This section of the site is now divided into craft by region. As you will see,
southern craft are currently poorly represented, so please help! Remember
though this site is intended for inland waterway craft - so (eg) Thames sailing
barges will not normally qualify - whereas Thames lighters, Wey barges, Severn
barges etc will!
I am indebted to Peter Hugman (PH) of
'Barge Consult'
and Les Reid (LR) of
'Newark Heritage Barge'
and many others, for help with identification and some additional captions.
Under construction!
Please help fill in any gaps in the names and numbers or correct any errors.
Photographs especially welcome - especially digital in TIFF, or JPG format at
least 1000 pixels wide - but we can cope with anything! Please email to the
webmaster - link on menu frame on left of screen.
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I took this shot in May 1985 at Anderton. It shows a new trial pusher tug and a loaded dumb barge which accompanied us down river on the Weaver. The tug did not appear to be a success (they kept running it up the bank!) but in retrospect I think is was connected wrongly. The crew had it on a loose hitch (as they would with a Bantam or similar) but I think this needed to be on a tight hitch so that the whole connection could function as a single unit.
Same barge and tug - this time in Saltersford Locks on the Weaver.
MERSEY TRADER near Stanlow on the Manchester Ship Canal in 1985. We were overhauled by what I thought was an effluent tanker - collecting 'sludge' out of Manchester. However, I have been advised (LR) it was more likely to have been carrying grain.
A Leeds and Liverpool canal boat which is not a 'Short Boat'. Built approx 72
feet by 14 feet, these craft only operated west of Wigan, and along the Leigh
Branch, but could not fit the majority of the Leeds and Liverpool canal's locks
across the Pennines. "Originally operated by Ainscough Flower Mill in
Burscough, and later until the 70's by Albert Blundel on the Bridgwater Canal
carrying coal from Boothtown to Manchester."
Photos by Will Chapman at Plank Lane 2010. Quoted info from Ian Monk.
This concrete barge was originally spotted at Glasson Dock (ie the bottom of the Glasson Branch of the Lancaster Canal) in 2005 where it appeared to have been used as a floating restaurant (or possibly a night club?) but was then derelict. In 2010 it had moved to this location a few yards along; but in 2011 there was no sign. Was it removed? Dismantled? Sold? Does anyone know its previous history?
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This section is being loosely divided up according to the principle rivers - Aire, Ouse/Humber, SSYN and Trent - so that barges found those areas, and their tributaries should be together!
Look here for my 1970s Trent barge spotting lists - minimal, but a snapshot of usage at that time in the north east.
RIVER AIRE, AIRE & CALDER NAVIGATION, CALDER & HEBBLE etc
This was taken on the old River Aire in 1984 at Beale. It shows an elderly Yorkshire Keel at work on bridge maintenance.
After some queries, and a new scan of the original negative, I can now state this is the Thos Porter - and not the Hiddekel as previously thought. I would welcome any more information about either craft.
More gravel en route on the Aire & Calder, Knottingley in 1984.
"This is MV Syenite owned by South Yorkshire Canal Transport. The photo is just
above Whitley lock on its way from Cottam to Knottingley for Steetleys. The
Syenite is a Peniche or Spits 38m x 5.05m and has a load of about 320t loaded
to 2.4m. It was brought over from Belgium specifically for this work." (PH)
The converted 'Sheffield size' keel 'Sobriety' (61'6" - built at Beverley in
1910) on her mooring at the
Yorkshire Waterways Museum,
Dutch Riverside, Goole DN14 TB -
well worth a visit. See
www.waterwaysmuseum.org.uk
Also in Goole in 2011 were a large number of barges awaiting work. Some of
those present seemed to be under restoration, whilst others appeared to be in
process of conversion to floating homes. Any further information appreciated
about any of these...
