a malignant fever. The
Hampshire Chronicle
The ''Hampshire Chronicle'' is a local,
newspaper, based in Winchester, Hampshire, England. The first edition was published on 24 August 1772, making it one of the oldest publications in England.
The paper was founded by James Linden and wa ...
reported that he left a pregnant wife and four small children totally unprovided for. West Medina Mill was also used as barracks, housing Dutch soldiers of
Count Bentinck
Earl of Portland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, firstly in 1633 and secondly in 1689. What proved to be a long co-held title, Duke of Portland, was created in 1716 and became extinct in 1990 upon the death of ...
's regiment. It seems that the soldiers at both East and West Medina Mill were barracked there in between being sent to assist in, among other things, the quelling of the
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influence ...
.
Following William Porter's bankruptcy in 1791, the mill was put out on lease, awaiting its sale. William Roach took over the lease for the mill and its lands from John White, Esquire of Fairlee in 1797. He eventually bought the mill outright. He then also built East Medina House, which was to become the residence of many of the owners of East Medina Mill. This house still exists in Mill Lane, although its name was changed to Tide Mill House some years ago.
In 1856, a carter by the name of Daniel Sheath was killed, whilst working at the mill. He was stopped in his wagon when another gig passed by, out of control, after its horses took fright. Sheath got down from his wagon and endeavored to stop the horses, but was run over and died of a fractured skull. In 1863, there was another death at the mill when the 22 year old Henry Slade was dragged into a bean crusher by his clothing, which was revolving at 600 revolutions a minute. He died instantaneously, sustaining serious head injuries, a broken back and two broken legs. He was described as a sober, steady man, but careless around machinery. An accidental death verdict was given.
The mill remained in Roach's family for the next 140 years, spanning eight generations, with John Roach being the last to operate it. In 1930, much of the mill was badly damaged by a terrible storm which ripped off most of the roof and sent it flying up to 100 yards into nearby cottages.
In 1933, the aging Roach sold the mill to the Newport Corporation (the local council), but stayed on as a tenant until September 1937, by which time he was 78 years old. He also owned West Mill and Lower
Shide Mills, but by the time of his eventual retirement in 1939, he only had West Mill left. Newport Corporation advertised for new tenants for East Medina Mill, but from the time that John Roach left it, the mill was only ever used as a place of storage by the Council. Evidence shows that they allowed it to fall into a state of disrepair and by 1943 it was considered to be structurally unsafe. In 1945, the disused building was damaged even further by a major fire and it was finally demolished in 1950.
The ''Medway Queen'' Marina
Later, in the 1960s, cousins Alan and Colin Ridett, with Robert Trapp, constructed the new marina on the old site, which opened in 1966. By this time, they had already bought the Paddle Steamer ''Medway Queen'', which arrived in 1965 (see below). This was to be the new ''Medway Queen'' Marina's first clubhouse, with berths being available in the original tide mill's two millponds.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 21 May 1966, Page 7] Despite having been open for some years, the ''Medway Queen'' Marina was officially opened on Friday 28 May 1971 by M. Claude Prouvoyeur, the Mayor of Dunkirk. This was because of the ''Medway Queen''
's heroic achievements there during the second world war. At this time in 1971, the marina won the British Tourist Authority's "Come to Britain" award. At the same time the marina also boasted a swimming pool, which has long since disappeared.
Island Harbour Marina
Since those early days, the marina has had four different names, being The ''Medway Queen'' Marina from 1966,
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 26 November 1966, Page 14] Wight Marina from 1972, Medina Yacht Harbour from 1977 and finally to its current name, Island Harbour Marina from 1987.
The marina has also changed hands a number of times over the years. The current owners are Eamon O'Connor and his business partner Kevin Webb, who bought the marina in January 2013. They operate under the company name Uavend Investments LLP.
The paddle steamers of Island Harbour
Island Harbour has long been associated with a number of paddle steamers, moored there as floating nightclubs and restaurants. The most well-known of these are the ''Medway Queen'' and the ''Ryde''. However, less well-known is the ''Kingswear Castle'', which was at the marina for four years from the late 1960s. There was in fact a period of nine months between September 1970, when the ''Ryde'' arrived and June 1971 when the ''Kingswear Castle'' left, that Island Harbour boasted three paddle steamers, all at the same time. Now, only the PS ''Ryde'' remains, which is in a derelict state.
Paddle Steamer ''Medway Queen''
![Medway Queen Albion Dock](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Medway_Queen_Albion_Dock.JPG)
The marina's first paddle steamer was the
PS ''Medway Queen'', which arrived on 28 September 1965, ready to be converted into the clubhouse, restaurant and nightclub for the new marina which was due to open the following year. The ''Medway Queen'' Club, as it was going to be called, was to be the centre-piece of the ''Medway Queen'' Marina. Having been due to be scrapped before this, the
Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
set up a campaign to save her and she was duly rescued by the Ridetts, together with various preservation trusts, who paid £6,000 to buy her from a Belgian breaking company.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 28 February 1997, Page 18] It must have been perfect timing for the businessmen planning the new marina.
