Gloucestershire - Purton Ship's Graveyard. Click on a picture for a larger display or Slideshow button (right) for automatic display.July 2021. The Purton Ships' Graveyard consists of a number of abandoned boats and ships, deliberately beached beside the River Severn near Purton in Gloucestershire to reduce erosion by the River Severn. Close to Sharpness, the Sharpness Canal lies directly behind the river bank. Most were beached in the 1950s, both wooden boats and concrete barges, and are now in a state of considerable decay.