Ipswich Maritime Trust (IMT) has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) grant to launch the Ipswich Heritage Harbour Project, to celebrate and enhance Ipswich’s status as a Heritage Harbour.
The Heritage Harbours scheme is a joint initiative between local groups and Maritime Heritage Trust, National Historic Ships UK and Historic England to help safeguard and conserve our most historic locations with the buildings, quays, shipyards, and environments that make them special. These are the places on the coast and inland where you can see traditional ships and boats still in operation and the buildings, facilities and people that make that possible.
“Ipswich is the oldest continuously occupied port in the country," says Ben Good, chair of the Ipswich Maritime Trust. "Even today, it is the UK’s leading agricultural export port, and, with some 2,000 yachts on the Orwell, is at the heart of a thriving recreational boating scene. We have appointed a five-strong Project Team who are working with local schools and communities to bring alive awareness of the town’s maritime heritage.” .
“We want to give young people the chance to engage in that heritage, and to participate in the recreational, educational and vocational opportunities offered by Ipswich’s major role in the maritime world.”
The Ipswich Heritage Harbour Project is headed up by Judy Harrison, a highly experienced project manager who recently coordinated the Skippers of the Future project on board the engineless Thames sailing barge Blue Mermaid, on a tour of eleven ports. She also organised the maritime activities for the Gloucester Tall Ships Festival and Bristol Harbour Festival, and was staff skipper on board Sail Training Vessel Pioneer. In 1983, Judy was the first recipient of IMT’s annual bursary for young people, enabling her to join a sail-training voyage with the Ocean Youth Club – and setting her on course for a life on the water!
“I sailed on the Orwell as a child, started out from the Wet Dock on the Ocean Youth Club voyage, and regard Ipswich as being very dear to my heart. I look forward to the opportunity to enable more people of all ages and background to connect with the waterfront heritage of the town.”
She is joined by Lyndon March as Head of Sailing. Lyndon is a qualified Thames barge skipper and has worked for Topsail Charters, Heritage Marine Foundation, the Pioneer Sailing Trust, amongst others, and also as a freelance shipwright. He will be working on board Sailing Barge Victor, an Ipswich icon moored alongside the Old Custom House on the Waterfront.
Working with local schools and youth organisations are artist Katie Evans, and Schools Programme Manager Hannah Houghton. The team is supported by Sarah Winter, a logistics and communications coordinator.
Ipswich was awarded the Heritage Harbour designation in January 2024 and joins a network of 14 heritage harbours and inland ports in the UK. The Heritage Harbour bid team included Ipswich Maritime Trust, Ipswich Borough Council, Associated British Ports (ABP) and Ipswich Central.
Source: IMT press release
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