''Maud'', along with ''

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

'', is one of only two surviving Norfolk trading wherries to be found on the

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

Broads. ''Maud'' was built in 1899, and served as a sailing wherry and later as a lighter before being sunk in the mid-1960s as protection for part of the banks of

Ranworth Broad Ranworth Broad is a nature reserve on the Norfolk Broads north-east of Norwich in Norfolk, United Kingdom. It is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. it is part of Bure Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and Bure Marshes ...

. In 1981, she was refloated and taken to

Upton Upton may refer to: Places United Kingdom England * Upton, Slough, Berkshire (in Buckinghamshire until 1974) * Upton, Buckinghamshire, a hamlet near Aylesbury * Upton, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough * Upton, Huntingdonshire, a location in Cambridge ...

where she was restored over a number of years, finally returning to the water in 1999. As of 2010, ''Maud'' is active on the Norfolk Broads. She is listed on the register of

National Historic Ships National Historic Ships UK is a government-funded independent organisation that advises UK governments and others on matters relating to historic ships.

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, as part of the National Historic Fleet.

Description

''Maud'' is clinker-built. She is long, with a beam of and a depth of . She is assessed as 20 GT.

History

''Maud'' was built by D S Hall of Reedham for Walter Bunn, a builder's merchant of

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...

. She carried general cargo and timber in connection with Bunn's business. In 1911, she was sold to the Yare and Waveney Lighter Co Ltd, of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

and then in 1918 ''Maud'' was sold to Hobrough's of Norwich. During Hobrough's ownership, she was dismasted and used as a barge in connection with

dredging Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

operations. In 1940, Hobrough was taken over by May, Gurney & Co Ltd. They used ''Maud'' as a lighter until after the

Second World War 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 ...

, when she was fitted with a

Kelvin The kelvin, symbol K, is the primary unit of temperature in the International System of Units (SI), used alongside its prefixed forms and the degree Celsius. It is named after the Belfast-born and University of Glasgow-based engineer and phys ...

engine. In the early 1950s, ''Maud'' was damaged in an accident whilst loading

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

at Norwich Power Station. Following this, she was replanked from the waterline up, with a new deck also being provided. May Gurney replaced their wherries with modern lighters in the early 1960s. ''Maud'' was sunk as a breakwater on Ranworth Broad in the mid-1960s, along with the wherry ''Bell''. In 1976, ''Maud'' was moved elsewhere within Ranworth Broad and was resunk. In 1981, it was decided to pile the riverbank where ''Maud'' lay, and she was given to

millwright A millwright is a craftsperson or skilled tradesperson who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites. The term ''millwright'' (also known as ''industrial mecha ...

Vincent Pargeter, and his wife Linda, on the understanding that the boat would be restored. ''Maud'' was taken to

, where she restored over a period of 18 years, being returned to the water in her centenary year. Restoration was assisted by grants from the Broads Authority and an appeal via the

Transport Trust The National Transport Trust is a British registered charity founded in 1965 as the Transport Trust, the name was changed to reflect the national remit and coverage of its activities. The Trust acts as a hub for the transport preservation movemen ...

. In 1996, she was added to the register of National Historic Ships in the United Kingdom.

References

External links

Boats of the Norfolk Broads

WHERRY YACHT CHARTER CHARITABLE TRUST

Wherry Maud Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maud 1899 ships Ships built in England Individual sailing vessels Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Sailing ships of the United Kingdom World War I merchant ships of the United Kingdom World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom History of Norfolk Norfolk Broads Ships and vessels of the National Historic Fleet