Published: April 26, 2007
Restoration of 150-year-old Burnham-On-Sea buoy begins

Work has got underway this week on restoring a 150-year-old buoy which once marked the shipping channels off Burnham-On-Sea.

Burnham Marine Ltd in Love Lane has been handed the task of bringing the historic buoy, with its distinctive red painted lines, back to its original condition.

Burnham Marine's Gerry Prout told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "The buoy was originally made back in 1860 and some of its steel work is still that of the original."

"It was made by Carvers Boatyard in Bridgwater, the last dedicated boatyard in the town, so it has a special place in local history."

"Sadly, its wooden surrounds are nearly rotted out, so new timbers and a new steel rim plus a fresh lick of paint are badly needed."

The buoy, pictured here, has been lying disused on the riverbank at Combwich for several years, and its sorry state has prompted Otterhampton Parish Council, which owns it, to ask Burnham Marine whether they could spruce it up.

"We were only too pleased to take this on," said Gerry. "It's an unusual job for us, but seeing it restored back to its original condition will be very rewarding."

He added that the buoy is set to return to the banks of the River Parrett after it has been restored where it will be placed on a concrete plinth for safety.

Our photo shows Nick Prout working on the restoration of the buoy