Page 2 - Porthleven

THE PORT OF PORTHLEVEN: DECLINE AND CLOSURE 1945-64

by Neil Hawke
Now a tourist trap on the south coast of Cornwall, Stainton, now in the ownership of H. P. Marshall & Co
Porthleven was for many years a commercial port involved of Middlesbrough. The following year saw four arrivals,
in import and export. The steady decline to final closure in all Dutch, two by the Hollandia (162grt/30), one by the
1964 is covered here, aided by photographs reproduced Admiraal de Ruyter (381grt/38) and another by the
from Tony Treglown’s book ‘A Comprehensive History of Zeester (179grt/31).
Porthleven’ (2017), by kind permission of Hazel Treglown.
During the period of this survey there was a paltry Possibly as a result of post war redevelopment, the three
average of six arrivals a year, the majority of which were years from 1948 to 1950 saw a modest increase in arrivals.
coal imports from Blyth in particular. This contrasts the In 1948 there were six arrivals: two Everard coasters
situation prior to World War II when it was not uncommon (Annuity (144grt/16) and Fred Everard (228grt/26)) and
for coasters to load a return cargo of china clay from the four Dutchmen: Saturnus (230grt/33); Jola (269grt/35)
nearby Wheal Grey pit where Cornish china clay was first (previously deployed for the D-Day operation); Mizar
exploited in 1746: the pit closed in 1932. (203grt/33); and Castor (199grt/31). In the following year,
1949, there were five arrivals, three British-flagged and
This article is based on various sources, as follow: the two Dutch-flagged. The first coaster of note was Stainton
aforementioned history of Porthleven by Tony Treglown, whose background was noted above when arriving at
Hayle Harbour Records 1801-1988 (Cornwall Record Office Porthleven four years previously as Empire Crocus. The
ref. AD1175), and press reports from The Cornishman and second vessel, Empire Punch (325grt/42), was under the
other newspapers. management of Loverings of Cardiff before being sold to
T. G. Irving of Sunderland as Oakdene in 1955.

The third British-flagged vessel was Browning (332grt/42),
previously the Empire Reaper, and owned at the time by
the Anglo-Danubian Transport Co. of London. Two years
later this coaster was seen at Porthleven again, this time
as Moreton Corbet now owned by the Kerton Shipping Co.
of Hull. The two Dutchmen were the Heron (279grt/38)
(previously deployed for the D-Day operation) and Agiena
(333grt/36). The year 1950 saw four arrivals: two British
coasters and two Dutch. The Goldfaun (319grt/40),
owned by E. J. & W. Goldsmith Ltd, and the Fabric coaster
An unidentified coaster entering port. Empire Fabric (410/44) which two years later was bought
by Torridge Coasters Ltd. and re-named Torridge Lass. The
Harvey & Co. of Hayle bought the harbour in 1855 and Dutch coasters arriving were the Union (315grt/38) and
made a number of improvements including schemes to the Europa (257grt/46).
facilitate better access for coasters to the inner harbour.
The company withdrew from the port in 1958 but
limited records of Porthleven shipping movements are
archived with company records relating to its operations
in the nearby port of Hayle. Some of these records are
incomplete, as can be seen in the final image presented
of an Everard coaster – either the Capacity or Celebrity
(both 309grt/47) - alongside sometime before 1959 when
the steam crane was dismantled and removed. Available
records make no mention of this arrival.

Following the end of World War II in 1945 two arrivals
were reported, Empire Crocus (341grt/36) and the Dutch
Borelli (218grt/40) this latter vessel being better known in
the nearby Cornish ports like Portreath and Hayle as Anja.
The first of these vessels was completed at Groningen
A fine view of the Dutch coaster Europa and the steam crane
as Dr Colijn before being requisitioned in 1940 under
hard at work.
the management of the Ministry of War Transport. This
coaster was seen at Porthleven again four years later as
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