Thousand-year-old ferry service in jeopardy

Barney Burnham and Stephen Cope volunteer to keep the ferry service afloat

The future of a ferry service that has run on the River Severn for a thousand years is in doubt as volunteers struggle to maintain it.

The volunteers who run the Worcester Cathedral ferry "Doris" said they were worried she would "die" if they can't manage to recruit help.

Ferry master Stephen Cope said: "We're not a business, we're not a charity, we're a volunteer-led community asset... we are desperately in need of volunteers."

The main issues the service faces are a lack of undercover storage for the winter and a lack of people to help operate the ferry.

The ferry has been in operation for a thousand years between Diglis and Chapter Meadows in Worcester.

Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester, Mr Cope explained why they were in such dire need of volunteers are to help maintain and run Doris.

He said: "Doris is an old boat, when she comes out of the water she needs to be loved, cuddled, caressed, stroked, sanded, scraped and painted.

"She being a wooden boat, clinker-built, she requires a lot of maintenance. It's really difficult to do in the winter out in the open."

Barney Burnham, a new ferry man, said volunteering with the service had been a "sheer joy".

"It's fun, it's so idyllic on a Sunday afternoon on the river. It's hard to imagine you're near the heart of a bustling metropolis," he added.

The ferry operates from the Easter holidays through the summer, and uses the winter for maintenance and service. The supporters are hoping for assistance.

They currently have six volunteers working with the ferry service but would ideally like around 10.

A more imminent problem for Doris is where and how she will be stored over the winter.

Mr Cope said: "The problem with the winter storage is that we have to maintain Doris, and if we can't maintain her she dies."