In 1937 Ted Wright and his brother Claude, both amateur archaeologists, located three massive wooden planks projecting at a shallow angle from the clay on Ferriby foreshore. First thoughts were that they had discovered a Viking ship. Since then two other separate boat sections have been found, the third being excavated in 1963. Ted Wright MBE died in 2001 aged 83.
Dating at the time put them at about 1300 BC. However improved radio carbon techniques now puts the third boat in the early Bronze Age of 2030-1780 BC, which means North Ferriby had a boat building industry 4,000 years ago!

This picture is an impression of what the boats may looked like. All the original boat finds are housed at the Hull & East Riding Museum. For further information a booklet “North Ferriby and the Bronze Age Boats” by Ted Wright is available from ‘Ferriby Heritage Trust’, 10 Melton Road, North Ferriby - price £2.95.

On 10am on Sunday 16th January 2005 a half-reconstruction of a Ferriby Bronze Age boat was named Oakleaf and launched from Hessle foreshore.

See Ferriby Boats Website