Looking after a Thames barge takes a huge amount of time, effort and funds.
For 44 years, prestigious Architects and Planning Consultants, Rolfe Judd, took on this task, caring for the beautiful Ardwina, a 1909 wooden Thames sailing barge.
However, the time had come for new owners to take her forward and they wanted to ensure she would go to a good home.
We were delighted when they recognised the hard work T&W have put in to raising the profile of our historic ships since 2019 and approached us to become her new owners.
This would have been difficult for our small organisation to take on, but Rolfe Judd have generously offered to sponsor T&W over the coming years to help keep Ardwina in good condition and enable her to join our fleet, creating special experiences for a new generation.
This support will be invaluable as we continue to grow, creating more opportunities for the public to engage with these ships and for us to increase the support available to them.
We’ll be sitting down with Rolfe Judd employees Willie, the Skipper of over 40 years, and Daryl, Ship Manager, to hear some of the tales of Rolfe Judd’s ownership and look forward to sharing them with our audience as we learn about the rich history of the barge under their flag.
To get a flavour of Rolfe Judd’s high standards and eye catching designs, you can view some of their projects on their website.
