Boats representing CaRT

THE two historic boats Mendip and Gifford have left the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port on a trip to the Lymm Historic Transport Day.

The two boats will represent Canal & River Trust at the gala festival on Sunday 23rd June, at which organisers expect to feature many narrowboats.

Crick Boat Show

Mendip (pictured) has only just returned to the museum after her visit to the Crick Boat Show, but on this cruise will be with the butty Gifford, owned by the Boat Museum Society on display at the museum.

A crew of volunteers from the museum will work the two boats on the journey to Lymm—which will see the boats travel on the Shropshire Union, Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater canals.

Living museum

Museum General Manager John Inch told:

"We're a living museum and we really like to use our boats to bring history to life by taking them out on the canal network and to festivals—it's a great way to showcase the work of our volunteers, staff, funders and partners. Every boat is unique and has its own story to tell."

Mendip is famed in the canal world for her association with ‘Chocolate' Charlie Atkins—the nickname stems from the years he and his boat spent carrying chocolate crumb between Cadbury's factories at Knighton and Bournville. She has been based at the Museum since 1981.

Gifford (pictured) is owned by the Boat Museum Society and was built in 1926 as a horse drawn oil carrying narrowboat—carrying oil from Shell at the Stanlow Refinery near the Museum at Ellesmere Port to the Midlands. She has been at the museum since the opening in 1976 and is a regular visitor to canal rallies across the country.