The winners of the Photography Competition, Marsh Volunteer Awards, Excellence in Maritime Conservation Award and Flagships of the Year have been revealed in an Awards film recorded in Bristol and premiered on YouTube.
National Historic Ships UK’s (NHS-UK) annual awards are a celebration of maritime heritage around the UK. They encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with historic vessels through photography, volunteering, conservation, online activities, and skills-based training.
For this year’s Awards film, NHS-UK headed to the historic port city of Bristol, hosted jointly by SS Great Britain, M Shed, Underfall Yard and Bristol Community Ferry Boats. Bristol’s Floating Harbour was first opened in 1809, impounding 80 acres of tidal river which allowed visiting ships to stay afloat at all times. The harbour remains a vital resource for maritime heritage today, as well as a thriving space for visitors and locals to enjoy the waterside in the heart of the city. Bristol is also home to numerous vessels on the National Register of Historic Vessels, including the 1885 wooden-hulled lightship John Sebastian, 1903 Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Peggy, 1949 National Historic Fleet Passenger Ferry Balmoral, on which some of the Awards were announced, and the replica 15th century carrack Matthew of Bristol.
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
NHS-UK’s Photography Competition is always hugely popular, with hundreds of entries each year from Britain and around the world. This year’s theme was ‘Craft & Crew’, and it attracted a record 750 entries featuring a wide range of historic vessels and the people who engage with them. There are four Award categories:
- Photographer of the Year – awarded to the photographer and image selected by the judges as the Overall Winner of the competition. A Highly Commended prize is also awarded.
- The True Classic Award – awarded to the best traditional sailing image.
- Newcomer of the Year
- The People’s Choice Award – the only award voted for by the public.
The accolade of Photographer of the Year 2025 went to James Crisp from Heybridge in Essex, for his image Top Down Triangulation. Dan Brand, from Walsham-le-Willows in Suffolk, was Highly Commended for his image Tollesbury Saltings Sunrise from Above. The winner of the True Classic Award was Lucy Tulloch from Canterbury in Kent, for her image Boom Man. Greg White from London was awarded Newcomer of the Year for his image New Paint. The winner of the People’s Choice Award was Kev Maslin from Tipton in the West Midlands, for his image Getting Ready for the Off.
MARSH VOLUNTEER AWARDS
The Marsh Volunteer Awards recognise outstanding volunteers in the conservation or operation of historic vessels in the UK. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the sector with many vessels depending on them to keep going. These Awards, run in partnership with the Marsh Charitable Trust, celebrate the hard work and achievement of the many diverse individuals and groups who volunteer in support of maritime heritage. There are three Award categories: Group, Individual, and Shipshape project – for projects listed on NHS-UK’s Shipshape Network.
This year, the Group category was won by the Norfolk Wherry Trust (Ludham, Norfolk). The Individual award was shared by John Aitken from The Tall Ship Glenlee in Glasgow, and Richard Brown from the Britannia Sailing Trust in Exeter, Devon. The Shipshape Network Award was won by Shirley Cochrane from The Donaghadee Heritage Preservation Company (Donaghadee, Co. Down). The judges also recognised Ambler’s Friends, a volunteer group working to restore a historic lifeboat in Guatemala, with a Highly Commended award.
EXCELLENCE IN MARITIME CONSERVATION AWARD
In honour of NHS-UK’s late Director, Martyn Heighton, the Excellence in Maritime Conservation Award was launched in 2019 to mark best practice in the conservation of historic vessels. The Award boasts a hand-carved trophy that was commissioned using wood from HMS Victory.
The 2025 Winner of this prestigious Award is Raybel Charters (Sittingbourne, Kent), for their conservation of the 1920 Thames Barge Raybel, and return of the barge to operational use.
The judges also commended Mike Barnes, of Norfolk, for the conservation of the Edwardian Broads racing yacht Sparklet.
FLAGSHIPS OF THE YEAR
The annual Flagship of the Year Awards provide an opportunity to demonstrate and celebrate the value of historic vessels to the wider public, through online activities, museum engagement, events, open days and special tours. Flagships promote the role of NHS-UK and ‘fly the flag’ as ambassadors for the UK’s maritime heritage sector. This year, the judges awarded Flagship status to four Operational vessels.
The Flagships of the Year for 2025 are the 1881 fishing vessel Barnabas (Newlyn, Cornwall); the 1900 steamship Sir Walter Scott (Loch Katrine, Highlands); 1934 motor yacht and ‘Dunkirk Little Ship’Llanthony; and the 1947 narrowboat Dane.
