Breakwater Lighters in Walton Backwaters

A group of twenty dumb barges or lighters has protected the northeast of Horsey Island, by the entrance to Walton Channel, since 1988¹History of the scheme see 126 – Horsey Island Recharge (omreg.net). They constitute a one kilometre sea defence guarding the island against northeasterly waves to which Hamford Water is exposed, this is the most destructive quarter because of the long fetch of sea. They have nothing to do with Thames Sailing Barges or World War Two.

As well as this protection there has been considerable amount of disposal of dredged material from the Deep Water Channel onto the island in the early 2020s.

Not all twenty are visible since some have been subsumed by sand and shingle (2023). A browse through historical images from Google Earth indicates the degree of movement of the shoreline. The ‘Mulberry Harbour Pin Link’ is part of the mis-information on this topic and should be ignored.

The lighters have been confused with the open type of Ferro Concrete Barges from World War Two, such as the one at Canvey Island. The cretefleet website explores the confusion around concrete ‘barges’ and has been most helpful. However, these are retired metal lighters, almost certainly from the Thames. One was measured as 87’6″ (26.2m) length by 21’8″ (6.5m) beam, they are made of steel as the photographs show. Each contains shingle, at least on the surface layer. Based on their condition, it will be several more decades before they break up.

There is another Breakwater at Sales Point, Brawdwell where the metal lighters are very similar.

A deeper exploration of the area will, for those on foot or with a shallow draught, reveal slightly similar vessels in Foundry Reach although they have a deck with hatches, as well as World War Two concrete structures, such as Roughs Tower and the Pheonix Unit.

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  History of the scheme see 126 – Horsey Island Recharge (omreg.net)