The WWII Concrete Barges of F.T. Everard, Greenhithe

26 March 2024|Concrete Barges - UK - WWII

Introduction

During World War II, six concrete barges were built by W. & C. French of Grays, Essex for F. T. Everards & Sons Ltd of Greenhithe, London. They were used for lighterage on the Thames.

The barges were designed by Sir Evan Owen Williams who, interestingly, was the consulting engineer for Wembley Stadium. His company also worked on plans for the motorway system, including the famous Spaghetti Junction on the M6 near Birmingham (Gravelly Hill interchange).

W. & C. French was a civil engineering company based in Essex. It was established in 1870 by brothers William and Charles French.

Aside from building concrete barges, W. & C. French also built Mulberry components

The barges were 107’6” long x 25’ wide with a Gross Registered Tonnage of 192 tons. As such, they were significantly longer than FCBs with greater capacity, around 20% on both counts. Indeed, this was a private commission and, in our estimation, not part of the Ministry of War Transport / Admiralty Ferro-Concrete Barge programme.

The six barges built by W & C French were launched between August 1943 and February 1944. The naming convention seems to largely be 'St' and then a place name.

F.T. Everards barges being constructed. From ICE Library

1943 - St Anne (WCF2)

St Anne was launched on 19th August 1943 at Grays Essex, W & C French's Yard No. 2.

In 1945, she was registered to F. T. Everard & Sons of London.

Whilst it was recorded in Lloyd's register on 26th August 1947 that it was the intention of F. T. Everard & Sons is to break up the concrete barges as soon as steel barges are available, she was still listed on Lloyd’s register in 1955.

1943 - St Asaph (WCF3)

St. Asaph was launched on 30th September 1943 from Yard No. 3. She was still listed on Lloyd’s register in 1953.

1943 - St Austell (WCF4)

Launched on 15th November 1943 from Yard No. 4, St. Austell was completed in January 1944 and registered to F. T. Everard & Sons Ltd., London. She was still listed on Lloyd’s register in 1955.

1944 - St Bees (WCF5)

St. Bees was probably launched at the end of 1943 or very early 1944 from Yard No. 5. She was completed in March 1944, registered to F. T. Everard & Sons, London and still registered to the company in 1955.

1944 - St Mawes (WCF6)

Launched on 24th February 1944, Yard No. 6, St. Mawes was still at Greenhithe on 6th October 1944 waiting completion. The timber required was at the Everards yard,but hatch covers, ceiling fore and aft were yet to be made.

Like her sisters, by 1945 she was registered to F.T. Everards at Lloyd's and she was still registered to them in 1955.

1944 - St Michael (WCF7)

Also launched on 24th February 1944, Yard No. 7, St. Michael was still at Greenhithe on 6th October 1944, awaiting completion just like St. Mawes. . The timber required was at the Everards yard,but hatch covers, ceiling fore and aft were yet to be made.

By 1945 she was registered to F.T. Everards at Lloyd's and she was still registered to them in 1955.

It is believed that she exists today as a breakwater at Erith Yacht Club (see below).

Two of the barges at F.T. Everard, Greenhithe : Photo posted by Ben Mann on F.T EVERARD and SONS of Greenhithe Facebook Group

To date, we have only found one photograph of the Everards barges in use, this appearing in a Facebook post on a group dedicated to memories of 'F.T EVERARD and SONS of Greenhithe'. It is thought to be dated 1972.

However, by 26th August 1947, Lloyd's Register had been given notice by F. T. Everard's of their intent to break up the barges as soon as steel barges became available. The barges were 'de-registered' by 1955, so it is something of a mystery as to why they appear to be in use in 1955.

Where are they today ?

We have managed to track down at least three of the barges, probably four.

Dean Quarry, Cornwall

At least on, but more likely two, of the barges were used by F. T .Everard to create a quay at Dean Quarry, at Dean Quarry, St. Keverne, Cornwall. Google Earth co-ordinates 50.04109, -5.06743) from where they shipped

The quay even looks like a concrete barge, but it is way longer than a single barge.

We believe that there is a strong chance that two barges were placed end-to-end at Dean Quarry.

The concrete barge quay at Dean Quarry is mentioned on the Mersea Museum website by a gentleman named Mike Bird "The SEDULITY was almost continually on the Colchester run although we did once go to Norwich, which was quite an experience and also a one off to Dean Quarry, near the Lizard which was even more of an adventure, as you just loaded under the cliff on a makeshift jetty made from old concrete barges, it was quite hairy in a big swell".

https://merseamuseum.org.uk/mmresdetails.php?tot=5919&pid=CLH_001&typ=all&hit=3345

South West Coast photo :This is a view towards Lowland Point over the derelict Jetty (closed 2005) where conveyor belts took crushed Gabbro rock and loaded the waiting ships

Analcime & Stilbite are amongst the minerals to be found at Dean Quarry which is currently not in use. Reading the news, it would seem that 'contemporary plans' to turn Dean Quarry into a 'super quarry' have been blocked

Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons — Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Assuming that there are two at Dean Quarry, where are the others ?

Erith Yacht Club, London

For certain, there are at least two at Erith, fairly close to F. T. Everard's location at Greenhithe. They may well have been there as early as 1948, although evidence is inconclusive

Richmond Herald on 2nd October 1948 ran an article about ‘Parents’ committee Entertained by Sea Scouts’ on a voyage along the Thames. It was noted that :-

“There was a short stop at the “Discovery” for fresh water, and then on down through Tower Bridge, past Greenwich, Woolwich and so on to Erith, where we moored alongside some concrete barges and the passengers went on board to stretch their legs.”

What is conclusive is that there are two of the F. T. Everard concrete barges present today at 51.47994,0.19764.

There may also be FCBs at the same location as this Google Earth Pro photo from 2003 suggests. A site visit is needed to confirm. : -

In April 2025, Krispen Atkinson sent me some drone photos of barges at Erith, and they certainly depict two of the W & C French built barges, previously used by F. T. Everard..

It is worth pointing out that a number of people believe that the concrete barge that is present today at Greenhithe is one of these 6 barges. It is not. That barge is A.C.W. 10 which you can read all about here