1840.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



2.37 



To these vessels, therefore, some of the harliours at the present moment 

 are open for several hours of each tide, and a few of them may he capable of 

 being rendered more accessible by tlie removal of obstrnctions at their en- 

 trances, or by additional works. 



This part of the coast jiossesscs the advantage of a good rise of tide ; and 

 though the harbours are oidy availalile under special conditions, the numerous 

 instances of shelter and protection afforded by each to ships in distress, serve 

 to show their value in a national point of view, and the importance of not 

 allowing them to fall to decay. 



Although, therefore, we are convinced that none of them can be made 

 perfect harbours of refuge, we still have considered them as falling within the 

 scope of our inquiry ; not as requiring from us specific details of the works 

 which may be deemed desirable, but to explain briefly their present extent 

 and capabilities, and to note generally what may have presented itself to us 

 in the wav of improvement ; and we therefore propose to consider the objects 

 of the inquiry under two heads, viz.: 1st, The state and capabilities of the 

 existing harbours, &c., (in the order in wliich we visited them) ; and 2udly, 

 The situations best calculated for harbours of refuge, and as stations for armed 

 steam-vessels in the event of war ; confining to barl)ours for these latter ob- 

 jects, the necessary condition of being accessible at all times of tide. 



The river Thames is usually considered to terminate at the Nore. From 

 the Isle of Sheppey to Westgate Bay, the numerous sands and shoals which 

 extend in all directions along the coast, prevent the approach of vessels of 

 any size ; and the cliffs, which consist of sand and clay, arc gradually yield- 

 ing to the action of the sea, and supply a constant source of materials for 

 fresh accumulations. 



We did not, therefore, consider it necessary to visit this part of the coast, 

 where no harbours at present exist. 



Margatf. 



Margate was the first place at which we landed after leaving the river. 



The harbour is situated in a small bay l)et\veen two extensive flats of chalk 

 rocks, the Nayland on the west, and the Fidsam on the east, both of which 

 are covered before high water. The artificial harbour is formed by a stone 

 pier, which commences on the eastern side of the bay (around which the 

 town is situated), and extends 800 feet to the westward, in an irregular curve, 

 leaving the entrance open to the north-west. 



The rise of average spring tides at the pier-head, is about 13 feet, and that 

 of neap tides eight feet; but spring tides ebb outside of the pier-head, and 

 leave the harbour dry at low w ater. A wooden jetty has been run out from t he 

 root of the pier, over the Fulsam rocks, to the distance of 1,100 feet, for the 

 convenience of passengers, &e., landing from or embarking in the steam- 

 packets at low water. 



The pier and jetty belong to a joint-stock company, the chairman, surveyor, 

 and harbour-master of which attended us, and gave us the information we 

 required. 



It is evident that the harbour in its present state possesses none of the 

 requisites of a harbour of refuge, and can only be considered valuable, in a 

 national point of view, as affording the means of supplying pilots, anchors, 

 and cables, &c., to vessels driven into the roads in distress. 



The surveyor, by order of the directors of the pier and harbour company, 

 prepared and submitted to us a design for constructing a harbour of refuge at 

 this place, by extending curved piers upon the Nayland and Fulsam rocks ; 

 enclosing an area of considerable extent on and around the site of the present 

 harbour, and leaving an entrance of 300 or 400 feet in width towards the 

 north-east, with 16 feet depth of water at the mouth. 



The expense of such a work is estimated by the surveyor at 275,000?. ; but 

 the cost of deepening the harbour is not included in this sum ; and as the 

 bottom rises gradually to the beach, the area possessing even 8 feet water 

 would be very limited, and considerable excavations would be necessary to 

 render it available to any extent. 



A second design was submitted to us, said to be formed on a plan suggested 

 by the late Mr. Kennie, who is quoted as having thought highly of the situa- 

 tion for a harbour of refuge. It consisted of an outer harbour of less 

 dimensions than the one proposed by the <lireetors of the pier and harbour 

 company, enclosed by walls; and an inner basin with gates to shut in the 

 water at flood-tide, for the purpose of clearing the entrance at low water. 



The power of sluicing at so great a distance as that proposed in this plan, 

 eoidd only be applied with advantage to a surface dry, or nearly so, at low 

 water ; and the idea of keeping a deep-water harbour of any useful width, 

 clear by means of such sluicing, appears to us to be impracticable. 



Several other plans were brought before us for the construction of a har- 

 bour at this place ; but as we shall have occasion to show in the sequel that 

 other situations possess gi-eater advantages for the attainment of the objects 

 pointed out by their Lordships' instructions, we do not consider it necessary 

 to enter into any details of these suggestions. 



Broadstairs. 



From Margate we proceeded to Broadstairs. The harbour at this place is 

 formed by a wooden pier, about 100 yards in length, extending from the 

 northern side of a small bay. 



The entrance faces south-west, but the harbour is much exposed to the sea, 

 which is driven in by winds from the eastward. 



At spring tides there ii about 16 feet water at the pier-head, and 10 at 

 neaps, but the whole harbour is dry at low water ; and, during spring tides, 

 nearly 100 yards outside the pier is left uncovered. 



