ELEVEN historic narrowboats are to be taken from exhibition at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port and removed from the water.
Next Tuesday, 10th October at around 11.30am, will see a crane on site and eleven traditional boats ranging from 33 to 72 feet taken out of the water where they are on exhibition on to dry land and either conserved or scrapped depending on their condition.
Date from 1800s
The boats date from the late 1800s to the 1950s, with the majority on the National Historic Ships Register, making this the UK’s largest ever movement of historic vessels. These boats are now old and fragile and have reached the end of their lives as operational and outdoor exhibits.
The boats date back to the days of freight carrying on the nation’s waterways and include former horse drawn barges, narrowboats and an icebreaker. From Phoebe, a 1900s ‘white van’ of the waterways and rare example of a once common working boat to Aleida heroine of the Fenland Floods; and the massive chalk carrying barge to the iron plated ice breaker Marbury each boat is an important part of the country’s waterway heritage.
Many adapted
Many have been adapted over the years, sometimes from working to pleasure use. Ferret began life in the 1920s as a working narrow boat, loving converted for leisure use by the Clark family in the 1970s. Her story is already being told in the museum.
They have come to the museum over the decades since it opened in 1976. Some were former working boats owned by British Waterways, whilst others were acquired by the museum from private owners.
Gradually deteriorating
Since the 1980s lack of money available for conservation, and suitable storage space, has meant that the gradually deteriorating boats have had to remain in the water. However, thanks to an Arts Council England grant of over £300,000, the Canal & River Trust is now able to give each boat the attention it deserves.
Once on dry land, and in the newly developed dry store at the museum, the conservation team will be able to fully assess each vessel. Experts will consider several options depending on the condition and historical significance of each boat. These include whole or partial conservation or, where this is not possible, deconstruction.
Most appropriate way
Head of Museums for the Canal & River Trust Graham Boxer explains:
“I am relieved that we are finally able to start moving these boats. In the 1980s it was felt that the most appropriate way to conserve them was to keep them in the water, which is why some were sunk intentionally, while others have just leaked water over the years.
"Now we know that the best way to conserve them is to remove them from the water. There’s no denying they are deteriorating and unfortunately they will not all be in a condition to be conserved. Our priority is to get them into the stable environment of our new dry store. Each one will be treated according to its construction and materials. Some are built from wood, others steel and even concrete, so there is no one-size fits all approach."