Historic boats find new homes
FOUR historic boats have found new homes as part of a project launched last year by the National Waterways Museum (NWM) to rehome 12 craft in its collection.
Following a review of the historic importance of its boats, they were offered free of charge by the Canal & River Trust to accredited museums and then to canal/waterway trusts and private organisations able to meet the demands of caring for the vessels and using them for public benefit.
Although the museum is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the project continues to make progress and in January had taken a positive step forward with the confirmed rehoming of four boats from the collection.
Chiltern, a wooden motor narrowboat built in 1946 by Fellows, Morton & Clayton and Marple, an icebreaker, have found a new home with the Saltisford Canal Trust.
“The plan is to display these hulls in a ‘mock-lock’, already constructed on site in Warwick, with full signage of their history to inform visitors to the trust,” explained Alan Lorentzen of the Saltisford Canal Trust.
“These hulls will form an important part of the educational and heritage objectives of the charitable trust.”
Marsden, an icebreaking and maintenance vessel, will be rehomed with the Huddersfield Canal Society in partnership with the Canal & River Trust’s Standedge Visitor Centre.
Society chairman Alan Stopher said: “Our interest in the acquisition stemmed from its former use as a tunnel inspection vessel in the years before the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was restored to through navigation.
“Originally built as an icebreaker, this historic vessel is sure to provide an interesting static exhibit outside the visitor centre. Once the move has taken place from the National Waterways Museum’s store, volunteers will be able to provide interpretive information and undertake some conservation work on the iron hull.”
Stratford, an iron-riveted boat that worked on the southern part of the Stratford Canal, has found a new home with Coombeswood Canal Trust.
Plans are being considered for a group of trust members to pull the boat the 80 miles and 71 locks from Ellesmere Port to Hawne Basin to raise money for Cancer Research and the charity, Newborns in Need. The journey will be supported by the heritage boat Atlas and two trust members on their boat Monty.
Once the Covid-19 lockdown is over (which has led to the closure of the museum and the reduction to essential staff only) the collections team will continue to work with these groups to progress the rehoming of these vessels through planning and paperwork completion. Although these boats are in the process of being transferred to new owners, the team is still caring for these vessels alongside the others in the collection.
Homes are also being sought for: Aries, Star class wooden motor narrowboat (‘small ricky’) c1935; Birchills, butty boat 1913, converted to a shortened tug in 1957; a modern carved dug out canoe c1950; Marlyn, wooden motor gigboat c1940; Minstrel, small boat c1940; reed punt, a lateral-planked punt in poor condition; Scorpio, dumb barge known as ‘long boat’ built in 1890 as Helena; Shirley, small powered leisure boat c1930; Speedwell, wooden dumb barge c1925; Ulla, clinker-built salmon fishing boat c1952; Whaley Bridge, iron hull of ice breaker c1900; a coxless four rowing boat with outriggers and a clinkerbuilt racing skiff.
The vessels are being offered free of charge, with the new owner being asked to pay only the transport costs. The deadline for expressions of interest has been extended to May 18, 2020. Details and an application form can be found on the Canal & River Trust website canalrivertrust.org. uk/nwm