A plan was submitted to us by the harbour commissioners for constructing 

 a larger harbour, by extcmliiig piers from the opposite extremities of the bay, 

 320 yards into the sea, by which eight feet in the entrance at low water might 

 be obtained. But we do not consider it necessary to enter into further parti- 

 culars of this project, as it does not appear to us that a work of such magni- 

 tude is required in this situation, or that the advantages anticipated would be 

 commensurate with the expense. 



The harbour is managed by commissioners, under an Act of I'arliament 

 passed iu 1792. 



Ramsgate. 



Ramsgatc harbour, which was the next place we visited, consists of an in- 

 ner and outer basins, formed by substantial stone piers, extending 1,310 feet 

 into the sea, and encloses an area of 42 acres. 



The inner basin is used as a wet dock for vessels to load or unload their 

 cargoes, &c., and contains a dry dock where vessels of 300 to 400 tons bur- 

 then can be repaired, &c. 



The entrance of the outer harboiu' is 200 feet in width, and opens to the 

 south-west. 



The rise of average spring tides is from 13 to 14 feet at the pier-heads, and 

 of neap tides nine feet, giving in the entrance 19 feet at liigh water of spring 

 tides, and 16 of neaps. 



For the purpose of scouring the outer harbour at low water, powerful 

 sluices have been constructed through the cross wall of the inner basin, the 

 discharge of water from which senes to keep open the channel to the inner 

 basin and the gullies which extend round tlie harbour at the foot^f the piers, 

 in certain portions of which, near the entrance of the harboiu', tlce depth in- 

 creases to about six feet at low water. 



The mud which remains in the middle of the harbour serves as grounding 

 banks, and affords a soft bed on which vessels entering with loss of anchors 

 and cables can take the ground in safety ; and these banks are considered 

 essential for the purjiose. 



K new communication between the outer and inner basins has lately been 

 completed, the gates of which are 42 feet in width. 



One of Morton's patent sUps has also been laid down in the outer harbour, 

 on which steam-vessels, &c. of too great beam to euter the graving dock in 

 the inner basin can be hauled up and repaired. 



The situation of this harbour appears to have been selected more from its 

 position with reference to the Downs than from any local advantages afforded 

 by the formation of the coast. There is no natural backwater, so essential in 

 tidal harbours for the purpose of scouring, nor does the line of clilT oft'er 

 shelter against any winds but those which blow from off the land ; and yet 

 in this situation, without one natural facility but that of a chalk foundation, 

 a harbour has been constructed wliicb, notwithstanding its imperfections, is 

 uiuloubtcdly the best on the south-eastern coast of England. 



During gales from the southward and westward, which throw a bcaw sea 

 into the Dowiis, aiul render the anchorage insecure for heavily-laden coasters, 

 and merchant vessels of the smaller classes frequently unprepared for riding 

 in open roadsteads during heavy weather, — this harbour affords a place of 

 shelter where vessels of considerable draught of water may run for protection 

 at fide time. 



By the accounts we received from the hai hour-master of the ntimber of 

 vessels which have annually sought shelter from weather, &c. since the com- 

 pletion of the harbour, it may be inferred that the object for which it was 

 constructed, viz. an asylum for ships in distress in the Downs, &c., has been 

 to a certain extent attained. 



No plans for the improvement of this harbour have been submitted to us ; 

 and from the nature of the bottom outside, which consists of chalk rock, with 

 not above six feet water at some distance from the harbour's moutli, at low 

 water spring tides, it is obviously incapable of being rendered accessible for 

 vessels drawing more than that depth of water. It cannot, therefore, be con- 

 sidered a perfect harbour of refuge, nor is tlic situation eligible for the pur- 

 poses pointed out in their Lordships' instructions. 



The care and management of the harljour is placed, by Act of Parliament, 

 in the hands of trustees. 



Deal and Sandwich. 



From Ramsgatc we proceeded to Deal, where a deputation from that town 

 and the borougli of Sandwich waited upon us, and submitted to our inspec. 

 tion plans for the construction of a harbour on tlic beach, with docks, ^c, 

 to communicate with the latter town. The River Stour, which enters the 

 sea through the Sandwich flats, being proposed to be converted into a back- 

 water, for the purpose of scouring the entrance. 



The scheme has been under couteuplation for many years, but nothing 

 has been undertaken towards carrying it into execution. 



We thought it right, however, to inspect the coast in the neighbourhood 

 of the site of the proposed harbour, to ascertain the feasibility oi' otherwise, 

 by an extension of the plan, of rendering it subservient to the objects of our 

 inquu'y. 



The shingle, which first makes its appearance about a mile to the north- 

 ward of Sandown Castle, extends in a vast bank along the shore towards the 

 South Foreland, and is continually moving by the action of the waves in the 

 direction of the prevailing winds, and forming accumulations to the north- 

 ward. This is an objection to the construction of a harbour on this part of 

 the coast, and it is very doubtful whether vessels in distress in the Downs 



