A historic Thames sailing barge once moored in Ipswich is one step closer to a full restoration.
Centaur, built in 1895 and one of the last surviving Thames barges of her kind, has received more than £28,000 in initial funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Thames Sailing Barge Trust (TSBT) based in Maldon has been awarded the money to develop a bid for a full grant of more than £4 million as part of its Centaur Connections project.
Chris Martin, spokesman for the TSBT, said: "Centaur is one of the last examples of a fleet that at one time numbered more than 3,000.
Read more
Restoration of lido could be 'centrepiece' of Ipswich's renaissance
Broomhill Lido operator enters administration after financial difficulty
Road to restore Broomhill Lido 'very long indeed' says MP
Fleet of ships bearing the Dutch flag docked at Ipswich Waterfront
National Trust site to host Shakespeare play in memory of theatre founder
"They brought the bricks that built London and carried away thousands of tons of horse manure for the fields of the South East."
The Centaur Connections project aims to restore the barge and explore its historical role within East Coast communities.
The Thames Sailing Barge Trust has been preserving Thames Barges and the skills to maintain and sail them for nearly 80 years. Without significant investment the Trust will lose Centaur and the wider community will lose a resource for public engagement with its maritime past.
Mick Nolan, chairman of the Thames Sailing Barge Trust, said: "We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
"Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans to restore Centaur to her former glory and fit her out for a modern charter market.
"We are super excited to get this far and it is testament to the hard work of the team of volunteers that help to keep the barges sailing."
Share