Is This Norwich?

[Wonderwall]

Hello and best wishes all.

I came across this picture, when browsing the old net, and it claims to be “ the port of Norwich”.  
Now I don’t recognise it, but that dosent mean to say it isn’t. I have no other information. It does look like a broads cruiser though.

Any ideas, any of you Broads trainspotters. 😜?

 

[Ray]

Nice to have something to do in the early hours when I can't sleep.

Yes, it is Norwich. It may have been colourised from a black and white photo, losing some detail. There is a copyrighted photo that is almost identical on a Newsprint Website. I cant post that here obviously but there is a legitimate to view  version with © notice on their for sale page here https://images.app.goo.gl/wcEGNVyutimiDMtU8

Much easier to tell it's Norwich from that one.

[Vaughan]

The photo will have been taken from Carrow Bridge.  Left foreground is Reids flour mills, followed by the Youngs and Crawshays brewery.  The coaster further up, under the tall crane, is moored at Thos. Moy's coal yard.  Next is one of Steward and Pattesons' breweries, which was later Watneys.  Behind the white chimney is another tall black one which I think will be Bullards Brewery which was further up river, by St Benedicts.  Can't remember what the white buildings were but there was a large furniture factory around there, followed by Jewsons timber yard and the Great Eastern Hotel, by Foundry bridge.  The right bank of the river was all given over to the big Boulton and Paul factory, on the site of what is now a retail park.  In the centre background (I think) is Norwich Castle.

[Hylander]

Good to see that I am not the only one who cannot sleep.   I seem to see 4.30 more and more often.  Definitely looks like Norwich to me.  

[Vaughan]

It's nice and peaceful on the forum before dawn.    Makes me tempted to say things I otherwise shouldn't but I notice we usually have a well known mod who can't sleep either!   

[Hylander]

Best time of the day on the boat or at home.     

[Gracie]

Best time of day on a boat on the Broads. The sun rises can be beautiful can't they. Sitting outside on the bow as you watch it rise with a steaming mug of coffee while the mist dances on the surface, stunning

 x

[Wonderwall]

4 hours ago, Vaughan said:

The photo will have been taken from Carrow Bridge.  Left foreground is Reids flour mills, followed by the Youngs and Crawshays brewery.  The coaster further up, under the tall crane, is moored at Thos. Moy's coal yard.  Next is one of Steward and Pattesons' breweries, which was later Watneys.  Behind the white chimney is another tall black one which I think will be Bullards Brewery which was further up river, by St Benedicts.  Can't remember what the white buildings were but there was a large furniture factory around there, followed by Jewsons timber yard and the Great Eastern Hotel, by Foundry bridge.  The right bank of the river was all given over to the big Boulton and Paul factory, on the site of what is now a retail park.  In the centre background (I think) is Norwich Castle.

thanks, but…..

What is the name of the folk on the cruiser?  

[Vaughan]

1 minute ago, Wonderwall said:

What is the name of the folk on the cruiser?

That will be Old Wussername, doing a trial run from Jenners.

He dew git about, yer know!

[floydraser]

Where did the coasters turn around for the return journey? Was it up by Baltic Wharf?

[Gracie]

I enjoy this forum for many reasons. We can discuss anything from boats to health but what I think is so important is the colourful, funny characters who are members

6 hours ago, Wonderwall said:

thanks, but…..

What is the name of the folk on the cruiser?  

 

6 hours ago, Vaughan said:

That will be Old Wussername, doing a trial run from Jenners.

He dew git about, yer know!

These two posts sum it up for me. Brilliant 

x

 

[Tobster]

5 hours ago, floydraser said:

Where did the coasters turn around for the return journey? Was it up by Baltic Wharf?

Up at the turning point close to the current cinema and bars.

[Broads01]

Fascinating photo and insights, thank you. Coasters were before my time in the main but as I recall there was guidance about giving way to them (as they must have needed plenty of width)? Would it have been the 1980s when they ceased?

[Vaughan]

9 hours ago, Tobster said:

14 hours ago, floydraser said:

Where did the coasters turn around for the return journey? Was it up by Baltic Wharf?

Up at the turning point close to the current cinema and bars.

The much larger colliers which served the power station were too long to get up into the port but they could turn in Trowse Eye, at the junction of the Yare and Wensum.

[Vaughan]

6 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Would it have been the 1980s when they ceased?

More like the early 70s as I remember.  It was a gradual decline, as more and more manufacturing industries closed down in Norwich, as well as the coal fired power station. There was also a lot of industry downstream of Carrow bridge, such as Archie King's, the Colmans Mustard factory and the large works of Lawrence, Scott and Electromotors.

It was finally ended forever by the building of the southern bypass fly-over at Postwick Grove.

[lurcher]

In the late 60's and early 70's as youngsters my best friend and i would regulaly fish the river at Whitlingham close to what i now know as Comisionors cut.The coasters were quite a common site and if we hadn't notice one comming we were soon alerted by the sudden drop in the river level.

[Maxwellian]

3 hours ago, Vaughan said:

the Colmans Mustard factory

Still remember the mint smell as you went past to NYS. Loved it

[webntweb]

12 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Would it have been the 1980s when they ceased?

This is the latest photo of one I can find. It was taken heading upstream on the straight reach above Bramerton in August 1982. I have somewhere a (very) short clip of film of one we met just above Reedham Bridge a year later.

[Broads01]

3 hours ago, Maxwellian said:

Still remember the mint smell as you went past to NYS. Loved it

I remember that very well and long after the coasters were gone.

[floydraser]

I find the history of the port fascinating. Searching for the turning point I came accross Joe Mason's webpage where I found a couple of interesting items:

A Cedric Lovewell (great name) says the last coaster sailed into Norwich in 1989 and unloaded at Coporation Quay.

Lady Julian Bridge was opened in 2009 and has a lifting span. So 20 years after the last coaster? So is it still officially a commercial waterway today? One for the other thread I think. I'm just a lottery win away from buying a coaster and giving it a try...

[grendel]

just think, if you do buy a coaster and brng it up, remember to have a pint of beer on board, and ask to be tolled as a beer mat.

[Smoggy]

I would imagine to remove port status would take an act of parliament not just lack of usage.

[marshman]

Two slight hazards - Postwick flyover limited to 35' so mind any sticky up things but modern coasters dont have them but Trowse bridge may be more difficult!

Requires a couple ( or so ) Network Rail or whatever gangs and you can only it between 2 a.m. and  4 a.m !! And bizarrely around 9 a.m on a Sunday morning - and oh, you need to give 7 days notice!

Norfolk County Council also want to weld shut Carrow  Bridge but thats a dispute ongoing with the BA who confirm the 1920 legislation remains valid.

So indeed an Act of Parliament would be needed I guess, despite other practical difficulties in sailing your coaster in for an official visit!!!!

[floydraser]

Come on you lot, we need a "can do" attitude!

OK, so the bridges may need a bit of WD40 so what?

Network Rail: we just lie, tell them we are Broad Ambition or something.

Parliament: there's an election looming so the highest bidder gets his loud hailers on deck and posters down the sides saying "vote for me!"

Postwick flyover: enough speed and that'll give way. Don't worry, I'm in the AA.

Imagine the hits on Youtube!

 

[Vaughan]

36 minutes ago, marshman said:

So indeed an Act of Parliament would be needed I guess, despite other practical difficulties in sailing your coaster in for an official visit!!!!

Such as the present depth of the river Yare . . . 

I heard even the Albion has run aground in recent years, on her way to Norwich.