Hayling Ferry

Last updated

Hayling Ferry
Hayling Ferry - geograph.org.uk - 999936.jpg
LocaleHampshire, England
Waterway Langstone Harbour
OperatorBaker Trayte Marine
Began operation1850 or earlier
No. of vessels1
No. of terminals2
Website http://www.haylingferry.net

The Hayling Ferry is a foot passenger ferry across the mouth of Langstone Harbour linking the Ferry Point on the west tip of Hayling Island with Eastney, Portsmouth on Portsea Island. The current owner, Baker Trayte Marine Ltd, has operated the ferry since August 2016 following a period of cessation when the previous operation fell into administration in March 2015.

Contents

The ferry operates throughout the year and conveys schoolchildren, commuters, tourists and cyclists and is busy in the summer. In winter, there is a significant reduction of use. The ferry is scheduled to run hourly but will run more frequently in peak times and if the ferry becomes full. Bicycles are conveyed subject to space.

The tidal currents at the Ferry point are extremely treacherous and have claimed many lives over the years. [1]

History

It is claimed that a regular ferry service has run since before 1850, possible even from the 18th century. [2] [3] [4] Rights to run a ferry had passed to the Duke of Norfolk to whom the rights as Lord of the manor of Hayling island had passed on dissolution of the monasteries. The rights were sold to a Mr. William Padwick Esq. in 1825. [5] [6]

Hayling Island Steam Ferry Company was formed in 1901 the venture bought the ferry rights but folded soon after due to the unsuitability of the steam vessel. While a Mr. Sandeman (members of the Sandeman (port wine) family has resided on the Island since 1824) had prepared significant infrastructure including pontoons and the construction of Ferry Road across Sinah Common and The Kench on the Hayling side he discovered the vessel was unable to transport a carriage and was restricted to foot passengers.[ citation needed ]

At some point after the demise of the earlier enterprise utilising the pontoons built for the steam vessel, George Spraggs, the licensee of the tavern on the Hayling side, began operated the ferry using motor boats with his sons until his drowning in 1922. [1] Following their father's death the sons Cecil, George and Jack continued the operation until 1961,. [1] They seem also to have been joined by an Alan Spraggs, and Cecil was the engineer. They typically used 3 boats, two in service and one in the boatshed. [7]

The Spraggs were also proprietors of The Ferry Boat Inn and its predecessor the Norfolk Lodge (Inn) which was mutually beneficial to the Hayling Ferry operation. Even as early as 1901 they were rebranding the Norfolk lodge Inn as the Hayling Ferry Tavern. [8] [9] [10]

Portsmouth Council took over and operated the route from 1960, introducing the Iris in 1968 and the Irene in 1974 to the service. [2] In 1978 they also briefly introduced a tourist service direct from Southsea using the Folkestone Belle.[ citation needed ] The service closed in April 1981. [2]

The Hayling Island Ferry company took over operation of the ferry in 1985 using the Hayling Enterprise and Hampshire County Council wished the service to be re-instated and was prepared to provide a subsidy. [2] Initially the pontoon on the Eastney side had deteriorated so badly it was necessary to run onto the beach. After the restoration of the pontoon the company purchased the 65 seat Pride of Hayling which entered operation in 1989. [4] In 2009 after 28000 hours of service the Pride of Hayling had its engines renewed. [4] Various maintenance, subsidy, operating and financial difficulties and incidents accumulated to bring the company into receivership.

The Pride of Hayling went in for what proved to be extensive maintenance repairs at the end of 2013, with the 12 seat Tina Marie sourced to continue the service in the interim from January 2014. Repairs took over 10 months and money was owed to the repairers. [11] [12] This ferry ceased operating in March 2015 with the company going into receivership. [13]

Receivers sold the boats to realise compensation for creditors. It was hoped that someone would purchase the Pride of Hayling and get the service running again quickly. [12] [14]

In August 2015, Baker Trayte Marine, an established marine contractor, purchased the Pride of Hayling ferry with the intention of reinstating the ferry service from Ferry Point on Hayling Island to Eastney Point on the Portsmouth side. [15] [16]

The new service was launched on 5 August 2016 following strenuous efforts to attain the required subsidies needed by the Baker Trayte Business Plan including £15155 by the Hayling Ferry Trust and £5000 from Richard Branson among others. [17] [18] [19]

In 2018 it was reported that while the ferry was popular and financially viable over the summer months the winter patronage was low and unprofitable. The public funding reserves of £20.000 had almost been fully used up and it might be necessary to curtail services in the remaining winter months. The owners and a fundraising group hoped a County Council subsidy could be re-instated and stated the difficulties that were arising because a bus-link could not be re-established on the Hayling side. [20] [21] [22]

Boats

On board Pride of Hayling Hayling Island Ferry, Hampshire, England.jpg
On board Pride of Hayling
Pride of Hayling docked at Hayling Island Pride of Hayling (Hayling Island Ferry).jpg
Pride of Hayling docked at Hayling Island

