A SUBSTANTIAL legacy from a former National Trust volunteer has enabled Cotehele to commission new sails for Shamrock — one of two only surviving Tamar sailing barges.

The 119-year-old vessel has been moored at Cotehele Quay since the mid-1970s and is currently undergoing major restoration.

The legator, Lawrence Brodley, and his wife Janet, were both room guides at Cotehele.

Lawrence was especially interested in the history of the estate and was well-known and liked by the shipwrights working on Shamrock down at the quay. Mrs Brodley visited Shamrock again last week to take official delivery of the new sails.

Constructed by Patrick Selman of Gaff Sails adopting many of the traditional techniques used by the original sailmakers working in 1899, the sails have been hand-cut, roped and stitched. However, being made from modern materials, they are around a third of the weight of traditional sails and, therefore are safer and easier for the crew to work with. They are also more durable and weather-proof, so will serve Shamrock for many years to come.

Joe Lawrence, project manager, said: ‘When the restoration work is complete we plan to take Shamrock out to Plymouth Sound for regular day trips. She needs to be worked and taken into seawater to preserve her — the salt protects the wood in the hull — and having these modern sails means the crew can do this more safely and easily.’

‘Lawrence would be absolutely thrilled to bits with these sails,’ said Mrs Brodley. She added that this was the perfect project for her husband’s legacy to fund because of his keen interest in sailing.

Shamrock is the last Tamar sailing barge ever made. She was built in 1899 and has spent her life in Cornwall and on the Tamar. Over the years she has been used to transport fertiliser and quarried stone and been a diving tender. She even played a role in the First World War, when she transported shells from Canadian ammunition ships which were moored in Plymouth Sound back to Ocean Quay.

By the time The National Trust and National Maritime Museum bought Shamrock in 1974 she was almost derelict. They worked together using traditional materials and techniques to restore Shamrock and she became a permanent resident at Cotehele Quay. Now she is fully under National Trust’s care and through the course of her regular maintenance it became apparent that she needed more extensive restoration work and a major project to protect and conserve this local lady began.

Shaune Blight, shipwright and foreman at Shamrock, said: ‘We were delighted to receive this gift for Cotehele. It’s given a big boost to the restoration project and we really appreciate it.’

As a conservation charity, the National Trust relies on income from membership and entry fees as well as donations, legacies and other fundraising efforts to enable it to care for the places under its stewardship.