Grand Union Canal Rubbish Traffic
Photos of a late traffic on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire.
It had been common practice on the Birmingham Canals to transport rubbish away from canalside factories to disposal points (usually Moxley Tip on the Walsall Canal for Birmingham’s rubbish). This traffic from a Warwick furniture factory was still going in 1975. Motor boat BATTERSEA is providing the propulsion to move the unpowered Alan Stevens owned dayboat through the 11 miles and 20 locks to the disposal point near Calcutt, where the timber offcuts were presumably recycled.
BATTERSEA and dayboat in Stockton Top Lock, Grand Union Canal, 9 May 1974 (Alan Faulkner)
BATTERSEA and dayboat in Stockton Top Lock, Grand Union Canal, 9 May 1974 25 (Alan Faulkner)
BATTERSEA and dayboat above Birdingbury Bridge, Stockton, Grand Union Canal, 9 May 1974 (Alan Faulkner)
Dayboat at furniture factory, Warwick, Grand Union Canal, 4 May 1975 (Alan Faulkner)
Dayboat moored above former Calcutt Railway Bridge, Grand Union Canal, 3 May 1975 (Alan Faulkner)
PICKEREL on the Manchester Ship Canal
Two photos of loaded barge PICKEREL at Warburton High Level Bridge, Manchester Ship Canal, taken by Bill Greenhalgh on 28th May 1977.
Loaded barge PICKEREL at Warburton High Level Bridge, Manchester Ship Canal, 28th May 1977 (Bill Greenhalgh)
Loaded barge PICKEREL at Warburton High Level Bridge, Manchester Ship Canal, 28th May 1977 (Bill Greenhalgh)
Hatfield Colliery loading staithe
Hatfield Colliery was about half a mile from the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, and its loading point on the canal was an important source of traffic for the waterway. Both conventional barges and Tom Puddings (pans towed in trains) were loaded here, coal being transported from the colliery to the staithe by rail. The lock at Bramwith had been lengthened specially to accommodate the Tom Pudding traffic in 1932. The first photo is a rare view of loaded Tom Puddings, with a conventional barge waiting beyond, taken by Bill Greenhalgh in 1970 while passing by on converted short boat EDITH. The second photo is undated, and from an unknown photographer, but was probably taken around 1960, and is of a group of barges waiting to load, with the nearest one, BARMBY, getting paint treatment from the boatman and a lad. The colliery finally shut in 2015.
Loaded Tom Puddings at Hatfield Colliery Staithe, Stainforth & Keadby Canal, 16th Aug 1970 (Bill Greenhalgh)
Barge BARMBY at Hatfield Colliery Staithe, Sheffield & S Yorkshire Navigation (Bill Greenhalgh)
Calder & Hebble Navigation traffic
Bill Greenhalgh took these 1977 photos of loaded coal boats on the 3 mile run from the British Oak loading staithe near Horbury to Thornhill power station. The boats are FIDELITY and HADDLESEY, the traffic finishing in 1981.
Loaded coal barge FIDELITY below Millbank Lock, Calder & Hebble Canal, 12th Nov 1977 (Bill Greenhalgh)
Loaded coal barge HADDLESEY leaving Millbank Lock, Calder & Hebble Canal, 12th Nov 1977 (Bill Greenhalgh)
Loaded coal barge HADDLESEY above Millbank Lock, Calder & Hebble Canal, 12th Nov 1977 (Bill Greenhalgh)
The Keel GOLDILOCKS
These 1957 photos were sent to IWA by John Hamlyn. They all feature Yorkshire keel GOLDILOCKS, safely moored on the canal at Keadby, then entering the lock, and subsequently on the blowy run down the Humber to Hull.
FAITH and GOLDILOCKS moored above Keadby Lock, Stainforth & Keadby Canal, 1957
GOLDILOCKS entering Keadby Lock, Stainforth & Keadby Canal, 1957
Spray on GOLDILOCKS, River Humber, 1957
Netherton Tunnel
Notices at Netherton Tunnel, BCN, year not known (IWA Rhodes Thomas collection)
Three notices at the north end of Netherton Tunnel, possibly dating back to pre-nationalisation days.
The top one reads: Notice. Boatmen are forbidden to tie up boats to the fences or to scoop water on to the towing path. Any persons found doing so will be liable to penalties.
The middle one reads: Notice is hereby given That under the Companys Act of Parliament every person suffering a boat to be navigated without a rudder or without a skilful person to steer and manage the same, and also a person to attend the horse drawing the same is liable to a penalty not exceeding £5 and notice is also given that proceedings will be taken to force any penalty that may hereafter be incurred. By Order
The bottom one reads: Notice. None but persons in charge of boats admitted to the tunnel. By Order
That seems to cover everything, except perhaps trying out the tunnel acoustics with a viola, as demonstrated by this hire boat crew member.
Playing a viola in Netherton Tunnel, Birmingham Canal Navigations, 4th January 1986 (Bill Greenhalgh)
Early hotel boating
Two early hotel boat companies are illustrated here. The first is New-Way Holidays, who in their first season attended the 1950 IWA Market Harborough Festival. Initially they operated two motor boats travelling together, but by the time this photo was taken in the mid-1950s only one was in use. The cabin lettering on the stern of the boat isn’t clear enough to read its name, but is either WAYFARER or WANDERER. The second photo shows the motorboat-and-butty formation that most subsequent companies adopted: and in fact when New-Way Holidays changed hands, the new owners replaced one of the motors with a butty for their remaining 1957 and 1958 seasons. The boats NANCY and NELSON had commenced running in 1953, trading as The Inland Cruising Company. Both photos come from an album handed in at the IWA Chiltern Branch Branch’s jumble stand at the Wendover Festival in 2014. It was donated by Albert (surname unknown), and had belonged to Albert’s partner Nicky, who had recently died.
Either WANDERER or WAYFARER below Buckby Lock 12, 1954 to 1956 (unknown photographer – IWA collection)
NANCY & NELSON below Braunston Bottom Lock, Grand Union Canal, 1954 to 1956 (unknown photographer – IWA collection)
