First ro-ro ferry at Poole hails new era

A new era had dawned in the history of Poole with the arrival of its first roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) ferry.

“At 7 o’clock on the dot yesterday evening, the 1,000 ton Poole Antelope, built in France, registered in Poole and named after a popular pub in the High Street completed her crossing from Cherbourg to Poole,” the report began.

The following day, tariff cuts resulting from Britain’s membership of the Common Market were due to come into effect, giving a boost to British exports.

The Antelope was to leave Poole each day at 10pm, arriving at Cherbourg at 2am and heading back across the Channel at 2pm the following day.

Poole Harbour Commissioners’ vice-chairman Peter Allesbrook had helped establish the Truckline freight only ro-ro service, taking advantage of the shortest crossing on the Western Channel.

The mayor, Alderman Rene Montague, told the assembled VIPs that evening: “This is a great occasion for Poole and we look forward to the success of Truckline ferries and to a great future for the port of Poole “I hope the inauguration of the ferry will be the beginning of a close friendship between Poole and Cherbourg that will grow in the years to come”

The early 1970s had seen an increasing conflict between Poole Quay’s popularity with tourists and the needs of a commercial port.

New Quay on the Hamworthy side of the port had been already developed and land adjoining New Quay had been reclaimed to create the ro-ro berth and acres of terminal.

The Antelope was joined by a second Truckline vessel later in 1973, and by the end of the year, 2,324 freight units had been carried.

In 1974, Truckline won contracts to import up to 25,000 Citroen cars per year, plus 2,000 tractors over a two-year period, as well as carrying 14,000 lorries and 2,000 trade cars.

Two more ferries, Coutances and Purbeck, were added in 1978.

By that time, a debate was already underway about a major improvement to the Hamworthy facilities.

In August 1978, Poole’s harbour chief, Commander Nicholas Mules, warned the ro-ro terminal was reaching capacity and the commissioners would have to ask the ferry operator to reduce its traffic unless the port was extended.

That could force them to leave Poole, with the loss of jobs “a disaster too devastating too contemplate”.

But the prospect of more juggernauts on the town’s roads was not attractive to the residents of Hamworthy, who packed a meeting at Hamworthy Middle School that August to protest.

There were also complaints that the expansion would mean “disaster” for the roads of North Dorset.

That December, a protest march was held through the town centre, consisting mainly of Hamworthy residents but also fishermen, Friends of the Earth and people from neighbouring boroughs.

They were not made any happier by a rise that December in the maximum permitted weight of lorries, from 32 tonnes to 44.

Poole council eventually refused an £8million scheme to reclaim 35 acres of land for commercial use, only to be overruled by the secretary of state following a 10-day public inquiry in January 1981.

In May 1983, as the ro-ro service neared its 10th anniversary, transport secretary David Howell visited to hail Poole’s “success story”, describing the town as the country’s “thrusting 13th port”.

“The Poole Harbour Commissioners are to be commended on the port’s success story over a dramatic decade of growth,” he said.

In October 1984, the official first viewing of the extension was attended by representatives of Cherbourg as well as Poole. The extension was not as large as originally intended because of objections from Hamworthy, the Echo noted.

The chairman of the Harbour Commissioners, Ronald Devon, said: “This development has not come about without a vast amount of effort and negotiation in the past few years.”

There had been further hold-ups, including protracted negotiations with British Rail. “Some sort of apology is due to our French colleagues for the repeated delays,” said Mr Devon.

“The French must have thought we lived in a dream world don this side of the Channel.”

The port continued to get busier, and in 1986, Brittany Ferries – which had bought Truckline – began a passenger service which grew steadily in popularity.

In 1987, a new ferry route was added between Poole and Portugal, although it was shelved in 1991.

By 1988, trade was going so well that plans were announced for another ro-ro berth, to the further consternation of Hamworthy residents.

In January 1989, the Echo reported that ro-ro freight had risen 24 per cent on the previous year, to 61,244 units – a massive rise on that 1973 figure of 2,324.

The port received another boost the same year when British Channel Island Ferries moved freight and passenger services from Portsmouth to Poole. That service would last until 1994 when the company was taken over by Condor Ferries.

More land was reclaimed to provide the third berth in 1989. It was opened on April 4 1990 by former employment secretary Sir Norman Fowler, who cut a ribbon to open the £3m, 10 metre wide linkspan.

Passenger numbers were now at 700,000, up from 40,000 four years previously.

And in 1992, Truckline introduced the Barfleur – the largest vessel ever to serve the port, and a tourist attraction in her own right. A fast catamaran service was introduced in 1997.

Today, according to the Harbour Commissioners, Poole sees 500,000 passengers a year, 80,000 freight units and around 600,000 of conventional cargo, making it a huge part of the town’s economy.

John Probert, chairman of Poole-based Wyvern Cargo, says today: “The arrival of Truckline Ferries opened a new chapter in Poole’s maritime history, securing the port’s position as a gateway to the continent at a moment when Britain’s trade with the rest of the EU was starting to grow strongly.”

But he adds one of the cargo industry’s perennial complaints: “Unfortunately the roads linking the Port of Poole to its natural hinterland in Wales and the West Midlands have not yet been improved to cater for such growth.”

* Poole Harbour Commissioners’ history of the port from 1970 can be found at phc.co.uk/about_history.html