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The Emsworth Heritage Project |
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Work starts on oyster bed study Emsworth Museum's first special exhibition for the 2008 season will focus on initial results of this unique project the first exhibition to be held in the Rudkin Room for the museum's 2008 summer season will feature the initial results of the research and field work undertaken for this special project. The official opening will be Saturday 22nd March during Easter weekend. The Trust in partnership with the Chichester and District Archaeological Society has started work on a unique study into the history of Emsworth oyster beds. “This is an exciting opportunity to find out more about the oyster industry based in Emsworth over hundred years ago" said John Tweddell, the project co-coordinator "We hope to gain a better understanding of how it changed from a successful business in the 19th century to its collapse in the early 20th century.” After winning funding from the Chichester Harbour Sustainable Development Fund, the project will cover both research into the records held by the museum and field work on the site itself. Training for the volunteers who are undertaking the field work element of the project took place in early December 2007.
In January and February this year the team are undertaking the work involved in mapping the beds and looking at evidence to help us understand their construction.
October 2007 ARCHAEOLOGY VOLUNTEERS WANTED A new partnership has been formed to discover more about the oyster industry that boomed over a hundred years ago in Emsworth and Chichester Harbour. The Emsworth Maritime and Historical Trust (EM&HT) and the Chichester District Archaeological Society (CDAS) are to join together for a unique study of the old oyster beds on the foreshore at Emsworth. Funding for this project is through a grant of £8,300 from the Chichester Harbour AONB Sustainable Development Fund. " "This is an exciting opportunity to find out more about the oyster industry that was based in Emsworth over a hundred years ago", said John Tweddell, the project co-ordinator "We hope to better understand how it was so successful in the 19th century and find out more about its collapse in the early 20th century." After winning funding from The Chichester Harbour AONB Sustainable Development Fund, the work will start in October and be competed by the end of March next year. The Emsworth Maritime and Historical Trust and Chichester & District Archaeology Society are now appealing for volunteers to help with the work. For insurance reasons, volunteers will have to join either of the two organisations and are to receive an induction and training prior to commencing the fieldwork in Emsworth. In 1902 Emsworth's prosperity went from boom to bust, changed over night by a fatal incident that not only killed the Dean of Winchester, but also an industry that kept half of its population afloat. At the height of successful industry, over three million oysters a year came out of Emsworth to be distributed across the country. At the end of the 19th century half the population of Emsworth earned their living from fishing, oyster dredging or the industries that support the trade, such as boat building. Alas the industry collapsed when the Dean of Winchester died in 1902 and the blame was laid on polluted oysters. Since then the waters have been cleaned-u p, but today only a handful of fishermen are still dredging the harbour for oysters. For further information contact: John Tweddell, Vice chairman
Emsworth Maritime and Historical Trust Trevor Davies, Chairman
Chichester District Archaeology Society Linda Newell, Administrator
Emsworth Museum Nicky Horter, Chichester Harbour
Conservancy
Chichester Harbour Conservancy
Uncovering the Past – Oyster Beds in
Chichester Harbour Project aims: I. To investigate the extent of the remains of the oyster beds on Emsworth foreshore and to describe their character, methods of construction and development. II. To establish a control framework using modern survey methods to act as reference points for detailing and mapping III. To involve volunteers and where necessary train them to undertake detailed site descriptions and mapping IV. To assess the significance of the current archaeological resource and to understand how the ponds were used within the oyster farming process. V. To provide expert assistance to enable the results of the field work to be written up to an appropriate standard. Education and Interpretation potential
February 9th September 8th 2006
September 6th 2006
The last surviving oyster boat to work out of a Hampshire harbour has taken to the waters after years of restoration. The remains of Terror, originally built in the 19th Century, were found lying in a greenhouse near Emsworth in 2003. After a two-year restoration project, partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Victorian boat set sail from Dolphin Quay boatyard on Wednesday. From 2007, Terror will take passengers around the harbour as part of the Emsworth Maritime Heritage Trail. The boat was restored at Dolphin Quay boatyard, just yards away from where it was originally built at Foster's boatyard more than 100 years ago. Terror was once part of a large fleet of similar vessels that transported oysters around Chichester Harbour.
However that industry went into decline after several people - including the then Dean of Winchester - died from food poisoning after eating oysters from Emsworth at a banquet in 1904. The restoration programme, which has cost about £100,000, was run by Chichester Harbour Conservancy in conjunction with the Emsworth Maritime and Historical Trust. Tim Gilmore, owner of Dolphin Quay boatyard, said: "We were very pleased to have such a big project for the yard, and to be putting part of Emsworth's history back together again." Sam Poore, an apprentice shipwright, worked on the project from start to finish. He said: "It's definitely been a bit of an experience. I've never been interested in history before, but as soon as this thing came along, it changes your life." An official launch of Terror and a rededication ceremony will take place on Friday at the Emsworth Food Festival. Watch the video HERE BBC South Today September7th 2006
The Terror is back in the water!
After nearly ninety years, the Terror is back in the water to enable her
timbers to expand before the final restoration work is carried out. | |||||||||||||
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