A PIECE of Gloucestershire’s maritime heritage has been protected and will take its place in history alongside the Mary Rose and HMS Victory.

The Friends of Purton are this week celebrating after receiving the long-awaited news that the first vessel in the collection of ‘Purton Hulks’ on the banks of the River Severn has been listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Maritime historian Paul Barnett, who set up The Friends of Purton in 2008, said it was a massive step forward in getting the collection of 80 vessels protected.

The Purton Hulks, also know as the ship graveyard, are a group of 80 sunken barges that were deliberately beached 100 years ago to help shore up the Gloucester to Sharpness Canal, which runs alongside the River Severn.

Until now none of them, which make up the largest collection of maritime artefacts on mainland Britain, has been protected and The Friends of Purton have been campaigning for it for several years.

The group has now been informed that the first vessel, named The Harriett, has been recognised as being of national importance.

"It is absolutely fantastic news," said Mr Barnett. "It is a massive step in the right direction, because it has set a precedent for the whole collection of vessels.

"It is up to the Friends of Purton and others now to push for more of the vessels to be protected."

Mr Barnett spoke to government ministers, MPs and English Heritage over the last year to get the site protected.

He said he salutes English Heritage for taking this step to protect one of the Purton vessels because in doing so it "so adds depth and colour to the nations surviving maritime assemblage".

The friends will now have to make individual applications for protection for each of the hulks.