Praams for hire at Dunorlan Park boating pond, Tunbridge Wells

[ad name=”intheboatshed-post”]

2007_0916phonepics0090

2007_0916phonepics0092 2007_0916phonepics0096

2007_0916phonepics0095 2007_0916phonepics0098

Praam dinghies on the boating lake at Dunorlan Park

The old wooden praams at Dunorlan Park, in Tunbridge Wells may all be gone now, but here are some photos I took with my mobile phone a couple of years ago.

It’s intriguing that a collection of classic little Norwegian-style dinghies like this should end up on a pleasure boating lake in South-Eastern England, but they did a good job for several generations – not least, I suppose, because they had the capacity to carry four adults in comfort an a short hull.

I have a hazy recollection that I was told they were built in the North-East by McNulty.

The Wikipedia doesn’t say much about praams, but there is this nice photo of a praam on the Wikimedia.

PS – There’s a comment below from the gentleman who hires them out. I’m pleased to be able to say that after 40 years, these boats are still available for hire at Dunorlan Park.

4 thoughts on “Praams for hire at Dunorlan Park boating pond, Tunbridge Wells”

  1. Hire boat owner: "Come in Number 9, your time is up."

    Hire boat owner's assistant: "We only have eight boats."

    Hire boat owner: "Number 6, have you got a problem?"

    (Yes, this joke is a genuine Victorian relic).

  2. Just to let you know my father and I run and own the boats on dunorlan park tunbridge Wells. We are just repairing and varnishing the boats ready for a new season on the lake.

    The boats we call Ranas you call praams are now over 40 yrs old and are getting to old age but still look good.

    peter matchett

  3. Nice to see the boats still looking good, I spent many happy hours helping out with them at the lake way back in the 1950s, got wet many times.

  4. Hi, great to see these wooden boats survive, and not been replaced by faded and scuffed plastic!! anytime you need replacements, I would be happy to replicate them,
    best wishes for 2012
    Marcus Lewis

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.