▁Pur ton ▁h ul ks ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁following ▁a ▁collapse ▁in ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁river , ▁the ▁canal ▁company ' s ▁chief ▁engineer ▁A .   J . ▁C ull is ▁called ▁for ▁old ▁vessels ▁to ▁be ▁run ▁a ground ▁along ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Se vern , ▁near ▁Pur ton , ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁makes h ift ▁tid al ▁er os ion ▁bar rier ▁to ▁rein force ▁the ▁narrow ▁strip ▁of ▁land ▁between ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁canal . ▁B arg es , ▁t rows ▁and ▁sch oon ers ▁were ▁" h ul ked " ▁at ▁high ▁t ide , ▁and ▁have ▁since ▁filled ▁with ▁s ilt . ▁ ▁More ▁boats ▁have ▁been ▁added , ▁including ▁the ▁sch oon er ▁K atherine ▁Ellen ▁which ▁was ▁imp ounded ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁for ▁running ▁guns ▁to ▁the ▁I RA , ▁the ▁Ken net ▁Canal ▁bar ge ▁Har ri ett , ▁and ▁fer roc ement ▁b arg es ▁built ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁Paul ▁Bar nett ▁started ▁a ▁priv ately - fund ed ▁research ▁project ▁to ▁record ▁the ▁ 8 1 ▁vessels ▁at ▁the ▁site , ▁recogn ised ▁as ▁the ▁largest ▁ships ' ▁gra vey ard ▁in ▁main land ▁Britain . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁British ▁Water ways ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁protect ▁it . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁history ▁The ▁River ▁Cam , ▁which ▁is ▁subject ▁to ▁acc ret ion ▁due ▁to