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This web site details the discoveries of three Bronze Age Boats at North Ferriby in East Yorkshire, England.
The above photograph shows
the half scale reconstruction 'Oakleaf'
Benchmarking the Bronze Age
The Bronze Age boat which became an international TV celebrity after starring in the BBC's widely-acclaimed Coast programmes is launching RNLI Filey's Lifeboat Day next Saturday (August 15) at the start of a secondment to the port so the renowned skills of East Coast seafarers can be used in sea trials evaluating the performance of prehistoric vessels. The Ferriby Heritage Trust, the charity which owns the half scale reconstruction of the 4,000 year old boats found on the Humber foreshore at North Ferriby, is taking up a suggestion in one of several recent scientific papers on the Ferriby finds that "An appraisal of the boatmanship and seaworthiness of the inshore, open-boat, fishing fleets around the British Isles in the days before the internal combustion engine would set a benchmark against which prehistoric boats might be judged."*
Barry Robson, Coxwain of the Filey lifeboat, said "The RNLI welcomes the support of what might be described as the world's oldest coble. There is a great tradition of building and handling planked vessels along this East Coast. Experienced seagoers willing and able to help have the skills and knowledge this research needs." Ferriby Heritage Trust chairman Wendy Dobbs said: "Gaining hard-earned international recognition of the immense importance of the Ferriby boats and procuring the replica has been a real community effort for a village charity. It is most appropriate that the next stage toward the building of a full scale replica should come from our neighbouring coastal communities. The opportunity to help the RNLI is a rewarding bonus." The private venture reconstruction funded by Ted Wright, who discovered the vessels, and the leading naval architects Edwin Gifford and John Coates, was described as "archaeology by experiment" and established Bronze Age man's ability to build technically advanced seagoing vessels. "With projects such as a planned fmulti-million reconstruction of Stonehenge seeking to use full-scale replicas of the boats used to transport the bluestones from Wales, the experiment needs to continue." said John Davis, the Trustee who, with the support of local shipping businesses, helped bring the replica to the Humber. "The assessments made after initial trials on The Solent need developing into a more detailed evaluation of the boats' handling and load carrying abilities." Depending on the progress of the sea trials and the weather the boat may visit other Yorkshire lifeboat stations or ports, but should be back in the Humber for the start of the Round-the-World Clipper race on September 13. end August 11, 2009 * Owain T.P.Roberts: Interpretations of Prehistoric Boat Remains, The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 35.1 (2006). Further information: John Davis Tel: 01482 865766The Ferriby Heritage Trust, 10 Melton Road, North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, HU14 3ET. Tel. 01482 632650 email rw@wilberforce.ac.uk