Incidents

Alternative route

When the ferry has been closed the only public connection between Hayling Island and the mainland is a single carriageway road linking Northney to Langstone, Havant. Particularly in summer this road can become very congested rendering the journey between the bridge and South Hayling (the most populated area) anything from 30 minutes to an hour. [30] When the ferry has been closed this has been found to impact businesses on South Hayling. [15]

In 1886 there was a proposal to construct a branch off the Havant to Hayling railway line and to cross Langstone Harbour with a 900 ft road and rail swing bridge. [2] [7] In 1903 a scheme for a 720 ft Traveller Suspension Bridge conveying a 60 ft by 30 ft suspended car from one side to the other. [31] A proposed Millennium project to create a new shared pedestrian and cycle bridge was unsuccessful. [30]

Connecting services

There is a bus service on the Portsmouth side however the bus service to the ferry point on the Hayling side ceased in 2004. Efforts to re-instate a bus service to the ferry on the Hayling side have taken place at various times and have proved unsuccessful until in July 2018 Havant Councillors approved a £20,000 community bus trial planned to commence shortly thereafter with funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy. [32] [20] [33] In September 2018 after months of discussions arrangements have been made for connecting bus services by First Hampshire & Dorset at Eastney and by a twenty seater community bus on Hayling. [34] The connecting service on Hayling commenced on 24 September 2018 and the trial is to run for six months. [35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayling Island</span> Island in Hampshire, England

Hayling Island is an island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, east of Portsmouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southsea</span> Human settlement in England

Southsea is a seaside resort and a geographic area of Portsmouth, Portsea Island in England. Southsea is located 1.8 miles (2.8 km) to the south of Portsmouth's inner city-centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havant</span> Human settlement in England

Havant is a town in the south-east corner of Hampshire, England between Portsmouth and Chichester. Its borough comprises the town (45,826) and its suburbs including the resort of Hayling Island as well as Rowland's Castle, the larger town of Waterlooville and Langstone Harbour. Housing and population more than doubled in the 20 years following World War II, a period of major conversion of land from agriculture and woodland to housing across the region following the incendiary bombing of Portsmouth and the Blitz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsea Island</span> Island off the southern coast of England

Portsea Island is a flat and low-lying natural island 24.5 square kilometres in area, just off the southern coast of Hampshire in England. Portsea Island contains the majority of the city of Portsmouth.

Sinah is the area at the southwestern end of Hayling Island. It incorporates the Ferrypoint, Sinah Beach, The Kench, Sinah Warren, and Sinah Common. It is bounded to the east by West Town. Langstone Harbour and its entrance form the north and west borders, and to the south is Hayling Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langstone, Hampshire</span> Human settlement in England

Langstone is a village near Havant, Hampshire in the south east of England in Portsmouth. It has good railway connections to London, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton, from the nearby Havant railway station. There are many large gated detached houses on the main road, "Langstone Road" and on the roads surrounding this. It has a sailing club, several architecturally unusual buildings, and several historically significant buildings, including a converted (water) millhouse and a converted 18th century windmill, the latter of which is a local landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chichester Harbour</span> Harbour & Site of Special Scientific Interest in Chichester, West Sussex

Chichester Harbour is a large natural harbour in West Sussex and Hampshire. It is situated to the south-west of the city of Chichester and to the north of the Solent. The harbour and surrounding land has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The area is also part of the Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation, Chichester and Langstone Harbours Ramsar site, Special Protection Area and Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. Part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site and two areas are Local Nature Reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langstone Harbour</span> Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire

Langstone Harbour is a 2,085.4-hectare (5,153-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire. It is an inlet of the English Channel in Hampshire, sandwiched between Portsea Island to the south and west, Hayling Island to the south and east, and Langstone to the north. It is part of the Ramsar site of Langstone and Chichester Harbour Special Protection Area and Nature Conservation Review site. Parts are Special Areas of Conservation, or Local Nature Reserves, and some areas by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havant railway station</span> Railway station in Hampshire, England

Havant railway station is a railway station in Havant, Hampshire, near Portsmouth, located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayling Island branch line</span> Disused branch line in Hampshire, England

The Hayling Island branch was a short railway branch line in Hampshire, England, that connected a station on Hayling Island with the main line network at Havant. It was built by the Hayling Railway; at first the company planned to run it along a new embankment built along tidal mudflats, but this proved impractical. The line was opened along firm ground in 1867.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langston railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Langston was a small station on the Hayling Island branch. The station along with the rest of the line closed in 1963, and it served the Langstone area of Havant, a former village which had become contiguous with the larger town to its north. The railway companies always used the old spelling "Langston" for the station, in spite of this form not being used by the local community, and it can be seen in many photographs of the station sign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayling Billy</span>

Hayling Billy is a 42-hectare (100-acre) Local Nature Reserve on Hayling Island in Hampshire. It is owned by Hampshire County Council and managed by Hampshire Countryside Service. It is part of Chichester and Langstone Harbours Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation and Langstone Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Eastney is a district in the south-east corner of Portsmouth, England, on Portsea Island. Its electoral ward is called Eastney and Craneswater. At the 2011 Census the population of this ward was 13,591.

