Wreck of Thames sailing barge, 'Pretoria of Faversham', Maldon Promenade Creek (EHER 13741)

The hulk of a Thames sailing barge, 'Pretoria' is visible in Colliers Reach at Heybridge. This spritsail barge was built at Faversham in 1902, and by 1954 was being used as a yacht. In 1964 she was converted for use as a restaurant. It is not known when this barge was hulked.

Pretoria of Faversham, Official No. 114454, 54 ton. Built by Cremer at Faversham in 1902 and traded by them, sold to Horncastle. Barge yacht in 1954, housebarge, hulk in Colliers Reach, Heybridge, bottom visible at Maldon Promenade creek. <1> <2> In the 1960s Pretoria was based at Pin Mill on the River Orwell, where the Webb family refitted it for use as a restaurant. She sailed from Pin Mill down the River Orwell around the coast and up the Thames to The Embankment where she was used as a restaurant. This is documented in a short film. <3> The Pretoria was hulked at the Maldon Barge Graveyard (EHER 82000) by 1981. <4> Note: Whilst it is known that the Pretoria is one of the hulked vessels at the Maldon Barge Graveyard (EHER 82000), it has not been possible to distinguish it from the other vessels and as such this record has been mapped using a bounding polygon to denote the area the barge lies within.