Local History
Barges Stranded in River Nene
– By Peter Wright (on behalf of March & District Museum)
The Cambs Times photograph shows the steam tug on the left with the barges stranded on the bend
E
ight or nine barges (the number varied depending on which article is studied) belonging to Mr A V Jackson, of 81 North Street, Stanground, left Prior Sluice near Outwell at 10.30am on Sunday, December 29th 1935. They were bound for Flood's Ferry to pick up sugar beet belonging to Sir Ernest Shepperson MP for shipment to Wissington sugar processing factory. They were drawn by a steam tug and attended by four men. Everything was fine until they passed under the Creek railway bridge at March when difficulties were then encountered due to low water. In a short distance the tug finally stranded just after passing Nene House at noon on Monday. Despite repeated attempts further progress was impossible. Low water in the river was rather ironic in view of considerable amounts of rain daily since the thaw set in on Christmas Eve and repeated reports of serious flooding. The pumps at St. Germans had been working constantly and the river levels had not been allowed to rise.
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D I S C O V E R I N G
March
It was not until the following Saturday that the barges were able to get under way again. However, they had to return without the anticipated cargo – a lost contract amounting to about £70. Mr Jackson spoke to the Cambs Times by telephone. He declared that navigation on the River Nene and every other Fen river contained 'barriers'; pieces of river left undredged and lowered bridges, added to the difficulties of navigation. It had been the practice in the past to keep enough water to permit navigation and for bridges to be of navigable height. He said he had 17001800 tons of manure to go through March but did not know whether to take the contract as he could get no definite assurance as to how much water would be in the rivers. Cambs Times, January 3rd & 17th, 1936
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