There was a down turn in trade during the 1980's and early 1990's and Alsford's went into liquidation. It closed down for a couple of years until Rastrum's reopened it and trade is now growing.

Another Wharf - for ARC Amey Roadstone Co., was built further up the river. This firm had two special sea dredgers built, which were ideal for Rye. Sadly a down turn in trade meant that the firm switched to dry stone imports, but this also declined and the equipment has now been removed.

Rye Harbour is a unique commercial harbour as it is run by the Environment Agency, a Government body. In 1972 the harbour was run by the Kent River Authority, which had two reorganisations, before the Southern Water Authority replaced it. This too was reorganised three times before it was privatised and then Rye was placed under the National Rivers Authority, which also had two internal reorganisations. The Government then set up the Environment Agency and that is who manages Rye Harbour now.

Pilotage used to be run by Trinity House. The Government then changed the responsibilty to the 'Competent Harbour Authority', ie The Environment Agency. The Harbour Master, his Deputy and one independent pilot, act as pilots in Rye.

The Harbour used to be monitored by the Port of Rye Users' Committee, which was later made an official body, consisting of councillors, representatives of the boat owners, and fishing and commercial interests etc, and called the Harbour of Rye Advisory Committee, by the late 1970's.

Cargoes: The first export of grain that 'Seacon' was involved in from Rye was in January 1978, when 600 tons of English barley went out. This trade grew so that exports increased to 40,000 tons in one year, organised by a Farmer's Cooperative S.E.Grain -which sadly, was eventually wound up.

Since the Wharf re-opened, the majority of the cargoes are dry stone aggregates from North Wales (Llandulas), Cornwall (Falmouth), Brittany and Boulogne.

Broking Business: 'Seacon ' celebrated its 30th 'Anniversary in business on 1st January 2004. When it began on 1st January 1974, it was in the middle of the Miner's Strike and everyone had days without power and candles were bought from
Dennis' ( the ironmonger on the High Street) !.

Four staff now work on the dry cargo side and 18,000 contracts of freight transport have been completed over the years. Often foreign customers like to use a British broker e.g., A Thai customer wanted to send steel from the Baltic to China and Rye brokered it!

It is now even easier to run the Company from Rye using the Internet and e-mail, (it used to be telephone, cables and Telex), and the firm deals with moving all kinds of things from potatoes to fibre optics.

Seacon were involved when the Thekia', loaded with a cargo of fertiliser, hit the western arm of the Harbour wall and became impaled on the piling in January 1975. A salvage contract with a firm from Newhaven was made and it took three weeks to get her off. She was taken to Newhaven for repairs, after drifting ashore at Pett on the way! The ship is now a nightclub in Bristol Docks.

Another ship dealt with was the 'Hoo Fort ', which went ashore on the Camber side and had bottom damage and was declared a total loss by Underwriters. The firm was involved with the Fairlight Sea Defences in 1990 as agents for the tugs and barges, which put the stone brought from Norway at the bottom of the cliffs to try and stop erosion and thus save the houses etc.. They did a similar job at Folkstone.

Future of Rye Harbour: As 'Seacon ' is predominantly a ship broker. Rye's future as a port is not vital to the Company's existence, but Rye has good prospects. The biggest risk is the economics of ship size. The very small ships have gone for ever - a ship of 2.000 tons can be crewed by five or six men, whereas one of 600 tons needed the same number of crew. The river limits Rye too, by it's size and tidal constraints, as well as the facilities offered.

Whereas the ideal port would bring in a cargo and take another out, Rye will mainly continue to be an importing port, as are Newhaven and Shoreham, and many other ports, such as Llandulas, only export.

Transport by sea is comparatively cheap - and very eco-friendly. Twenty years ago stone cost £3 a ton to ship from North Wales and now it costs £3.85, a negligible increase compared with the costs of road transport - and think of the number of lorries which would be involved in moving the same amounts!

Jo Kirkham