Houseboats of Leigh-on-Sea the photographs and memories of the houseboat dwellers

Following the end of the 1st World War affordable housing was hard to find and many families rented or built their own houseboats. They had no electricity, running water or proper sanitation. The houseboats were moored near the ancient fishing village of Leigh on Sea, Essex. Although their children attended the local school and there was a sense of community the local council wanted to evict the growing number of people living on the water. This proved impossible for when the tide was out the houseboats rested on land owned by the Salvation Army at Hadleigh. The last houseboats were demolished in the 1950's.