Sailing barge 'Southcliffe' and 'Room 58' at the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
'Northern King' (centre) amongst other craft near the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
'Risby' and 'Northern King' with other craft near the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
'Seagull' centre) and 'Hiddekel' (right) with other craft near the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
Sailing barge 'Southcliffe' (foreground) and 'Heather Rose' (in background) with other craft near the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
'Humber Princess' with other craft near the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
'Humber Princess' and 'FusedaleH' with other craft near the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
A small steel converted barge 'Aquarius' in Goole Docks. 2011
A converted barge 'Cranbridge' in Goole Docks. 2011
A converted barge in the marina at Goole Docks. 2011
'Farndale H' and 'Humber Renown' in Goole Docks. 2011
'Fossdale H' in Goole Docks. 2011
Acaster's 'River Star' on their wharf at Goole adjacent to the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
The (apparently converted) 'Service' adjacent to the Yorkshire Waterways Museum. 2011
One of the last, if not the very last, train of 'Tom Puddings' at Goole in 1984
- during the coal strike. At the far end of the train is what is now Acasters
wharf and the Yorkshire Waterways Museum beyond. This was when Britain was
still a net EXporter of coal rather than an IMporter!
Loaded upstream directly from one of a number of
collieries, these trains were brought down to Goole in trains like this behind
a tug, and then lifted bodily out the water and tipped from a great height into
waiting sea-going vessels. For more on this, and photographs
look here at the Goole Docks page.
Also at Goole is this fuel bowser, the Bedale Bandit - arguably not a barge but I include out of academic interest anyway. Is it related to (or even part of) the former Harkers tanker 'Bedale'?
RIVER OUSE, RIVER HUMBER, RIVER HULL etc
I photographed this tanker on the River Hull in 2007. I could not make out a
name but she appeared to be fuel bunkering. Any ideas?
"The tanker in the river Hull is on the edible oil same company as
Swinderby--forgot its new name but it used to be Whitakers David-W
" (LR)
SHEFFIELD & SOUTH YORKSHIRE NAVIGATION, inc. NEW JUNCTION AND STAINFORTH & KEADBY CANALS
Swinton Junction on the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation has this
wonderful barge yard where craft are repaired and stored. I couldn't get close
enough for any names.
"This looks like Northern King. It was originally a dumb barge but was fitted
with an air cooled Lister (that often overheated) in the late 1970's." (PH)
At Swinton in 2005 was the vessel CONFIDENCE in mid channel. "This is a big
(140ft) lighter made from
two former Spillers lighters joined together by Waddingtons to transport large
loads. Might be RIL Toto and RIL Dora." (LR)
An article in the March 1983 issue of Waterways World (and a full colour cover
picture)
confirms this and that the bows of the Toto were sliced off, along with the
stern of the Dora, to make the craft out of two previously 75 ft craft. These
had originally been built "by Henry Scarr of Hessle for Rishworth, Ingleby and
Lofthouse" (ie RIL).
Also, in the background, there were the two
original BACAT tugs - with a rather sad history. See the
Work Boats and Wide Tugs
section for more info on these.
This dumb barge/lighter was spotted in Rotherham in 2008 - apparently converted as a night club or restaurant boat.
RIVER TRENT, RIVER SOAR & TRIBUTARIES
This exhilerating shot was of a loaded gravel barge below Collingham in 1982 as
we were heading upstream.
"This is MV Collingham near Collingham 150ft x 28ft
able to carry about 750t. It was later converted into a crane barge." (PH)
Also in 1982, at Girton, near Collingham, was this barge (not the same one as
above - but its twin on the traffic at that time) in the process of loading
from the gravel pit.
"This is MV Swinderby, the same size as Collingham but with a fully built up
cabin at the stern. It was then owned by Lincoln & Hull Marine, it was
converted into a vegetable oil tanker in 2001 and renamed Selby Paradigm." (PH)
NEPTUNE was one of three similar barges brought over from Holland for use as maintenance craft. This one is in private ownership but the other two, URANUS & CANOPUS are discussed on the 'workboat' pages
This barge (SELBY MICHAEL) has been at Nottingham for a few years (in 2009) and
appears to be disused. I suspect this is yet another dry cargo vessel converted
from a former Harker tanker and may be destined to become a house boat.
"This is one of the many vessels owned by BOCM at Selby and
operated by General Freight supplying BOCM with imported nuts for processing
into animal feed. It is 30.1m x 5.81m and carried 250t at 7ft 6in." (PH)
Selby Michael was at one time skippered by Laurie Dews who has written a
fascinating book on his working life on the north eastern wateways. "The story
of a river bargeman" by Laurie Dews. Publisher: "The Selebians" (2011)
Paperback 68 pages Price £4.50 (including p&p, cheques to "The Selebians" c/o
32 Church End, Cawood, Selby YO8 3SN.) email: dglewis49@btinternet.com
In 1982, I also spotted this barge loading gravel near Torksey. Any ideas of
where she is now?
