archie57

Further to this, I've just unearthed an old Waterways magazine, Sept/Oct 1957, which refers to provision of pilemaking workshops at Hillmorton - perhaps they couldn't keep up with demand!

- so this must be before Hillmorton started making their own piles?

You've aroused my curiosity - wasn't that like carrying coals to Newcastle?!

They were also used for work inside Harecastle tunnel

Going further back, I recall seeing "Prince" at Lapworth , when owned by Jay Price, back in the early 70s, without an engine. Mark Holtham bought it and fitted a Petter PJ3 - does it still have this? Amongst other things, he used it from time to time for taking the joey boat containing scrap wood from Warwick up to Stockton for burning. He sold it when he had built a Pimblotts look-alike called the "Nelson" - actually I think he swapped it for the "Sweden" and a butty, whose name escapes me!

I had a trip up the Welsh canal in 1962 - the boat we were on had engine problems so when Jack Roberts overtook us with the "Margaret" he hung us on behind. He said then that well-meaning people were always calling out the RSPCA thinking that it was cruelty to make the horse pull a boat - what would they have said about a loaded pair of one-horse boats! My Dad was no stranger to horse boats, he had dealings with them some 27 years before that...……...

I used to know Joe Grantham, he then lived in Coventry, and he had amongst others "Tackley" (old cement works boat I believe) and also "Rose of Sharon". Used to tell some good tales, eg having boathorses ex-army that would only respond to military commands!

Thanks for the update!

Any news on this yet?

I'm not disputing that's what may have been fitted, but there were many boaters such as my old mate Bob who were forever putting their boat on the cill and giving the blade a bit more lift - he would have done it to mine given half a chance!

Whittington Horse bridge, below Kinver, is much the same headroom as Brettell Lane

How about the "River King" from Stouport?

IIRC Bloomfield stop was only of wooden construction so must have been relatively easy to remove.....

- but can we trust CRT will check this roadway is removed properly...……

This boat was notable for having the last Petter PD2 in BW ownership, being removed as a running concern when the boat was rebuilt at Bulls Bridge in the 80s. This is the engine now in the "Darley"