Photo: Tom Morris
We have separated the archaeology and human interest videos for ease of reference. If you know of any others we should include in this list please contact us.
David Skardon
David is Deal born and bred and as a young boy worked the winches that hauled the fishing boats up the steep shingle beach. He holds the distinction of being the youngest person ever to obtain his Deal boatman’s licence at just 14 which meant he could take angling parties out on his own. David has produced a wonderful collection of over 50 videos about the history of Deal, its people, its boatmen and the Goodwin Sands that can be seen on his YouTube channel @davidskardon4204
Do take a look!
Day trips
- Short video from local Deal diver, amateur archaeologist & fisherman about his hovercraft trip to the Goodwins in 1992. David Chamberlain
- Trip to The Goodwin Sands 1995. Graham White’s video of a hovercraft trip to the Goodwins. An interesting social documentary featuring a race, a chilly picnic and day-trippers
- Goodwin Sands hovercraft trip 1997 James Rowson. Day trip on the Princess Anne Hovercraft, to the Goodwins from both Pegwell Bay & the Port of Dover
- Jeep Wrangler Challenge – A Men & Motors extract fronted by a young Richard Hammond. Ken Gibson test drives a Jeep Wrangler on the Goodwin Sands. As Ken says “..barking mad….”
- Kayaking to Goodwins, Julian Sims May 2015. This is a lesson on why it’s necessary to check the tide tables before venturing forth to the Goodwins…
- Searching for seals on the Goodwin Sands. Professional local Broadcaster Richard Taylor-Jones takes a helicopter to the Sands in 2016 to film grey seals
- Goodwin Sands trip ‘Ross Revenge’ 17.8.2018 . A stylish seven minute film taken by drone which captures the enigmatic and mysterious nature of the Goodwins
- Trip to the Goodwin Sands by Pete Watson 2019. Very professional drone video footage of a family day-trip
- The Big Swim, Top Cat Charters, 2019. Six experienced open-water, long-distance swimmers swim a relay from Ramsgate to the Goodwins and then on to Deal to raise awareness in the local area for the Conservation Trust
- Film taken on a Seasearch survey within the Goodwin Sands recommended Marine Conservation Zone — with thanks to Ted Westhead and the Gary Ann. Kent Wildlife Trust
- A day trip to the Goodwin Sands in 2012 with Dover Sea Safaris. Chris Wakefield
- Heart-warming underwater footage of a curious young seal at the Goodwin Sands – Pete Watson August 2021
Diving
- Diving The Goodwin Sands – Stop the Dredge 2016 Goodwin Sands SOS campaign video about diving off the Goodwins. Set to music, the video shows flora & fauna as well as parts of a wreck
- Bob Peacock explains the fascination of diving the wrecks of the Goodwin Sands, in this case a WWII warship
Ghosts
- An American take on the Lady Lovibond ghost ship story
- Chris Huff’s ‘Ghosts of the Goodwin Sands’. Fascinating investigation of alleged ‘paranormal activity’ around the Goodwins
- Ghost Ships of The Goodwin Sands Myths and Legends, British 2019. Also featuring historic information about the island of Lomea as the Sands were apparently once known…
Lifeboats
- Deal and Walmer lifeboats Part 1 David Chamberlain. Short historic photo-montage of Deal & Walmer lifeboatmen
- Walmer Lifeboat launch 1974 Thames TV. Walmer station lifeboat attends the foundering of the SS North Eastern Victory on the Sands on Christmas Eve 1946
Wrecks
- Greek steamer on Goodwins, British MovieTone. Footage of the K. Ktistakis, which ran aground on the Sands in fog on 25th March 1934 but was successfully refloated and assisted by local lifeboat crews
- Deal’s History Part 17. The Schooner Elsy stranded on the Goodwin Sands in 1945. Ben Bailey’s memoir’s and his part in rescuing the vessel. Voice over by David Skardon
- Pathé News Footage of the Helena Madjeska. In 1946 this Liberty Ship carrying supplies from the USA to Europe ran aground on the Goodwins, ultimately breaking in two
- Gale Wrecks – British Movietone. Footage of the American ship Luray Victory which ran aground on on the Goodwins on January 30th 1946. The crew of 49 were all rescued by the Walmer lifeboat, the ‘Charles Dibdin’
- Goodwin Sands Wrecks 1948. Short British Pathé broadcast about the running aground of Italian cargo steam ship, Sylvia Onorato
- Goodwins 1948. A brief, period British Pathé documentary/newscast about the unique Sands and their popular history
- Goodwin Sands, David Chamberlain. A montage of artworks & photographs about shipwrecks on the Goodwin Sands set to music by local Deal diver
- Great Storm Commemoration 2003. A very informative Meridian (as was) TV news broadcast about the Great Storm of 1703
- Low tide on Goodwin Sands exposes a German U-Boat sunk during World War 1. British Movietone – very short and ends abruptly
- South Goodwin Light Vessel loss. A short Critical Past archive film of the lightship as she capsizes and sinks
- South Goodwin light vessel tragedy. Pathé news including footage of the 1954 lightship disaster. Tragically all seven of the crew died in the storm; the only survivor was an official monitoring bird migration
- Dave Chamberlain calls for less governmental bureaucracy and greater funding to preserve the mysteries that lie beneath the Goodwin Sands 2021
Interviews
Webinars
- CovEd webinar Nautical Archaeology Society, Excavation and Restoration of the Rooswijk 2020. A lecture/talk by Alison James (MSDS Marine) & Angela Middleton (Historic England) about excavation work on this historic Dutch East Indiaman
- University of Kent Centre for Heritage webinar, December 2020. Trustee Fiona Punter talks about the Goodwins and the Trust’s plans for the future