Monday April 21, 2025.
As much as I love walking through London, I also enjoy walking along the Grand Union Canal.
So it was that I came across this piece of London maritime history, while walking towards Hillingdon, along the Grand Union Canal.
What caught my eye was the legend 'Harland & Wolff'. As I approached the vessel I could see a man standing beside it. After a quick introduction, his name is Mark, he told me a little about the narrowboat and allowed me to take some photographs of the signage and Harland & Wolff plaque.
He explained that it was one of the last working cargo ships on the Grand Union Canal and that part of the area, beneath the canvas, had now been converted, so that he could live on it. I then bid him farewell and continued on my way.
It is a beautiful craft and looks pretty good at 88 years and 1 day old.
History
London has always had a long history of shipbuilding, with the Port of London being one of the most important strategic maritime locations for over 2,000 years.
Over the centuries many companies moved, or opened, new facilities along the banks of the River Thames.
King Henry VIII created the first permanent dockyards at Woolwich. Then, over the centuries, more shipbuilders began to move to the River Thames, owing to the safety of the river and the Port of London. These companies included Ditchburg & Mare, Russell's, Samuda Brothers, Thames Ironworks, Watson & Company, Wigram's and Yarrow to name just a few.
One of the most famous names to appear, along the River Thames, was Harland & Wolff, of RMS Titanic fame, whose North Woolwich yard was the largest in London. They also had another six Harland & Wolff repair yards spread along the river at London, Millwall, Surrey and West India Docks.
Their North Woolwich yard had workshops for boiler making, French polishing, sail making, upholstery and a large forge.
The yard was also used for repairs to vessels, including warships.
From the 1930s the company built vessels of all types, including Lighters and Steam Ships. They also built vessels for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company, called 'Small Woolwich' type, Star-class, ships and from 1935 they began building 24 'Large Woolwich' type, Town-class, cargo ships.
Large Woolwich type vessels were of a steel construction and had names from A-H, with Aber being the first and Hawkesbury being the last. Delivery of the Large Woolwich began in July 1936 and was completed by May 1937.
It is believed that more Harland & Wolff built ships survive on the canals of Britain, than anywhere else.
'Chiswick'
The 'Chiswick' (Fleet No. 131) was launched on April 20, 1937, and had an intended pairing with the Butty 'Chipstead (Fleet No.254).
She has 10/6/4 steel plating with genuine rivets, with a wooden boatman's cabin aft. She has a bluff bow, with a raked curved stem and a counter stern and a horse towing mast. She has a Length of70 feet (21.33 metres), a beam of 7 feet (2.13 metres) and a draft of 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 metres)
She was built for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Limited and traded on the major canals of Birmingham, London and Nottingham.
She was one of the last narrow boats to operate, in commercial trade, ending her working career in 1985. She still maintains her commercial license.
Timeline
- 1937, April 20 - Owned by the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Limited
- 1948-1965 - Owned by British Waterways
- 1965-1970 - Bought and possibly 'Willow Wren'
- 1970-1975 - Bought by a private owner
- 1975-1983 - Bought by the Three Fellows Carrying Company Limited
- 1983 - Purchased by a private owner
- 1988 - She is re-bottomed
- 1991 - She is re-cabined
- 2001-2006- Refurbishment. Extensive hull refurbishment, weed hatch added and steel added beneath the canvas (This current configuration allows for the retention of the 'historic boat' status)
- 2020 - Blacked during her last survey
- Entrance is either side at midships
- Bathroom
- Bedroom
- Boatman's Cabin
- Engine Room
- Galley
- Saloon
- Solar Panels
No comments:
Post a Comment