Historic boats at National Waterways Museum to be craned out for repairs
On Thursday 5 November three historic craft will be craned out of the Shropshire Union Canal alongside the new heritage boat yard at National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, ahead of a new restoration programme for the Museum’s fleet of 80 historic boats.
The three boats, which range from 15 to 20 tonnes in weight, will be repaired over the winter by Boat Museum Society volunteers, working alongside museum staff and, once recruited, a number of new local trainees. Mendip, a 70ft long standard cargo narrowboat, dates back to 1948 and was used by Charlie Atkins (“Chocolate Charlie”) to transport chocolate-making ingredients from Knighton on the Shropshire Union Canal to the Bourneville factory in Birmingham. She requires extensive repairs to her hull. Box 337 is a box boat dating back to around 1860 and was used to carry coal on the Bridgewater Canal. The Association of Industrial Archaeology has given a £15,000 grant towards the complete restoration of this important historic boat. Worcester is a 1912 tug and is being craned out for a routine survey following its restoration as part of a £50,000 Heritage Lottery Fund backed programme. National Waterways Museum Manager, John Inch, explains: “Taking these important heritage boats out of the water is the beginning of an exciting new era of historic boat restoration at the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port. For years, dozens of important boats have been kept at the Museum with little prospect of repair. But working in partnership with our Boat Museum Society volunteers, we’ve raised the funds to establish a new heritage boat yard to care for our fleet of boats. “We are recruiting a new boat yard supervisor and have secured funding to appoint young trainees, giving them the chance to develop traditional craft skills. Amongst those benefiting from this initiative will be local young people who are currently not in formal education, employment or training.” The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port is home to the national collection of historic working boats, some of which visitors can board to explore and find out how the working boat people used to live. The Museum also has a trip boat, hands-on exhibits, films, touch-screen displays, stables, a blacksmith, docks, pump houses, workers cottages and gardens, an archive, Museum shop, soft play area and cafe. For more information call 0151 355 5017 or visit www.nwm.org.uk/ellesmere. The National Waterways Museum has joined forces with publishers Waterways World to launch a new Supporters Scheme for its national collection of historic boats at Ellesmere Port. As well as helping to fund vitally important restoration work on the Museum’s 80-strong fleet of historic boats, in return for an annual £39 gift, National Waterways Museum Supporters will receive a series of benefits, including free entry to the Museum and a subscription to Narrowboat Magazine: For more information call Waterways World on 01283 742970 or visit www.nwm.org.uk/supporters. ENDS
For further press information contact:
Debbie Walker, Communications Manager,
The Waterways Trust T 077486 40577
email: debbie.walker@thewaterwaystrust.org.uk Notes for Editors: The Waterways Trust is a national charity which works in partnership with individuals, communities and organisations to conserve, restore, improve and interpret all aspects of the UK’s inland waterways. www.thewaterwaystrust.org.uk The National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, Gloucester Docks and Stoke Bruerne house the designated inland waterways collection, which together with the Waterways Archive brings to life the fascinating story of our waterways. www.nwm.org.uk
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