Fine job made out of a muddy backwater
IT will have to be rather a nautical submission for this week it would seem. Time to make a search.
Picture No 1 is a pleasant NW to SE sweep across Sleepers Hole, or at that time probably Cresta Marine.
I suppose we could be into the 1970s by now. The delightful Blue Star freighter adds almost a cruising atmosphere to the scene.
No signs yet of the Tango crane which was yet to emerge on the East Quay. Its nickname was the Giraffe which really was most suitable.
After the Great Storm of 1987, this giant met with unwanted movement, which required its demolition and shipment I believe to Holland to be repaired and then returned to be re-erected. Many insurance companies must have had a rather lean time as a result of that incredible disturbance.
Nothing was funny about such a disaster, but it was at least to see a gathering of boats, still attached to sections of the Marina cat walks, all gathered together in the ferry berth.
In the picture it is delightful to see the two parent swans escorting their three young, two birds yet to come through the gap. Beyond is another cat walk between these two as (is still?) the chocolate bar ramp, used as a kind of grid-iron when repair work was still being carried on at the site.
This was laid in 1942 to be used as a ramp to enable tanks to be able to drive into landing craft for the disastrous raid on Dieppe in 1942.
About two years ago, inquiries were being made by a fellow from the
West Country about this ramp for his father had been there when he had been a mechanic on one of the landing craft and this led to new knowledge, for it appears that several of these craft came here for the first intended landing, which was cancelled, (Rutter), but in August 1942 the landing was made, sadly it became a disaster, the landing craft from Newhaven reached the scene, but by this time, most of the tanks already landed had been unable to get up the shingle beach, so it was decided to return to Newhaven, the main concern it seemed, was not wishing to put the landing craft at risk, they were too valuable. Those concerned were to see service with the Italian landings and on D Day on the French coast.
Returning to the matters of Sleepers Hole, this was once a backwater, the west bank just made its way towards the sea enclosing this water with only a small bridge built in, which could allow for rowing boats, punts etc to enter, but also with these could come timbers to be used for quayside or pier construction. These were moored as rafts and left to pickle until required. So, long before the coming of the railways, these were known as Sleepers add Hole and that was its name until it became Cresta Marine in the 1960s and I think it was claimed to be the first purpose built Marina on the South Coast. Whatever, Henry Howard and his active workers made a fine job out of a very muddy backwater.
The Hole was opened up in about 1900, used mainly for the two dredgers and layby channel steamers. The service had to have their re-fits, a cheap day excursion to Dieppe in the summer via Palace Pier, Brighton (out only) and lay by – for sale. Generally yachts and small fishing craft filled the centre of the Hole.
They vacated in the last war, when this area was known as HMS Newt, with the HQ at the Sheffield Hotel.
Picture No 2 Sleepers Hole in the early 1930s. Left to right: The Watch House (south of the Lifeboat Station), RMS Brighton IV of 1903 and RMS Arundel of 1900. The Brighton was sold that year, the first turbiner here and the Arundel last of the piston driven, sold in 1934.
The landing stage, right, part of the large T from the shore.
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Weather for Lewes
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
