THE DENES
The Denes is an area of sand, pebble, and marram grass along the Lowestoft foreshore, also known as The Beach. There were fish houses, net stores and maritime buildings along Whapload Road, at the base of the cliff. Beachmen and fishermen stored their gear in 'shods' - sheds made from the upturned hulls of old boats.The upper line of houses behind the trees are those of High Street. The slope was once laid with their terraced gardens. Part of the Denes will become the Beach Village but in 1825 there were few dwellings.
Beach Companies were loose associations of beachmen and fishermen, local merchants and boat owners, and Trinity Pilots. At the beginning of the 19th Century there were three companies: Denny's, Lincoln’s, and Reed’s. Each operated around four yawls and four gigs. They were involved in pilotage, salvage, rescue, and fishing. The companies were reorganised in the 1830s. Denny's became Old Company, while Lincoln's and Reed's merged into New Company. The associations gradually declined over time.
Picture: Old Company HQ near the Low Light.
Lowestoft beach was busy with fishing and cargo craft in the early 19th Century. There was no harbour until 1831, so all landing and loading took place along the shore. There would have been hundreds of vessels sailing up and down the coast every day, carrying coal and timber, produce and hardware, cloth and wool, and, of course, fish. Herring would be landed, taken by cart to Whapload Road for curing, and then either transported inland, or reloaded in barrels to sell abroad. The Herring season or 'Home Fishing' took place between October and December.