Any Muddy Bottom

Any Muddy Bottom reveals the working lives of the vessels, ports and people involved in Somerset's waterborne trade over 2,000 years. For centuries Somerset depended on its harbours and rivers for its lifeblood. This is the story of the county's ports, pills and waterways, the unique vessels and skilled men that used them, the cargoes that carried and the day-to-day practicalities of their lives. This illustrated history embraces the whole coast, each of the ports, the vessels, their characteristics and cargoes, ships handling, owners, skippers and crews, the inland distribution process and the changes in these activities right up to the present day and the current preservation, restoration and new build legacy.