Daniel Defoe – Sailing By: Tales from our coasts and inland waterways

Changing times for the sailing colliers, 1727

What would travellers from the days of sail make of Harwich Harbour in the 21st century? Daniel Defoe takes to[…]

During his travels, Daniel Defoe finds himself at Aust, awaiting a ferry to cross the Severn Estuary from Gloucestershire, England[…]

In this extract by Daniel Defoe, he reflects on the town of Plymouth, noting its importance as a safe anchorage[…]

Daniel Defoe describes the fishing fair and other trading activity in Yarmouth, during his travels in Norfolk. He is most[…]

Daniel Defoe describes a terrible disaster when 200 sailing colliers were lost off the east coast of England in 1692.[…]

The renowned ‘Great storm’ of November 1703 hit the west coast of England, resulting in ships being driven ashore or,[…]

This extract combines an evocative view of Portsmouth from the open sea, painted by Dominic Serres in the 18th century[…]

Daniel Defoe describes this stretch of coast, from the Thames to Yarmouth Roads, as one of the ‘most dangerous and[…]

In this extract, Daniel Defoe writes about navigation of the River Waveney, as it reaches the sea at Yarmouth and[…]

Many coastal towns and villages of the east coasts of England and Scotland are steeped in the history of the[…]