Milton is a residential area of the English city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, on the south eastern side of Portsea Island. Milton is bordered on the eastern coast of Portsea Island by Langstone Harbour, with Eastney to the south-east, Southsea to the south-west, Baffins to the north and Fratton to the north-west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langstone Bridge</span>

Langstone Bridge connects Hayling Island with the English mainland of Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Cycle Route 2</span> Cycle route in the United Kingdom

National Cycle Route 2 is a route of the National Cycle Network, running from Dover to St Austell. When complete, the route will be 581 km long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station on the South coast of England in the UK

Portsmouth Lifeboat Station is located on Eastney Point near Southsea, in the English county of Hampshire. The station is owned and operated by the RNLI and is an Inshore lifeboat station. The station is facing Langstone Harbour on one of the tributaries flowing into the Solent. The station was established in May 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Padwick</span>

William Padwick, sometimes known as William Padwick the younger, was a significant figure in the development of Hayling Island in the mid-nineteenth century.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Ron (1984). When It Was Just Fields – The Story of Hayling Island. milestone. p. 37. ISBN   0903852179.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Easdown, Martin; Sage, Linda (2011). Piers of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Amberley Publishing. ISBN   9781445603551. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  3. ↑ A Look Around HAYLING ISLAND. Havant Borough Council. June 1984. p. 4.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ferry goes for repairs". The(Portsmouth)News. 24 March 2009. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Walker, Karen (1 April 2012). "A history of Hayling Island holiday camps". University of the 3rd age. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Pullen, Dorothy (2007). "A brief history of The Kench". University of the 3rd age. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hayling Ferry". Simplonpc. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Havant Brewster Sessions". Portsmouth Evening News. 31 August 1901. p. 6.
  9. ↑ Nicholson, Nita (1996). Hayling Island a Pocket Companion.
  10. ↑ Baxter, Pat (August 2000). "2". Hayling Island Voices. History Press Limited. ISBN   0752420496.
  11. 1 2 Williams, Jeeves (27 January 2014). "Hayling Island Ferry Returns After Turbulent Times". Team Locals(Portsmouth). Retrieved 11 April 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. 1 2 "High hopes that Hayling ferry will be back in action soon". The(Portsmouth)News. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "Hayling Island's only ferry stops crossings". BBC News. 31 March 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "Community group could revive lost Hayling ferry service". Team Locals Portsmouth and Southsea. 28 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  15. 1 2 "New owners of Hayling ferry have hopes of re-instating service". Hayling Islander. 28 November 2015. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "LANGSTONE HARBOUR BOARD ANNUAL REPORT 2016" (PDF). Langstone Harbour Board. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  17. ↑ "We did it!". The Hayling Ferry Trust. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "~Richard Branson comes to the rescue of Hayling Ferry". The(Portsmouth)News. 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  19. ↑ "Huge cheers for Hayling Ferry's glorious return". The(Portsmouth)News. 6 August 2016. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  20. 1 2 George, David (8 February 2018). "Further setback for Hayling Ferry supporters after bus meeting". The News (Portsmouth)}. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  21. ↑ "Hayling Ferry 'running out of money'". BBC. 5 January 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  22. ↑ Melton, Byron (8 March 2018). "Hayling Ferry boss says service 'can get bigger and better' with subsidy investment". The News (Portsmouth)}. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  23. ↑ "Folkestone Belle now Southsea Belle". Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  24. ↑ "Folkestone Belle". 13 August 2010. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  25. ↑ "HISTORIC BOAT". 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  26. ↑ "Hayling Island ferry fails second safety inspection". Archived from the original on 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  27. ↑ Meakin, Ben (4 January 2011). "Hayling Island ferry back in service – Ferry failed two successive safety inspections". Practical Boat Owner. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  28. ↑ "Too many passengers lands ferry company in court". UK Government. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  29. ↑ "Hayling ferry's return delayed by inspection". Hayling Islander. 1 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  30. 1 2 Hayling Billy Project history Archived 10 September 2003 at the Wayback Machine . Havant Borough Council website. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  31. ↑ "The proposed Hayling Island Aerial Bridge". Evening News(Portsmouth). 3 April 1903. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  32. ↑ "Public meeting set to discuss Hayling Ferry bus service". The(Portsmouth)News. 29 March 2017. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  33. ↑ "Councillors approve £20k bus trial serving Hayling Ferry landings". The(Portsmouth)News. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  34. ↑ Melton, Byron (6 September 2018). "Delight as deal is struck for Hayling Ferry bus trial to start this month". The News (Portsmouth). Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  35. ↑ Melton, Byron (24 September 2018). "Campaigners rejoice as six-month Hayling Ferry bus trial begins". The News (Portsmouth) . Retrieved 24 September 2018.
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