During the early 1900s foot passengers wishing to cross between Sandbanks and Studland were catered for, to some extent, by a rowing boat ferry which operated during the summer months. This carried them across to the (then) wild and remote beaches of Shell Bay but must have been very hard work for the oarsmen especially when the regular strong tides ran through the narrow entrance of Poole Harbour.
A mechanical means of linking Sandbanks (North Haven) to Shell Bay (South Haven) was first raised in 1904. The scheme proposed that would swing cars across the harbour mouth by means of a cage and chains arrangement supported by vertical towers. In other words – a transporter bridge. This proposal was refused by Poole Corporation and Poole Harbour Commissioners and nothing more was heard.
The rowing boat changed to a motor boat service eventually and continued until just before the First World War. The next suggestion was then made that a ferry should be set up to carry both pedestrians and vehicles. The “Memories” big picture in Friday's edition displays the first Sandbanks-Studland chain ferry. Ferry No. 1 is indicated by the two funnels shown clearly in the picture.
It was constructed by J. Samuel White Ltd, a well-known firm of shipbuilders based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Ferry No. 1 was steam driven carrying up to 15 cars. It's compound cylinders were vertical, acting directly on the chain 'engines', with exhaust steam being condensed for re-use. The two coal-fired horizontal boilers worked at 100 psi. It was known originally as a 'steam bridge' rather than a chain ferry. The service was launched officially on 15th July 1926 so this year will see the 100th anniversary of these crossings. Subsequently, the ferry was modified to carry up to 18 cars.
The idea of operating a car ferry service had been the idea of Mr. Frank Aman with his two sons, Gerard (engineer) and Arthur (stockbroker). They were instrumental in starting a company and were also the largest individual shareholders maintaining their family connection until 1961. The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company came into being in July 1923 when an Act of Parliament received the Royal Assent. Capital, from the issue of shares, allowed the purchase of land in Studland from the Bankes Estate as well as commencement on building both slipways and the new road from Studland village. Stone for the slipways and road foundations came from quarries on the Isle of Purbeck, apparently mostly from the cliff-face quarry at Seacombe. Blocks and aggregate were carried round by road or, during calm weather, by barge across Swanage and Studland Bays.
The service proved to be very popular from the start. In the first rather short summer season (July to September1926), around 100,000 passengers and 12,000 cars were ferried across the Harbour mouth. At that time the charge was 2/6d (12.5p today) for a car and driver’s one-way use of the road and ferry, with an additional 3d (single) or 6d (return) per passenger. A return trip for the car was 4/3d (just over 21p today). Services started at 8am and finished at 7pm [7am to 10pm in Summer].
The ferry was taken over by the military for most of the Second World War with Studland Bay being use as a training ground such as 'Operation Smash'. Afterwards, the ferry was in need of an extensive refit and Ferry Road too required substantial repairs, resulting in the service not resuming until 1946.
Ferry No.1 returned to service for another 12 years but suffered many failures during this time. By the mid-1950's the Aman family decided to replace their original steam ferry after considering - and rejecting - construction of a bridge across the harbour mouth.
Peter Sykes
Swanage
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