It’s found on the River Severn in the Cotswolds
Wooden hulls are scattered along the riverbank
(Image: Fran Stothard)
Whether you’re looking for a last-minute day-trip idea, or want to visit a beautiful historic place that could easily act as the set of a movie, we’re fortunate in Bristol to be surrounded by plenty of such sites.
One quirky and rather unusual place, which you may not have heard of before, sits around a 45-minute drive from Bristol, on the southern bank of the River Severn.
The Purton Ships Graveyard, or Purton Hulks as it is also known, is a sight to behold, featuring a vast number of around 86 purposely abandoned boats and ships that were beached here on this area of the River Severn in the 1900s. The aim was to reinforce the riverbank after a collapse in 1909.
It was feared that the strong currents of the river and its erosive power would put the Gloucester and Sharpness canal at risk. So, at regular intervals between 1909 and the 1970s, a plethora of barges, trows and schooners were ‘taken out on the tide, towed by a tug towards the shore and then charged up the bank’.
According to visitor information, ‘most vessels were beached in the 1950’s and now as a result the ground level has built up meaning you can now see a few barges lying on top of earlier ones’. It now forms the largest ship graveyard and largest assembly of maritime artefacts in mainland Britain and visitors can learn more about the vessels while they explore the site.
The Ships Graveyard is open all year round and sits about half a mile north of the port of Sharpness. Cam and Dursley station is the closest if catching the train, while there’s a car park opposite the church in the village of Purton for visitors to use if driving here.
While the boats themselves are a sight to behold, adorned with grass and being taken over by the natural landscape, or decaying with time, the area is a perfect spot for a walk along the river, too. You’ll find the Purton Swing Bridges not too far away, as well as a traffic island at a junction in Purton, referred to as the Purton Godcake – said to be a ‘landmark’ of the area.
If you get hungry, or fancy a tipple, The Berkeley Arms sits across one of the swing bridges – a pub that is said to be known for its food, outdoor seating and views out across the River Severn.
