RAILWAY AND WEST QUAY SHIPPING

A harbour view from the mid 1960s

By Andy Gilbert

Photo:Newhaven Harbour, 1966

Newhaven Harbour, 1966

Old postcard

This old postcard cropped up on a regional Facebook page, so I thought I'd share it here for those who don't 'do' Facebook.

We're looking up river from a West Quay landing stage, possibly the one just North of the one used by the RAF 'crash boats'. I'll try to identify the vessels in the image, from left to right. The blue trawler is possibly Denrow? Behind it, there are two METREC tugs, that look like Tidworth with MNS52 outside of her. Up at the Coal Wharf is the suction dredger Ron Woolaway (infamous for capsizing when brand new, then being salvaged and fitted with sponsons to stop it happening again!). The large ferry is Maid Of Kent and then come the two Isle of Wight paddlers, Ryde and Sandown. I remember the light blue former fishing boat but don't recall the name. Finally, we see a bit of the harbour bucket dredger Testside.

Date? The ships are in post 1965 British Rail livery but the Sheet Loft is still there on the West Quay and Tidworth was sold in 1966 or 1967, IIRC. So I'll go for 1966

This page was added by Andy Gilbert on 08/12/2019.
Comments about this page

I wonder if the blue trawler moored by the paddler is the "Osprey" which was owned by Cliff Dunwell and skippered by his son Tony.

By John Hills
On 09/12/2019

I think you will find that Trawler was the MFV Denrow, which sadly sank offshore after springing a plank, RNLB and Trinity house vessel attended with salvage pumps but without success, back in the 1970s. She was due for repairs on the marina slipway with timber ordered for the works but due to her delayed slipping and sinking it never made it happened.

By Chris Young
On 21/04/2020
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