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© Broadland Memories 2006-
1970s History
1970s Memories
1970s Photo Gallery
More of John Chesney’s photographs
The lock chamber at Geldeston, also photographed in 1979. Navigation along the River Waveney between Great Yarmouth and Bungay was established in the 1670s and the town of Bungay prospered as a result. The wherry “Albion” was built by William Brighton on Lake Lothing for the Bungay maltsters W.D. & A.E. Walker. Navigation ceased beyond the lock in 1933 and although several plans to reopen the waterway have been mooted over the years, it remains closed to all but row boats and canoes.
The remains of one of the lock gates was still in situ in 1979.
The old footbridge which crossed the River Waveney at Geldeston, also photographed in 1979. This was replaced by the current bridge in 2006.
An atmospheric shot of the River Waveney, looking downstream at Geldeston Lock.
Another beautiful, early morning photograph taken by John Chesney at Geldeston Lock in the 1970s.
The Berney Arms mill, pictured by John Chesney in the late 1970s.
The coaster “Burgundy” passes the Berney Arms pub, heading towards Breydon Water in 1977.
The “Hector Read” tug crossing Breydon Water in 1975. The tug was built in Grimsby in 1965 for the Great Yarmouth Port & Haven Commissioners and was used for general towing duties for nearly 30 years. Sold in 2003, the tug is now believed to be in Rochester, Kent.
Approaching Great Yarmouth from Breydon Water in 1978. In the background, behind the motor cruiser, is the old Lacons Brewery Stores building. The Great Yarmouth brewery was founded in the 1640s by Jeffrey Ward, but was bought by John Lacon (possibly Laycon?) in 1760. In the 1930s the brewery owned over 350 tied pubs, 171 of which were in Yarmouth itself. It is said that when the town was set ablaze during a bombing raid in 1942, the firefighters rushed to save the brewery whilst other buildings, including St. Nicholas Church, burned. Lacons was taken over by Whitbread in 1965, and the brewery closed three years later. The site has since been redeveloped and a blue plaque on the Palace Casino marks the spot on which the brewery once stood. The brewery stores was the last building to remain standing, but it too was knocked down in 1996 to make way for an Aldi supermarket.
Another view of Great Yarmouth in the 1970s, taken whilst heading towards Breydon Water.
Heading towards Breydon, having just passed beneath Vauxhall Bridge at Great Yarmouth in 1979.
Heading downstream on the River Bure at Great Yarmouth, with the yacht station on the left. Up ahead, towing the dinghy, is D147 “Baltimore V” from Moore & Co. Of Wroxham. Seen moored on the left are the 27ft Gala Girl” F90 from Summercraft, and K824 “Ferry Cavalier 1” from the Ferry Boatyard at Horning.
The view looking upstream from Great Yarmouth Yacht Station in 1979.
The view looking downstream from Acle Bridge with the Bridge Inn public house seen on the right, photographed by John Chesney in 1978.
Another photograph taken from Acle Bridge in the late 1970s, this time showing Alan Johnson Boats who ran a hire fleet here until 1992.
Looking upstream towards Acle Bridge in the late 1970s. On the left, in the foreground, is E64 one of the 39ft Caribbean class from F.B.Wilds of Horning. What looks like a Hampton Safari is moored behind it. Alan Johnson’s boatyard can be seen in the background on the right, just below the bridge.
The moorings at Ranworth pictured c1978, with St. Helen’s Church seen in the background. There are a large number of the Richardson’s fleet here, and this was actually taken during what was known as “Broadsventure Week” where the entire fleet was hired out to groups of youngsters with an engineer onboard each boat. At this time, the Richardson’s boatyard was owned by the Rank Organisation, one of several large corporations who had begun to buy up the Broadland boatyards during the early 1970s. In the foreground is “San Augustin 2” from Johnson’s of St. Olaves, at the back from left to right is; T415 “Broadsventure 2″, beside it is T495 “Broadsventure 12″ and T494 “Broadsventure 11″ – in fact it looks as though the entire Broadsventure class were lined up here!
Another photograph taken at Ranworth c1978 which shows the Richardson’s fleet out on Broadsventure Week. With thie bows pointing towards the camera, on the left is S14 “Merlin 4” with T415 “Broadsventure 2” on the right.
The Maltsters public house at Ranworth, pictured by John in 1977. Originally one of the tied pubs owned by Steward and Patteson, the brewery was taken over by Watney Mann in the 1960s and the infamous Red Barrel was rolled out across the region!
The conservation centre at Ranworth pictured in October 1977. The new centre had been officially opened by the Queen in November 1976, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. The Norfolk Naturalist Trust had commissioned the architects Feilden and Mawson to design the building which was constructed on pontoons to protect against flooding. The royal couple had flown into R.A.F. Coltishall before being driven to Horning Green Staithe where they boarded “The Albert of Blofield” for the trip by river to Ranworth. They also visited St. Helen’s Church and the village hall before heading back to Coltishall.
Another view of the conservation centre at Ranworth from 1977.
Three wherry wrecks which lay near to the entrance of Ranworth Broad (not Malthouse Broad) photographed by John in 1977. I’m not quite certain which wherries these were, but beliecve that one of them may have been “Star”. These wrecks were dredged up and removed recently.
The first of three photographs which show a service being conducted by Maurice Wood, the then Bishop of Norwich, on the green at Ranworth over the Easter weekend in 1978. I’d love to know more about what was going on here and who the young band were.
The Bishop of Norwich, Maurice Wood, and the congregation at the open air Easter service at Ranworth in 1978.
The final photograph of the Easter service on Ranworth Green in 1978.
The wherry “Albion” pictured by John in 1975.
The wherry “Albion” moored at Ranworth in 1977.
“Albion” sailing on Malthouse Broad in 1977. Albion was built on Lake Lothing by William Brighton for the Bungay maltsters W.D. & A.E.Walker in 1898 at a cost of £455. In the 1930s she was bought by the General Steam Navigation Company who changed her name to Plane. She was eventually stripped of all her gear and was being used as a lighter when the Norfolk Wherry Trust acquired her in 1949. The trust refitted the wherry, gave her back her original name and put her back to work carrying cargo. After sinking twice in the late 1950s whilst fully laden, it was decided to restrict her cargo to people! Still under the care of the Norfolk Wherry Trust, Albion can now be chartered by the day for parties of up to 12