A watercolour of the Thames barge ‘Robert’ at anchor by the marine artist William Lionel Wyllie (1851-1931). Visible at the stemhead is the stayfall tackle: two large blocks that were employed to lower and raise the mast with the aid of the windlass.

Thames barges were used to transport cargo around the Thames and Medway, and were very practical for shallow waters, often sporting leeboards, as depicted here just below the gunwales, which could be retracted in shallow water. For many years they were a dominant feature of life on the river. Principally employed as cargo vessels, the largest were capable of carrying up to 300 tons. Coastal steamers and motorised barges gradually replaced them, but they remained a common sight on the Thames well into the 20th century. A number of these vessels still survive in various roles, some fully active, some used as house barges, while others are available for chartering. Wyllie owned and sailed a Thames barge for a number of years, which he converted into a floating studio. He experimented with various watercolour techniques in many studies of vessels on the Thames.