Maintenance workers on London’s Millennium Bridge – which spans the River Thames – have hung a bale of straw from the bridge’s undercarriage. An ancient byelaw requires that a bridge’s owner warn passing ships of…Read More >
maritime history
Brexit fish wars: history explains why France and the UK get so angry about access to the seas
A dispute between Britain and France about fishing territories has escalated rapidly. French authorities detained a British trawler on Thursday, October 28, and Britain promptly summoned the French ambassador for…Read More >
The dark side of Drake
Five centuries ago, Sir Francis Drake had a hero’s return from the first English circumnavigation of the globe, bringing home treasure to a delighted Queen Elizabeth. But how much of…Read More >
A sailor’s life for me: early modern #MaritimeArchives
We tend to picture 17th century sailors as rowdy, hard-drinking, ‘salty sea dogs’ akin to Captain Redbeard Rum from Blackadder. But sailors’ autobiographies from the time tell a different story,…Read More >