Maidens Harbour

NS20NW 42.00 21040 08089

NS20NW 42.01 NS 21003 08215 (NS c. 21155 08370 to NS c. 20935 08066) West Breakwater

NS20NW 42.02 NS 21125 08158 (NS c. 21146 08244 to NS c. 21131 08078) East Breakwater

Location formerly entered as NS 2110 0815.

For slipway at NS 20769 08043 (to W of harbour), see NS20NW 113.

(Location cited as NS 210 082). Maidens Harbour, probably 18th century in origin. An irregular masonry pier, repaired in concrete, with a low concrete breakwater on the E (c. 1950). At the landward end are four cast-iron pots in brick settings, with chimneys, used for boiling fishing nets in preservatives.

J R Hume 1976.

(Location cited as NS 21 08). The SW horn of Maidenhead Bay is formed by a ridge of rocks, partially tidal, which projects in a north-easterly direction and no doubt provided some natural shelter from the W. Tucker named it as a 'creek' in 1655, but as no works are marked on the OS map of 1855-7, those which exist today are presumably later. They consist of a bulb-ended breakwater about 230yds [210.4m] long, running along the outermost portion of the rock-ridge, a pier about 180yds [164.6m] long joining this breakwater to the land, and another, independent, breakwater some 360yds [329.3m] long which parallels the ridge and its works some 200yds [182.9m] to the E, thus closing off a largely tidal strip from the rest of Maidenhead Bay.

A Graham 1984.

This harbour is depicted, but not noted, on the current edition of the OS (GIS) AIB.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 27 June 2006.