The ''Medway Queen'' had a distinguished career. She was built in 1924 by the
Ailsa Shipbuilding Company
Ailsa Shipbuilding Company was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Troon and Ayr, Ayrshire.
History
The company was founded in 1885 by the 3rd Marquess of Ailsa along with Peter James Wallace and Alexander McCredie.
In 1902 the Ailsa yard ...
of
Troon
Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, situated on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland, about north of Ayr and northwest of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
Troon has a port with freight services and a yacht marina. Up until January 2016, P&O Ferrie ...
on the
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde is the mouth of the River Clyde. It is located on the west coast of Scotland and constitutes the deepest coastal waters in the British Isles (it is 164 metres deep at its deepest). The firth is sheltered from the Atlantic ...
, for operation on the
River Medway
The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald AONB, High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a to ...
.
She steamed between
Strood and
Southend
Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
and was principally a pleasure-ship, running excursion trips for the holidaymakers.
She was 179 feet long, weighed 316 tons, had a crew of 30 and originally had a service speed of 15 knots. She could carry 980 passengers and was coal-fired. However, In 1938, she was converted to run on oil and then after the war, her licence was reduced to carry 828 passengers.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the ''Medway Queen'' was drafted into war service and converted into a minesweeper. Her aft end was modified to accommodate minesweeping equipment, she was painted battleship grey and she was fitted with anti-aircraft guns. She was renamed HMS ''Medway Queen'' and given pennant number N48. Other than her service as a minesweeper and a training ship, her pinnacle of achievement came when she became the "Heroine of
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.[English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...]
, rescued over 7,000 soldiers
and was given four awards for gallantry.
On her final crossing, she was severely damaged by a collision with another warship, but still managed to make it home.
After the war, the ''Medway Queen'' returned to her former career on the River Medway and remained in service until September 1963, when she was sold to the
Forte Group
Forte Group plc was a British hotel and restaurant company. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index until it was acquired by Granada in 1996. Its head office was in the London Borough of Camden.
...
, who intended to turn her into a floating restaurant and hotel. But when they could find no place to berth her on the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
, they sold her to ship-breakers, Van Heyghen Brothers of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. However, when they found out that they had been asked to break up the "Heroine of Dunkirk", Van Heyghen Brothers declined to continue. This allowed time for the Daily Mail to set up their campaign and for the ''Medway Queen''
's ultimate arrival at Island Harbour.
The ''Medway Queen'' Club and nightclub became a huge success, with its four saloons converted into a restaurant, nightclub, casino and function room. It was officially opened on 14 May 1966 by Commander J D Graves, the ship's First Lieutenant during the second world war.
However, it quickly became apparent that at 179 feet long, she was just too small
and so in 1970, the 216 feet long
PS ''Ryde'' was brought in as a replacement, opening in June 1972. The ''Medway Queen'' remained moored alongside, with both paddle steamers open to the public for a time. Owner, Alan Ridett said "For a time we ran them in tandem and could wine, dine and dance 1,000 people." However, the ''Medway Queen'' Club seems to have closed in the summer of 1974, leaving the ''Ryde Queen'' to continue on its own.
The ''Medway Queen'' fell into a state of severe dilapidation, but was bought in September 1977 by a trio of
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
businessmen for £10,000. When they tried to move her out of the marina, she sank just outside in the River Medina. There she remained until 1984, when she was refloated and taken to
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
in Kent. After many years of uncertainty, she is now owned by the ''Medway Queen'' Preservation Society and is currently undergoing full restoration at
Gillingham Pier.
Paddle Steamer ''Ryde''
![Paddle Steamer Ryde](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Paddle_Steamer_Ryde.jpg)
The PS ''Ryde'' has been at Island Harbour for over 46 years, from September 1970 until the present day.
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 19 September 1970, Page 14] She was built in 1937 by
William Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, often referred to simply as Denny, was a Scottish shipbuilding company.
History
The shipbuilding interests of the Denny family date back to William Denny (born 1779), for whom ships are recorded being buil ...
of
Dunbarton for
Southern Railway (UK)
The Southern Railway (SR), sometimes shortened to 'Southern', was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent. The railway was formed by ...
and operated the
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
to
Ryde Pier
Ryde Pier is an early 19th century pier serving the town of Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. It is the world's oldest seaside pleasure pier. Ryde Pier Head railway station is at the sea end of the pier, and Ryde Espl ...
passenger ferry service with her sister-ship, the PS Sandown. Originally costing £46,000, she is to be the only sea-going coal-fired paddle steamer left in the world. She is 216 feet long and displaces 603 tons.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, she was requisitioned by the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
and renamed HMS ''Ryde''. She then spent two years as a minesweeper, before being converted to an anti-aircraft ship, patrolling the
Thames Estuary
The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain.
