The recent National Historic Ships UK Awards recognised maritime history while placing vessels, people and communities at the heart of the winning entries, including photography, conservation and Flagship of the Year honours.
The recent National Historic Ships UK Awards not only recognised maritime history, but it also put vessels, people and communities at the heart of the winning entries.
From evocative photography to grassroots conservation, the subjects of the winning entries in the contest tell the story of Britain’s enduring relationship with its waterways.
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As reported last issue, Towpath Talk contributor Kev Maslin took the spoils in the hotly contested People’s Choice category within the annual awards’ photography competition. The full roll call revealed a tapestry of topics, from crew at work and landscapes at dawn to vessels under restoration and communities united by heritage.
James Crisp was crowned Photographer of the Year with his image titled Top Down Triangulation, showing four vessels moored at Maldon, Essex. From largest to smallest, they are two Thames sailing barges, 1901-built Nellie and 1887-built Dinah, pilot boat Cemar and a small rowing boat. James, who often drives by the boatyard at Maldon, said: “On this particular evening it was also a nice high tide at sunset, so a perfect time to capture these vessels in the evening light.”
Head judge Christian Topf said: “Four working boats are rafted up alongside a concrete utility pontoon, captured in a perfectly composed bird’s-eye shot by a drone-mounted camera – together, they form a vibrant, almost painterly composition. Their cheerful colours and precise geometry create a strong visual contrast against the calm green water – an image that is both technically accomplished and artistically compelling.”
Dan Brand was highly commended for his composition, Tollesbury Saltings Sunrise from Above, showing the 1954 light vessel Trinity moored at the mouth of the river Blackwater, Essex. Dan described the location as “a photographer’s dream… a maze of salt marshes, moored boats and, at its heart, the striking red Trinity Lightship.” Using a drone just after high tide, he captured the scene from above, framing the winding creeks as lines to draw the viewer’s eye toward the lightship and then on to the rising sun.
Winner of the Martyn Heighton Award for Excellence in Maritime Conservation was Raybel Charters for its conservation of the 1920 Thames barge Raybel and return to operational use. The judges awarded the status of highly commended to Mike Barnes, of Norfolk, for the conservation of the Edwardian Broads racing yacht Sparklet.
Each year, a handful of vessels are awarded Flagship of the Year status, highlighting their contribution to keeping maritime history alive and accessible. The winners were the 1881 fishing vessel Barnabas, owned and restored by the Cornish Maritime Trust, 1934 motor yacht Llanthony, 1947 narrowboat Dane, and the steamship Sir Walter Scott.
Dane was built by the Mersey Weaver Ship and Canal Carrying Company by Charles Stanyer, of Burslem, and navigated the Trent & Mersey waterways until about 1957, transporting clay from Liverpool to the potteries. Return trips often involved the shipment of pottery for onward shipment around the world. In 2012, Dane was purchased by the Narrow Boat Heritage Foundation and underwent a major restoration. It was then gifted to Re-Form Heritage and is now based at the Middleport Pottery heritage site, where students and visitors learn about the history of the vessel and the pottery, as well as the lives and challenges faced by workers transporting goods to Liverpool and Hull docks.
Built by William Denny of Dumbarton and named after the famous Scottish writer, Sir Walter Scott has graced the inland waters of Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands since 1900, still with its original triple-expansion steam engine and today operating as a pleasure steamer. Its first owners were two local hotel owners who formed the Loch Katrine Steamboat Co. From 1952 to 2005, it was owned by the City of Glasgow Corporation (Loch Katrine being a source of drinking water for Glasgow) and three further water companies. In 2005, the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust was formed to own, operate, and preserve the vessel. A multi-year restoration was conducted and in 2008 its coal-fired boilers were replaced with two new boilers which run on biofuel.
Watch the full awards ceremony
https://youtu.be/x1PD4hqAUuc?si=UlmrnlTSGpP2Xqtw
The full roll call
Photography competition Photographer of the Year: Overall winner, James Crisp; highly commended, Dan Brand.
True Classic Award: Lucy Tulloch, with Boom Man.
Newcomer of the Year: Greg White, with New Paint. People’s Choice Award: Kev Maslin, Getting Ready for the Off Marsh Volunteer Awards
Group: The Norfolk Wherry Trust (Ludham, Norfolk) Individual (joint): John Aitken, of The Tall Ship Glenlee, Glasgow, and Richard Brown, of the Britannia Sailing Trust, Devon.
Shipshape Network Marsh Volunteer Award: Shirley Cochrane, of the Donaghadee Heritage Preservation Company, Co. Down.
Highly commended: Ambler’s Friends, a volunteer group restoring the 1928 Watson Class lifeboat Ambler in the tropical heat of Guatemala, with the aim of returning the vessel to the UK for its 100th birthday.
Martyn Heighton Award for Excellence in Maritime Conservation
Winner: Raybel Charters.
Highly commended: Mike Barnes.
Flagships of the year Barbabas (Newlyn, Cornwall) SS Sir Walter Scott (Loch Katrine, Highlands) Llanthony (Chertsey, Surrey) Dane (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
