Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Written Evidence


Memorandum submitted by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall

THE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM CORNWALL

  The National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC) is an independent museum which opened to the public for the first time in November 2002. It does not receive revenue support from any Government bodies.

  Its mission is to promote an understanding of:

    —  Small boats and their place in people's lives; and

    —  The maritime history of Cornwall.

  The museum is the only one in the UK solely dedicated to small boats and the maritime history of the immediate regional area. It was recognised by the UK Maritime Collections Initiative (UKMCI) as being the lead museum for boats of "sporting and recreational use and (the) social significance of boats and small sailing craft".

  The museum was founded by a happy congruence of interest between the Cornwall Maritime Museum, a regional museum in Falmouth, and the National Maritime Museum (Greenwich) which was looking for a location where their collection of 104 small boats (the National Small Boat Collection) could be displayed for public benefit.

  The construction of the museum was part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the SW Regional Development Agency and through private sponsorship. Professional input was provided by NMM Greenwich.

  It now stands as an iconic building on the waterfront in Falmouth playing a dual role as a museum and a catalyst for regeneration. It welcomed 168,000 visitors in its first year and presents the history of small boats and the maritime history of Cornwall. It engages the enthusiasm of some 170 volunteers—possibly the largest single heritage site volunteer programme in the country—and has a full time staff of 25 people. In addition to its collections of boats, artefacts and archives, it is supported by the unique Bartlett Library of over 13,000 volumes which contains one of the largest collections of books and magazines on small boats in the country.

  The museum works closely with relevant partners especially:

    —  The Falmouth Marine School (part of Cornwall College) whose NVQ Level 3 course on traditional boatbuilding is run from the museum's premises, helping to preserve craft skills

    —  The Cornish Maritime Trust whose restored boats, Ellen and Softwing may often be seen on the museum's pontoon

    —  The Port of Falmouth Sailing Association which brings together the local sailing clubs and local working boats

    —  The RYA and other similar bodies.

WHAT IS THE UK'S SMALL BOAT MARITIME HERITAGE?

  As an island nation the UK has had a long tradition of producing small boats. The history of vernacular small boats is poorly documented but experience suggests that the range is very wide indeed. These boats were generally produced by small local builders who did not formally document their work and types thus vary significantly.

  In the late 19th century, the rise of leisure boating led to well known yacht designers and builders such as Fife, Linton Hope and Camper & Nicholson.

  From the 1930's onward there has been an enormous growth in mass participation in waterborne leisure activities. Designers such as Uffa Fox, Jack Holt, Ian Proctor, Peter Milne and the Prout brothers were experimenting with new designs and materials which made small boat sailing, both competitive and leisure, a sport for everyone and not just the preserve of the very rich.

  No figures are available but it is estimated that some five million people are actively involved in designing, building and sailing small boats of one kind or the other ranging from jet skis to small family cruisers.

SMALL BOATS IN COLLECTIONS IN THE UK

  There is no recognised central database of boats in collections in the UK, however surveys suggest that there are at least 500 boats in museum collections.

  The two largest collections are:

    —  The 300 or so boats of the SISCAE collection, a combination of the collection of the former Exeter Maritime Museum with that of a private collector. Only a few boats from this collection are currently on display to the public

    —  The 122 boats in the NMMC, consisting of the National Small Boat Collection which is in the process of being transferred from the National Maritime Museum (Greenwich) to Falmouth and the museum's own collection created over the past two years

  In 2000 the Transport Trust was commissioned by the Heritage Lottery Fund to produce a report into the heritage needs and potential of transport in four categories, aviation, buses railways and boats (too small to have been considered by the NHSC.) In the case of boats the Transport Trust split them into classes derived from specialist umbrella organisations eg, The Old Gaffers, Lifeboats, The Steamboat Association of Great Britain.

  This initial study by the Transport Trust concluded that there were probably around 500 small boats which might be of sufficient historical importance to merit grading. This figure accords with the museum's own study. However, the Transport Trust did not specifically address many of the types of small boats most familiar to the general public: boats associated with leisure and pleasure.

  The Transport Trust report concluded that:

    "Prioritisation across the categories should be actively encouraged, and its coordination funded. It will however have to be led . . . Grading within categories and classes is the first priority. This should lead to improved co-operation between private and public sectors of preservation."

LARGE SHIPS V SMALL BOATS

  The National Historic Ships Committee (NHSC) has done excellent work in surveying the needs of historic vessels as a whole and producing the National Register of Historic Ships. In order to reduce the range of vessels considered the register was limited to vessels of over 40 ft in length, over 40 years old and British built.

  The options for small boats are different from those for large ships. Small boats are more affordable for individuals to care for, store and use. Where they are owned by conservation trusts, fewer members are required and, if the materials of the boat are traditional, the repair work can often be done by enthusiasts.

  Importantly, the "conservation option of last resort"—taking the boat out of the water permanently—is much more affordable with small boats than it is with big ships. Experience of projects such as SS Great Britain or the Cutty Sark demonstrate just how costly it can be to make a ship "dry". In contrast, the boats in the museum's displays or store can be stored dry indefinitely and cost-effectively with minimal direct intervention simply because of their materials, size and ease of storage.

  For a given amount of money, small boats are thus a much cheaper option, and can provide more variety, than large ships. Used in imaginative educational displays, they can also portray a greater variety of stories about the past.

DCMS POLICY TOWARDS MARITIME HERITAGE AND SMALL BOATS

  The NMMC would expect to interact with the DCMS in two ways: as part of the museum community and as the lead museum for small boats.

  In practice the museum has had not been invited to engage in any direct policy discussions with the DCMS and it is therefore difficult to define what, if any, the DCMS policy is towards maritime heritage and small boats in particular. A search of the DCMS website for maritime heritage' concentrates on the Historic Ship Survey and Underwater Archaeology.

  Despite this, the museum's task is entirely consistent with the declared DCMS objective: "to make the historic environment accessible to everyone and ensure that it is seen as something with which the whole of society can identify and engage".

  The museum does engage in discussions with sponsored bodies such as the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and its regional body SWMLAC on professional matters; and with VisitBritain and SW Tourism on tourism development.

DEVELOPING PRIORITIES FOR SMALL BOATS

  In looking at the small boat sector of the maritime heritage of the nation it is clear to the NMMC that a number of steps are needed:

    —  The provision of leadership to build on the work done by the Transport Trust.

    —  The creation and maintenance of a central database (the National Small Boat Register or NSBR) to coordinate the information collected by all bodies concerned with the preservation of small boats.

    —  Fostering the development of a grading system which will enable priorities for the conservation individual craft to be set.

    —  Provision of a common archive "of last resort" to ensure that valuable material is not lost.

    —  The establishment of a centre of expertise in the management of small boats, their conservation and preservation.

    —  Engaging fully with all sectors of this very diverse group and draw upon expert advice from those with experience in the relevant sectors.

  The NMMC has already carried out a pilot project to establish the feasibility of creating a central database as the core of its proposal for the establishment of a National Small Boat Register. It is seen as eminently sensible to build on this experience, and working according to the principles established by the Transport Trust, draw upon the expertise available within umbrella and other groups in the field. The museum's intention is that the project should be a very inclusive one, engaging partners all around the country to report and provide information. This project has yet to be scoped in detail and is, as yet, unfunded.

  It is most strongly felt that the museum is now in a good position to take the lead and make a very real contribution to the understanding and management of the small boat sector of our maritime heritage.

28 January 2005





 
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