"This is Howden loading at Steetleys Cottam quarry for Ferrybridge. It was
originally a tanker barge of peniche or spits size 38m x 5.05m brought to
Yorkshire by Effluent Services Ltd to transport sewage sludge from Leeds to
Goole for sea dumping. When the contract finished this and some others were
bought and converted to dry cargo for the aggregate traffic. They had all been
worked very hard with little maintenace and required a lot of work to keep them
operating, but at the time no other vessels were available. Both Deighton and
Sandall were also converted in the same way." (PH)
Here Seagull, a graveller in 2009 (photos by G MacKenzie), I remember this as a Cory Lighterage tanker in the 1970s when it, and her sister vessel, created a larger than average wash en route to the fuel depot at Colwick, Nottingham - much to the awe of myself as a canoeist at the time!
The ongoing gravel traffic on the gravel pits at Attenborough near Nottingham (alongside - but separated from - the River Trent) is intensive and obviates many lorry journeys through Long Eaton, Beeston and Chilwell. Currently, Bantam pusher tugs are used with pans rather than the previous self-powered craft (of which at least one is believed to have been sunk in the pits near Attenborough).
JUNE - In 1976 I was informed this is a 'west country' keel. That is the 'west country' of Yorkshire - not England! These were purposely built to a length of 57' 6" to be able to negotiate the shorter locks of the Calder and Hebble Navigation. Ian Monk writes, "I think the boat 'June' was operated by my father 'James Monk & Sons Adlington' in the 60's carrying coal on the Bridgwater Canal, she is named after my sister June. I certainly remember my 7'th birthday on board 'June' in 1963 and she was emptying coal in Barton Power Station." Currently she appears to be under conversion at Fiskerton, on the Trent. Previously she ran briefly on the Thurmaston (River Soar) gravel traffic in the 1970s. I have a 1976 photo somewhere showing her en route there...
This is the Yarwood's built, former Leeds & Liverpool short boat Shirley working on the River Soar gravel traffic in August 1976. The use of this vessel, along with the 'west country boat' 'June' described elsewhere, was soon deemed too wide for use on the leisure waterways - despite the obvious room seen here - and the traffic reverted to solely narrow boat pairs. Later however, in the 1980s incarnation of this traffic, broad pans and Bantam tugs were used.
Also on the Soar, in 1980, the converted William Hennell is seen negotiating Redhill Lock and bridge - which would have become easier after the 1980s flood scheme effectively turned this lock into a flood lock. This is a rare remaining wooden craft. Anybody know where she is now?
This rather poor photo of mine does not do justice to the LEICESTER TRADER who is currently in a state of preservation as the 'Newark Heritage Barge' . She is probably the last remaining one of the many unpowered craft towed behind tugs or motor barges which kept huge amounts of traffic off the Trent Valley roads up to the early 1970s.
Finally: Lurking in a spoil heap on the Grantham Canal are the final remains of one of the last 'Upper Trent Boats'. These wide beam dumb craft were horsedrawn and carried 'night soil' from Nottingham until the canal's closure in the 1940s. In the 1970s, with some friends, we found the stem post and quickly realised what a unique opportunity for an archaeolgical dig this would be. So far I have found no takers so I am keeping the location secret. Only half the width of the boat is there and it has rotted to little more than a line in the soil so great care is needed if its details are ever to be recorded. The only other survivor of this type of craft was in the Beeston Canal near Dunkirk. Its stem and stern posts were visible for decades until someone in BW in the 1990s decided it was 'unsightly' and cleared them with a dredger. That particular craft was incidentally the first boat designed and built by the father of the late Tom Trevethick of Trevethick's dry dock in Lenton. Tom once told me how his father had made it with a round bilge so that it was better able to go through the bridges on the canal. All that knowledge is now lost. Sadly.
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This was the last remaining Severn trow in anything like its original condition. At the time this photo was taken, in 1983, the craft had been removed from the river and taken to the Blists Hill museum in Coalbrookdale where her future, even then, was uncertain because of the vast amount of money that needed spending on her. The long term intention then was to restore fully and put her on the river in Coalbrookdale. Severn trows came in a large variety of sizes - depending on whether they traded solely on the river, and how far upstream they went, or whether they also traded across neighbouring waterways - such as the Thames & Severn Canal.
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