by Dennis Maccoy » Tue Jan 28, 2014 7:03 pm
I think it is the Mill Dam Paul. The Mill Dam landing stage and the Direct Ferry landing stage were both passenger only, whilst the Market Place landing stage was for (horse-drawn) vehicles even before the advent of motor vehicles. The gangway to the landing in the foreground is obviously passenger only, but that to the more distant landing looks much more robust and suited to vehicles. The present landing is about 50 yards up-river of that spot. The Direct Ferry landing was at Comical Corner, just down-river of Brigham & Cowan and would be out of sight behind the tugs in the background. The notch in which the gangway was located can still be seen on Google Earth, just down-river of the “Keep Clear” road markings next to the call-centre car park. As an aside, the disused turnstile & jetty were an irresistible attraction to foolish schoolboys and I recollect having to fish a friend out of the river there after some over-enthusiastic exploration!
Regards, Dennis.