24/09/2024
Rachel Lazar Tours aboard a ship. A little while ago I was lucky to embark Cambria, a wooden Thames barge built in 1906. Cambria regularly sailed from the London River to the Medway, and to many different British ports from the Humber to Cornwall. She originally carried wheat, barley, rice, oil-cake, sugar, Portland stone, ball clay, timber, and iron pipes. One of the most frequent cargoes was also coal. She also regularly traded cross-channel to Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne and Le Treport with coke, coal, pitch, wheat and oil-cake. Fully laden she could carry 170 tons (!) and by 1970 she became the last British registered vessel to carry cargo under sail alone. Until today she has no engine. After some decades of decay she was restored in 2007 and today is used for leisure and educational purposes.
Donations or volunteering is welcome (what a unique experience!) and Cambria is avalable for hire all next season 2025! Highly recommend.
www.cambriatrust.org.uk
Professional photo credit kilbourne
