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ANOTHER THREAT TO GORLESTON'S HERITAGE
RIVERSIDE ROAD BY DARBY'S
HARD - THIS PANORAMA MUST NOT BE DESTROYED - AND NEXT THE STORY OF THE
DOCKS & DOLPHINS
The area under threat
There is now another threat to our historic riverside at Darby's Hard where the last remaining dolphins are shortly to be removed and this last area of natural riverside bank could be destroyed.
The view from the north along riverside road is almost unique. There is a splendid backdrop with "Williamson Lookout" backed by Koolunga House adjacent to the old smoke house, a little further south is the old "Rising Sun", an ancient one time inn standing astride of the old boundary, next Britannia Terrace unique to our area with the top of The Towers just showing above the trees and the old Hewett's Short Blue ice house below. The whole panorama is of course completed by the foreground of the dolphins and river front which includes Darby's Hard itself.
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A SUCCESS STORY
THE END OF THE DOCKS & DOLPHINS
A project where we did make a difference
and we can do it again
Sadly the docks and dolphins adjacent to the Volunteer Lifeboat shed, one of the
last parts of the old Gorleston many of us had grown up with, played in as boys,
even fallen and have to go home covered in mud to face our fate, have after
years of neglect had to be removed and the docks filled in with yet more of that scene obstructing
bland concrete river wall. Many will remember the days when small
boats were moored there and the dolphins (landing stages) were kept in good
repair.
GOSH and START were able to negotiate with The Environment Agency to obtain a better finish to the project. An area of the river wall has been brick faced to match the Volunteer lifeboat shed. The path on the river side of this wall has been reinstated and paved with some of the granite sets removed from the West Quay and access has been provided by way of steps Good quality iron railings have been erected to prevent accidents on the rock revetment which acts as a spending area. An information board has been erected with information provided by GOSH to show how \the area was originally.
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The picture above shows one of the dolphins crowded with people waiting for some event, probably the arrival of a new lifeboat for our station. To the left shows that neglect is taking toll of the whole area. The picture on the right shows the disgraceful state they were allowed to get into. |
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Left shows the crane operating which lifted the timbers from the river after a bed of sand had been laid to allow the machinery access. Far left shows after part of the timbers had been removed. |
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To the right the bed of sand can clearly been seen and some of the rocks already laid at the waters edge. Far right the crane is lifting part of a dolphin. It can be seen how little timber was to keep them erect. |
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Left is the bottom part of that section showing the damage done by marine worms over the years. Right are rocks ready to be put in place for the revetment which will allow waves to spend themselves. |
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Right is the finished project showing the rock revetment with the iron safety railings and the pathway made up of granite sets removed from our quayside in earlier operations. Far right is the revetment in place with a few token piles left for effect. In the background is the Volunteer Lifeboat shed sadly in need of some TLC.
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Below shows part of the information board erected on the site. The text was provided by GOSH (Gorleston-on-Sea Heritage)
Apologies for the quality of this photograph.
Start date 24th June 2005
