HMS ''Ledsham'' was one of 93 ships of the of inshore
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
s.
Their names were all chosen from villages ending in ''-ham''. The minesweeper was named after
Ledsham, Cheshire
Ledsham is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The civil parish includes parts of the hamlets of Badger's Rake and Two Mills.
It is located on the Wi ...
or
Ledsham, West Yorkshire
Ledsham is a village and civil parish north of Castleford and east of Leeds in the county of West Yorkshire, England. The village is in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough and near to the A1 Great North Road. It has a population of 162, ...
.
HMS ''Ledsham'' is now moored in
Deptford Creek, London where it is the centre of the Minesweeper Collective, an artist's cooperative. The minesweeper houses a printing studio, and is a venue for art and music events. After many years moored in Deptford Creek on the night of 5 January 2017 an explosion near the former minesweeper led to the ship catching fire whilst the
London Fire Brigade deployed a dozen fire engines to the scene of the fire.
References
*Blackman, R.V.B. ed. ''Jane's Fighting Ships'' (1953)
Ham-class minesweepers
Royal Navy ship names
1954 ships
Ships built in England
Ships and vessels on the National Register of Historic Vessels
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