Newham Open Barge Days

As part of Newham Heritage Month, the Thames sailing barge Blue Mermaid, will visit the Royal Docks and be available for public viewing. This type of vessel formed an important part of the trade to London during the last century, carrying all sorts of cargoes such as bricks, coal, concrete, hay, and grain, as well as carrying away the city’s rubbish. Some engineless barges managed to compete with other types of transport well into the 20th century, and only stopped trading in the 1970s.
Blue Mermaid is the newest barge, and has been built to operate under sail alone as many barges did for most of their lives. She will be carrying young trainees including many who would not otherwise have that opportunity. Her cargo will be a token cargo of clay from Essex to London for another group running a project about brickmaking.

£2000 has been contributed by Newham Council and National Lottery Heritage Fund team to cover mooring fees and locking fees at the Royal Docks, and part of the costs of moving the barges. We are seeking to fundraise the remaining costs for the barges to get to the Royal Docks, and to produce a short film to document Blue Mermaid’s journey from Maldon to London to increase public engagement and awareness of this event, and maritime heritage more generally.
We believe that sharing and promoting maritime heritage is important, and we are very keen to bring these vessels to share their stories with a wider audience in the same docks they traded to a century ago.
We still need to raise £1,000 through donations to bring this beautiful vessel to visit Newham; please donate.