Limits
An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salini ...
. Her finest hour then came during the
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
landings, when she was sent to the
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
coast to assist in
Operation Neptune
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
. Her task was to take up position on the western side of the
Mulberry Harbour at
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach was one of five beach landing sectors designated for the amphibious assault component of operation Overlord during the Second World War. On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded German-occupied France with the Normandy landings. "Omaha" r ...
and protect the invading US troops there by giving covering fire.
At one stage, she was ordered to run herself aground if she did not have enough coal to return to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, but she did. She was also hit in the engine room by a shell, but it did not explode.
Following the war, she returned to her duties as a cross-
Solent
The Solent ( ) is a strait between the Isle of Wight and Great Britain. It is about long and varies in width between , although the Hurst Spit which projects into the Solent narrows the sea crossing between Hurst Castle and Colwell Bay t ...
passenger ferry,
being licensed to carry 1,011 passengers. In 1968, she was taken to the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
and chartered by
Gilbey's Gin as a "Floating Gin Palace". A short film was made about this excursion by
British Pathe
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
News. The ''Ryde'' was finally withdrawn from service in August 1969.
Heading for the breakers yard, she was bought for £12,000 and saved by the Ridetts, who took her to Island Harbour in September 1970, to become its second floating restaurant and nightclub.
After an extensive re-fit costing £60,000, she was officially opened as the "Ryde Queen Boatel" on 14 June 1972. At the same time, she was renamed from the ''Ryde'' to the ''Ryde Queen'' by Miss Carolyn Moore, the reigning
Miss Great Britain
Miss Great Britain is Britain's longest running beauty contest held annually in Britain since 1945. Owner and CEO John Singh made history crowning his first winner and to this date only the first black Miss Great Britain 1996. Singer and dancer A ...
. Her new interior enabled her to accommodate 35 guests in luxurious cabins and 100 people in her restaurant. She had an outside upper-deck bar, a quarter-deck dance floor and a lower deck "Boiler" lounge bar with a maple dance floor.
In August 1977, she was badly damaged by a mystery fire, which led to her temporary closure. However, she re-opened and carried on until 1989, when her deteriorating condition forced her to close for the last time. Since that time, she has continued to worsen and she is now in a very derelict state. In 2010, work was started to dismantle her, but this was stopped almost straight away for legal reasons.
Although many believe that she is now beyond repair, there is still a hope that something can be done to save her. An application was made to the
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, an island in the south of England. It is currently made up of 39 seats. Since the 2021 election, there has been an 'Alliance' coalition administration of Independents, ...
planning department on 11 June 2014 by the owners of Island Harbour Marina, for permission to retain her on site for a further three years. This was to allow time to evaluate the possibility; and to find the funding necessary to rebuild her. The application was approved by the council on 5 August 2014, guaranteeing her continued existence for at least another three years.
Paddle Steamer ''Kingswear Castle''
PS ''Kingswear Castle'' was built in 1924 by
Philip and Son of
Dartmouth, for service on the
River Dart
The River Dart is a river in Devon, England, that rises high on Dartmoor and flows for to the sea at Dartmouth.
Name
Most hydronyms in England derive from the Brythonic language (from which the river's subsequent names ultimately derive fr ...
, between
Totnes
Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-so ...
and Dartmouth.
As a river-steamer, she was only 113 feet long, weighed 96 tons, but could carry 500 passengers. She is currently the last remaining operational coal-fired paddle steamer in the
UK, but is not sea-going, like the PS ''Ryde''. As with the PS ''Medway Queen'' and PS ''Ryde'', the ''Kingswear Castle'' also saw service in World War II, being chartered to the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
to carry stores and personnel.
After the war, she returned to the River Dart, where she continued her civilian career until finally being withdrawn from service in 1965.
She was bought by the
Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) two years later and was chartered by them to the ''Medway Queen'' Marina in August 1967, to operate alongside the marina's other paddle steamer, the ''Medway Queen''. Owner, Alan Ridett, thought that the ''Kingswear Castle'' would be an attractive addition to the marina and hoped that he would be able to use it for cruises along the River Medina.
In May 1969, after an extensive mechanical overhaul, she took her first trip under her own steam since being withdrawn from service in 1965. A month later, she was running a cruise up the
Beaulieu River
The Beaulieu River ( ), formerly known as the River Exe, is a small river draining much of the central New Forest in Hampshire, southern England. The river has many small upper branches and its farthest source is from its -long tidal estuary. ...
.
However, only a year after that, in 1970, she was almost on the point of being scrapped, due to her over-all deteriorating condition. To save her, she left Island Harbour in June 1971, after a four-year stay and was moved to the River Medway.
