OVERLAND LAUNCH
(Saving the Forrest Hall)
 
At 7.52pm on 12th January 1899, a 1900 ton 3-masted ship Forrest Hall, carrying 13 crew and 5 apprentices, was in trouble off the Porlock Wier coast in the Bristol Channel, due to a severe gale which had been blowing all day. The ship had been under tow, but the tow rope had broken. She was dragging her anchor and had lost her steering gear. The ship’s destruction was a distinct probability. The alarm was raised for “The Louisa” (the Lynmouth lifeboat) to be launched to assist. However, due to the terrible weather, it was impossible for the lifeboat to be launched. A decision was made to transport the lifeboat by road to Porlock Weir’s sheltered harbour – 13 miles around the coast – and launch it from there.

The boat plus its carriage weighed about 10 tons, and transporting it would not be easy. 20 horses and 100 men started by hauling the boat up the 1 in 4 Countisbury Hill out of Lynmouth in torrential rain and high winds. Six of the men were sent ahead with picks and shovels to widen the lane where the highest point is 1423 feet above sea level. After crossing the 15 miles of wild Exmoor lanes, the dangerously steep and twisting Porlock Hill had to be descended with horses and men pulling the ropes to stall the descent. The lifeboat eventually reached Porlock Weir at 6.30am and was finally launched.

Although cold, soaking wet, hungry and exhausted, the crew rowed for over an hour in treacherous seas to reach the stricken Forrest Hall which was in a very poor condition. Fortunately, the tired and sick crew had no casualties; but 4 of the horses used died of exhaustion. The Forrest Hall was eventually towed into Barry, Wales accompanied by the tired crew of “The Louisa”. They later returned triumphantly to Lynmouth the next day.

Ironically, after the amazing rescue of the Forrest Hall, in 1909 whilst transporting a hold full of coal from Newcastle, UK to Chile in South America, she ran aground off the North Island of New Zealand in a calm sea onto a sandbank. (As shown on the photograph displayed above by kind permission of the State Library of South Australia). The ship’s captain had set an incorrect course whilst running down Ninety Mile Beach and she became wrecked breaking her back. She is still there!!

FEATURE FILM CONCEPT
A famous novel by C. Walter Hodges (1909-1995), “The Overland Launch”, has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and came to my notice on a visit to the 2007 Porlock International Literary Festival with David Hall who was born in the lovely village. Porlock is nestled in a valley between Exmoor and the sea and is some 8 miles west of Minehead. The infamous A39 Porlock Hill with its 1:4 steep twisting road heads on its way out of Porlock climbing up towards Lynmouth – a challenge for all modern vehicles especially as one of the bends is virtually 360 degrees!! Not for the faint-hearted, especially if you meet or are following a bus! Fortunately there is a parallel toll road which has graduated hills and fantastic views over Porlock Bay.

Having read the book I wondered why it had not been filmed before as it reminded me of Ealing Film’s “Titfield Thunderbolt” story which has a similar whimsical plotline. In fact upon further investigations I discovered that the BBC in 1970, through its “Jackanory” children’s TV programme, created five 9 minute dramatisations of “The Overland Launch” featuring Freddie Jones as the narrator. Originally they had intended filming at the actual locations, but then discovered that the coastal “rough road” was now a busy tarmac highway and filming would be logistically impossible. So they broadcasted drama-documentary style episodes, but these are not currently available for the public to see, but I’m still investigating this.
In 1999 the event was recreated to mark the 100 years anniversary and thousands of people turned out to watch a lifeboat being hauled by horses and modern equipment.

The novel was written with young children and teenagers in mind, but the undoubted courage shown by the lifeboat crew and townspeople of Lynton and Lynmouth in saving the Forrest Hall appeals to all ages!!

That’s what I intend to capture with an interesting and spirited screenplay to honour the lifeboat crew who declared on that stormy night, “It’s us or it’s nobody. And it can’t never be nobody; not in the lifeboat service. Go we must.”

After A Safe Bet screenplay is finally completed my associate David Gilliam and myself will be putting 100% into creating an exciting and creative storyline for this project which already has some interested investors in place-very encouraging.

Location photographs will soon be added to this page to show you the fantastic countryside and coastal views of Exmoor, Lynmouth and Porlock Bay.


For more information, please email overlandlaunch@fsmail.net