Ironsides News - Ironsides Sailing Barge

Dates for the 2019 Barge Match program

By Tim Dawson | March 24, 2019

The dates for this years Barge Matches have been announced.

Medway 25 May 2019 Saturday
Blackwater 8 June 2019 Saturday
Thames 22 June 2019 Saturday
See full list…

A great view sailing past the Maunsell Forts

By Tim Dawson | November 1, 2017

A great view sailing past the Maunsell Forts on the Thames estuary. The Maunsell Forts are armed towers built in the Thames estuary during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. They were operated as army and navy forts, and named after their designer, Guy Maunsell.

Had a great day out on Ironsides

By Tim Dawson | October 24, 2017

What a great experience for me and my friends to be able to go sailing on an original Thames sailing barge. The captain was brilliant and explained about Ironsides barge and it is now 117 years old and built in Essex.

Recently unearthed historical photos of Ironsides

By Tim Dawson | October 23, 2017

IRONSIDES was built by Stanfield and Clarke, Grays, Essex in 1900 and sold to Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers. She carried stone from Portland to London under sail alone. She was nearly lost after a collision at Limehouse around 1909 and nearly lost again in a gale at Dungeness in 1928.

Visiting Ironsides for tea

By Tim Dawson | October 14, 2017

What a lovely afternoon we had when in Faversham, visiting the Ironsides Thames Barge. “Ironsides was a great place for me and my freinds to come on board and taste a great cream teas. The barge is in Faversham and we fancied a break after shopping and we found them very welcoming.”