After many setbacks, she was finally restored in 1984 and returned to full passenger carrying service on the River Medway. There she stayed until 2012, when she returned to her original home on the River Dart and continues to work there, on charter to the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company.
Paddle Steamer ''Monarch''
![Island Harbour Monarch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Island_Harbour_Monarch.jpg)
In fact, another paddle steamer was also briefly located at Island Harbour. The modern
PS ''Monarch'' was based there for three seasons from 2008 until 2010, offering excursions in the River Medina. At only 42 feet long, 8 feet wide and with a capacity for only 12 passengers, she is the world's smallest commercial paddle steamer.
The Monarch was designed and built by Brian Waters, who was a key volunteer in finally restoring the paddle steamer ''Kingswear Castle''. It was a dream of his to construct his own paddle steamer from scratch. Construction was originally started in 1984, but it took him almost twenty years before she was finally finished, entering commercial service in 2003. She is powered by a 100-year-old compound steam engine, fed by an oil-fired boiler, which was originally used as a tar pump at Caerphilly gas works. This gives an operating speed of up to 6 knots.
Monarch originally worked the
River Stour, but 2007 was when she was sold and moved to Island Harbour. In 2010, she was sold again, and moved to the
River Tamar
The Tamar (; kw, Dowr Tamar) is a river in south west England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A part of the Tamar Valley is a World Heritage Site due to its historic mining activities.
T ...
. Sold yet again in 2012, she is now running cruises along the
River Frome, from Wareham Quay.
The Pirate Ship
From the spring of 1984
[Isle of Wight County Press dated 6 July 1984, Page 44] until November 1987, there was another memorable and noteworthy vessel at Island Harbour. This was the 127 feet long, (sometimes quoted as 82 feet long), twin-masted Topsail
Schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
, ''Nora-av-Ven''. Also referred to as a Baltic Trader, she was built in 1825 and originally sailed out of
Ven, Sweden
Ven ( da, Hven, older Swedish spelling Hven) is a small Swedish island in the Øresund strait, between Scania and Zealand (Denmark). It is part of Landskrona Municipality, Scania County. The island has 371 inhabitants and an area of . During th ...
. But, from the 1970s until she was finally broken up in 1999, she became known as "The Pirate Ship". This was because her owner brought her to the Isle of Wight and traded from her as a pirate-themed floating restaurant and museum. Previously she was owned by the actor,
Edward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he began his career on stage. Throughout his career, he appeared in productions ...
. The Nora-av-Ven was reputed to have been used by real-life pirates at one stage of her chequered career.
During the 20th century she was at one time a floating dentists' surgery in
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
; and in 1967 she was used as a floating stage by
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
for a concert in
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
. She was also seen in the first series of the 1971
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. In 1973, ''Nora-av-Ven'' was almost wrecked when she struck rocks off
.
, where she began her new career as "The Pirate Ship" restaurant and museum. The restaurant treated its guests to a mock pirate meal and experience. Music would be provided in the form of
, The Pirate Ship traded from Island Harbour Marina, moored on the pontoon known as the Fuel Berth. Ultimately, after the marina was sold, the Pirate Ship departed Island Harbour in November 1987, temporarily going back to a berth in
Quay in April 1988 and carried on trading there until July 1997, when her deteriorating condition forced her to close. Leaking more and more, she sank several times on her berth and had to be refloated. Her rotting main mast also snapped in 1995 and the masts had to be removed. In December 1998, she sank again and was never refloated. In April 1999, the 175-year-old ''Nora-av-Ven'' was finally broken up and removed by the Isle of Wight Council.
* Quarr Abbey History http://www.iwhistory.org.uk/timeline/
* William Page's 'A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5', 1912 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42073
* Island Harbour Marina https://web.archive.org/web/20140222033849/http://www.island-harbour.co.uk/default.asp
* John Albin's 'A New, Correct, and Much-improved History of the Isle of Wight', 1795
* Thomas Brettell's 'A topographical and historical guide to the Isle of Wight', 1840
* Sarah Burdett's 'The Book of Whippingham: Queen Victoria's Island Village', 2006
* Some information on William Porter from 'A Timeline History of Yarmouth' https://web.archive.org/web/20150921050511/http://freespace.virgin.net/iw.history/yarmouth/history.htm
* Paddle Steamer Preservation Society's 'The Story of Medway Queen: A Paddle Steamer that went to war', 1975
* The Medway Queen Preservation Society
* Paddle Steamers - A Unique Heritage Preserved http://www.kieranweb.co.uk/steamersnew/kingsweartitle.htm
* PS Monarch http://www.paddlesteamers.info/Monarch.htm
* Pirate Ship and other extensive additional information on this page has been found and is searchable from the Isle of Wight County Press archives (Copies held of supporting pages) http://archive.iwcp.co.uk