OK - this happened in October 2008, but I’ve only just found out.

http://www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/Tha ... news=local

The museum was right at the edge of a large cement works. Last I heard of it, it was due to close because the land had been bought and they were going to have to get out.

Why is this interesting to me? The location of the museum was where my ancestors came from. They owned the brickworks, and used sailing barges to ship the bricks. I did visit the place, and found a few pictures of the old family in the museum. Those have gone, along with the sail lofts and many other irreplaceable artefacts. The sailing barges used to win races.

I knew it was shutting - they were in the process when I went there. They were hoping to relocate.

For my sailing barge fun, I go to Maldon, where in the mudflats you will find the rotting hulk of the flag ship of the fleet. In Heybridge, just out of Maldon, you’ll find boats from the Smeed family’ fleet which have survived and been restored.

A little spot of family history gone for ever.

Sorry

It was an interesting area - you had to drive through a part of Sittingbourne, and some of the street names are names from the family’s past. A curious experience, especially as one of the names confirmed something in the family history.

Photos on this page show pretty much what is left of the empire now. The Charles Burley was named after the owner of the site which burnt down. I don’t know which of these hulks is the boat. I do remember seeing it in the very early 1970’s being lived on. Last time I saw it, it was in pretty much the condition in the pictures here:

http://www.btinternet.com/~a.esplen/Mal ... Pic13.html

I bet if I go back now, it will be almost unrecognisable.