Fields Boatyard, Thorpe Island

[justbuildit]

Hello everyone,  I'm hoping that someone here can help me to understand the history of my boatshed  on Thorpe Island

It is immediately opposite the Rushcutters pub and is called Fields Boatyard at the eastern end of the island, in between the eastern bridge and the former,  yet still famous, Hearts yard.

Since purchasing, I've become very enthusiastic about learning the history of the boatyards on the island and can't seem to find much about the Fields yard.

I'd loved to have been alive during a more productive boat building era of The Island.

As a (small) boat builder, I'm humbled by the scale and quality of builds that once took place here.   The various boat yards of Thorpe Island would have had so many skilled trades employed amongst them, I can't help but feel a sad hankering for the good old days.

Please help, and share your memories 🙏 

Thanks in advance 

 

 

 

[Graham47]

Welcome to the forum. Hopefully, Vaughan, a fellow member of this forum will read your post. He will be able to tell you everything you want to know about the history of the island and in particular Hearts Yard.

 

[Vaughan]

Good morning and welcome to the forum.  Welcome also, to Thorpe Island!

To introduce myself, I am the son of Cmdr and Mrs Ashby, who owned Hearts Cruisers from 1947 to 1966. They then continued to run it it for several years on behalf of Jenners and then Ladbrokes.  They finally moved off the island in 1989.

It is worth remembering that the Island was created by the building of the railway in 1844.  Before then, it was the south bank of the main river and was thus part of the meadows on the Crown Point estate.  Since then it has been owned, in strips, by the houses opposite along the Thorpe road.  In your case, the land was owned by Steward and Pattesons brewery, who owned the pub, then called the Thorpe Gardens.

Up until the 50s, the land was a boatyard run by the Hazell brothers, who had been members of Blakes well before the war.  They ceased their activity in the mid 50s and the yard, with its slipway and boatshed, was rented by the then landlord of the pub, Tony Loweth.  In the mid 70's it was taken over by Brian Coley, who by then was the manager of Hearts, which was then owned by Pennant Holidays.  Brian used it for private boat repairs and also built a couple of launches in the shed.  Who has owned it in the interim, since Brian died, I don't know.

I have not heard it called Fields before, as Stephen Fields' yard was out on the main river on the other side of the railway bridge, where there is still a large old slipway and there used to be a boatshed.  It is now part of the land owned by the boatyard and marina, in a basin behind the Frostbites Sailing Club.  In the 1800s, Stephen Field had a yard on the Wensum by Cow Tower, where he was a neighbour of John Loynes, before John moved to Wroxham.  He built and hired rowing skiffs and half-deck yachts.  When he moved his business to Thorpe he also built a wherry on the slipway.   He later ceded his business to John Hart, who was then the Landlord of the Three Tuns.  The Rushcutters has had several different names in the past!   John then hired out the skiffs from the pub, using the long boatshed which was part of the building in those days.

After the railway was built, John moved his business over to the island, where he created the yard of J. Hart and son, which later became G. Hart and sons.  When my parents bought it, they re-mamed it Hearts Cruisers, although the hire boats had always had their "Heart" names.  Several generations of the Hart family lived in a bungalow on the island, which is now the site of the old office building.

So you can trace the history of the land's use as a boatyard for quite a long way back!

In the history section of this forum there is a thread called Vaughan's posts of memories of Thorpe, which you might find interesting for a bit more history of the island and of the other yards, Jenners and A.G.Ward.

p.s. I have just looked up Blakes catalogue of 1916, where both Hart and son, and G. Hazell, are listed as member boatyards.

 

 

[Vaughan]

 

Afraid I can't find any photos of Hazell's cruisers but they had about 3 of them and they looked more or less like this.

I notice they were no longer members of Blakes by 1939.  Which, as I remember them from the 50s, does not surprise me!

[justbuildit]

Vaughan,  thank you so much for taking the time to share such interesting knowledge,  I'm truly honoured and privileged - I have watched the amazing Broadland Memories videos with your captivating narration so many times,  it's such an honour to be in touch with you.

I purchased the land in 2018 having absolutely no idea of it's history.  The 'history' of the main boatyards under their current owner became very apparent (and hard to avoid with some people!) I've often said that I got my plot at a time when very few people wanted to touch Thorpe Island with a barge pole! You may remember the scandalous two storey 'houseboat' nicknamed 'the ark' by local press, that the last owner had built here!!

Pictured is my land these days,  I hope people feel I've improved it,  I've just finished replacing the awful scaffolding 'quay heading' with a new one entirely from Ironwood,which will easily see me out!!

Next job is to repair and insulate the boatshed - it's virtually impossible to achieve a decent fibreglass layup and paint finish in it's current condition. 

Please see the red propeller in the picture,  the last owner claimed that it used to be from Morning Flight- what's your thoughts Vaughan?

 

[Vaughan]

32 minutes ago, justbuildit said:

Please see the red propeller in the picture,  the last owner claimed that it used to be from Morning Flight- what's your thoughts Vaughan?

No, it certainly wasn't, as Morning Flight had her engines and stern gear taken out by the boatyard in Rochester where father bought her. He gave them all the machinery in return for hauling her out for repairs and painting and then towing her from the Medway to Gt Yarmouth. Many years later, he rather ruefully reflected that he had given away three Rolls Royce Merlin engines!

I don't remember the propellor from "my time" but it could perhaps have come from one of the old motor wherries at May Gurneys, on Griffin Lane.

The shed looks much as I remember it and the site looks good too. I wish you well!

[Vaughan]

 

In this picture, from 1948, Morning Flight has just been towed under the bridge, with all the superstructure stripped off and is being converted into a houseboat. Behind her, there are cruisers moored on Hazells yard, as well as the old houseboat that I think they lived in at one time.

I am afraid I am pretty sure I don't have any others of the yard itself but if I come across anything I will post it.