LEISURE & HIRECRAFT COME OF AGE

From around 1950 British Waterways started their pleasure boat operations and by the mid 50’s there were three classes of boat operating the two berth Water Baby range seen here.  The middle of the range were the hire cruisers converted from redundant carrying boats and again some were based at Gayton Yard.

Water Baby, operating from Gayton Yard pictured on Northampton Arm after passing under bridge number two with the local yard staff on board for a trial run.

Approaching the locks at Napton on the Oxford canal with the windmill on the hill just visible in the background.

Water Lily approaching Banbury Lane.

Water Iris by the willows at Candle bridge

Water Vixen highlighted the ever present problem of fires on boats, the local fire brigade in attendance at Gayton Yard.

Top of the range was the Water Rambler, luxuriously fitted for day cruising, aimed at the American visitor market with the use of on shore hotel accommodation overnight with arranged visits to tourist centres such as Warwick and Stratford upon Avon.  Water Rambler approaching bottom lock Stoke Bruerne.

Moving up the Stoke flight with the farmhouse in the background which has now returned to use as the Navigation Inn.

Similarly in the mid 50’s the privately operated Nancy and Nelson regularly visited Blisworth and were among the converted trading boats used as mobile floating hotels.  Nancy had been built in 1928 by Walkers of Rickmansworth as a horse boat converted to motorised in 1936 and bought by Michael Streat in 1952 and converted to a hotel boat in 1954.  Nelson was built in 1923 at Nursers yard at Braunston and originally named Blue Lias when purchased by S.E. Barlow in 1935 she was renamed Nelson and acquired by M. Streat in 1952 to be used as a hotel boat.  Both were eventually broken up .(Thanks to P Harrison for the historical detail.)

Nancy and Nelson moored on Park view.

A number of Hotel boats still operate on the local canal system with Snipe and Taurus being examples of  purpose built craft seen here passing Stockwell Bridge off Station road.

Motor Enterprise alias Kimberley moored at Braunston.

Trip boats have now become a regular feature of the waterway scene frequently being purpose built, see Taurus and Snipe above, but in the early days boats were converted for passenger carrying.  Enterprise was such a boat as after a chequered career pictured here at Braunston in 1958 at the time of its conversion.  She was originally built as an iron horse boat at Fellows, Morton and Clayton Ltd  Saltley Dock in 1903 and named Kimberley, converted to a motor during 1938 at Yarwoods shipyard on the River Weaver, passing to British Waterways in 1949 and sold to Charles Ballinger in 1953, renamed  Susan and joined a small fleet of boats servicing Cadbury  factories.  In 1957 the boat was sold to a Ram Meinertzhagen, renamed Enterprise and taken to the Willow Wren dock at Braunston where it was converted to a trip boat, with structure and engine changes, the cabin being rebuilt so she could pass under the Bridge St. bridge on the Kennet in Reading.  This bridge had been reinforced in 1943 with steel girders to take D Day traffic and the headroom was only 4ft 6ins. On its passage through it had to be loaded with ten tons of breeze blocks so as to pass under the bridge. The use of this boat on a regular basis was a contributory factor in stopping the Ministry of Transport applying to abandon the Kennet. Other carriers from 1950 onwards had also moved cargoes on the Kennet and Avon canal to keep it open and eventually made available for complete refurbishment and cruising throughout its entire length.

In the Spring of 1961 our local entrepreneur David Blagrove agreed with two partners to purchase the boat for local operations but in 1964 it was again sold on this time to Jim Marshall who operated her until 1966 and passed the boat to Robin Hewett at Braunston who operated her as a camping boat until his demise in 1966, eventually sold and now believed to be fully converted and located on the Oxford Canal.

[facts provided by Peter Harrison and David Blagrove ]

Enterprise cabin painting.