Narrowboat—on the Grantham!

Published: Thursday, 25 February 2010

FOR THE  first time in over 70 years, there is a narrowboat on the Grantham Canal, but alas not because the waterway has been reconnected to the Trent.

This very rare sighting was on the navigable length from the A1 to Woolsthorpe, and is there to stay, Mike Stone of the Grantham Canal Society tells us.

It is the maintenance boat Centauri that was built by Harland and Woolf for the old Grand Junction Canal as the motor of one of 24 Small Woolwich, Star Class pairs in 1935, and has had a very chequered history, late in the 1970's  being based at Bulls Bridge on the Grand Union Canal, and at a later date migrated to the North East.

The boat was in a sad state when the Grantham Canal Partnership took responsibility for it but has since been renovated in the Vale of Belvoir. Necessary fittings, equipment and support have been donated by several sponsors. The boat was put into the water on 28th January still requiring external painting but that will have to wait for the warmer weather.

It will be used by members of the Grantham Canal Society to support the volunteer maintenance programme and to maintain a navigable depth throughout the four mile length for a trip boat due next month.

The photographs are by courtesy of Ian Wakefield.