Bantock horse drawn barge

[David Schweizer]

We're far too precious about this "narrow boats" business. It was Rolt who made the term so universal so it really is only postwar that it has been in such widespread useage. He nearly called his book "A Painted Ship." Thank goodness we're not all now steering "paintedships." In the latter days of carrying, the crews did call them narrowboats - but more often than not just boats....

Whilst Rolt may have made the term Narrowboat known to a wider audience, it would be a myth to imply that he invented it. The term was being used by boatmen more than fifty years before Rolt ever went near a boat.

 

If you look into the 1881 census you will find many references to Narrow boats either as the place of census/residence or within the Head of Household's occupation (or both).

Edited November 23, 2007 by David Schweizer

[Paul H]

Whilst Rolt may have made the term Narrowboat known to a wider audience, it would be a myth to imply that he invented it. The term was being used by boatmen more than fifty years before Rolt ever went near a boat.

 

If you look into the 1881 census you will find many references to Narrow boats either as the place of census/residence or within the Head of Household's occupation (or both).

 

I didn't imply that he invented it, merely helped the name to be more universal whereas previously there appeared (see other posts) to be a great many more names in common use some of them regionally.

 

Paul H

[Hairy-Neil]

GWR did run into Wolverhampton as well, the low level station as far as I can find.

 

The superb public house by the Wolverhampton low level station is a huge clue to this, The Great Western Arms...

 

When I passed through in August, the low level station was being decimated in the name of redevelopement having, for many years, slumbered unused and uncared for. The width between the platforms, evidence that it once occupied by 7 foot gauge track.

[David Schweizer]

I'm a bit confused about the GWR connection, the GWR didn't go through Birmingham did it?

What? When I was a little lad, I used to run up to Northolt Junction station every day after Primary School to see the 4oclock Paddington to Birmingham Express come charging through. It always had a King or two Castles on it, and having been on the long straight stretch for about eight miles, was usually doing almost 100 miles an hour by the time it came through.

[Hairy-Neil]

It always had a King or two Castles on it....

 

Ahhhh, God's Wonderful Railway.....

[magnetman]

I have no interest in railways, just thought the GWR was London to Bristol. I like BOATS :-) I'd like to thank Paul H for sending me a picture of what is actually a different converted BCN boat called Orianne. Any more info would be gratefully received. I'm having camera problems i will try to get some pics up on photobucket sometime soon.

[Gnome K Gnome]

I have no interest in railways, just thought the GWR was London to Bristol.

 

That is how it started life.

 

The system expanded to cover the West Country to Plymouth and on to Penzance, much of South Wales, The Cambrian lines of Shropshire and Mid Wales, the London - Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, Chester route. The 1923 railway groupings that created the 'Big Four' brought consolidation in these areas.

[magnetman]

Any photos? Bow stern and any inside shots would be great.

 

I am indebted to CWF member Paul H and Narrow Boat archivist Pete Harrison for help tracing some useful history on my boat.

 

 

some pictures of her bow and stern currently:

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2007 by magnetman

[carlt]

She's beautiful magman. You must be really excited!

[magnetman]

Thank you Carl, I am indeed rather pleased with her and am going to do an 'under cloths' cabin, lovely interior space with 7ft headroom in the middle and nice big front doors.

[Chris Pink]

Nice boat, I've always like the unassuming grace of a bantock. Looks like a good 'un.

[Max Sinclair]

Whilst Rolt may have made the term Narrowboat known to a wider audience, it would be a myth to imply that he invented it. The term was being used by boatmen more than fifty years before Rolt ever went near a boat.

 

If you look into the 1881 census you will find many references to Narrow boats either as the place of census/residence or within the Head of Household's occupation (or both).

James Brindleys 1768 quotations for building the Droitwich Canal quote for a wide canal with an alternative narrow canal at half price which would presumably have 'narrow boats'

Edited November 14, 2012 by Max Sinclair

[Blossom]

Just to add my two penneth, From my early days in the late 1950's through the 60's and into the 70's while there was still a lot of short haul traffic left on the BCN, I have heard both the term narrowboat and barge used to describe the boats of the area. As already mentioned by PaulH, the workers of the BCN were made up of two types. The ex family, long distance boaters from true boating stock would refer to the boats as narrowboats, such as the Fosters, the Garretts, Joe Chattin, Ernie Clowes, Johnny Brookes etc. while those off the land who had no family ties or connection to the cut, and probably only saw it as a job, would call them barges. My comments on Bantock's would be that I always heard them referred to as railway boats (but some of them happened to be made by Thomas Bantock)in essence the same as all the boats owned by the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company are 'Grand Unions' (but some of them were made by Harland & Wolff and some made by W J Yarwood & Sons, [and others] and the're known as Woolwiches & Northwiches.

[Laurence Hogg]

Thanks for that info. As this is now my boat and probably my fewtcherome I'd love to know the correct terminology. Is it just 'bantock'?.

The proper term for your boat is a "Composite Bantock built horse boat". The boat could have been a long distance boat with a living cabin or just a day baot with a small cabin or no cabin at all. I remember the boat being at Keays dock.

 

As for the term "barge" not being used by boat firms on the BCN Andy's information isnt quite correct, our local coal dealer was David Baker who had a small fleet of BCN day boats, he always referred to them as barges. A few other firms did so too despite it being disliked by the boatmen.

[Hastings]

The Birmingham area had a very significant Great Western Railway presence. The original Snow Hill station, which was demolished a few decades ago apart from a few bits of wall that can still be seen, was a major through station on the GWR main line from Paddington through High Wycombe and Leamington Spa to Chester, via Wolverhampton Low Level station. Indeed, the GWR had a major locomotive building and repair works at Wolverhampton until the early part of last century. This line was broad gauge (7' 0.25") until late nineteenth century, hence the wide cuttings and clearance now. The Snow Hill station we all now know and love(?) today is of course modern, dating from the 1980s. Moor Street station, just the other side of the tunnel from Snow Hill, was built mainly as a terminus to relieve pressure on Snow Hill, and was largely used for commuter services etc. into Warwickshire and other areas to the south.

 

Until Dr Beeching closed the GWR main line in the 1960s, many people preferred to use this route to travel to London from Birmingham. This might be because many fast trains were operated by the amazing "King" class locomotives, but probably more realistically because of the overall service quality, which largely hung over from GWR days. Chiltern Railways have recently reinstated the whole line from Birmingham to London as a very fast main line, though trains now terminate at Marylebone, the old Great Central Railway terminus.

 

There were local GWR lines from Birmingham too - mainly to the west, into Staffordshire (Bilston, Tipton) and Worcestershire (Dudley, Stourbridge, Halesowen). From these routes there were tracks into many of the transhipment basins, e.g. Withymoor, where cargoes were transferred from rail to canal boat or vice versa for onward transmission. The GWR of course had a fleet of Bantock boats at their disposal for this work.

[Heartland]

Bantock started off in the West Midlands as agent to the Bridgewater Trustees at Albion Wharf, Wolverhampton. He moved then to become a carrier by road and canal for the Great Western Railway and as such carried traffic from local works to the GWR interchange depots or boatage depots.

 

Ray Shill

[grey wolf]

I remember Snow hill station as a Kid. as we often traveled to shrewsbury to visit relations there. It was i think just before it was demolished as it was pretty run down and noisy.It was a nicer station than New street even then .It is not bad now really but functional as a posed to nice no domed glass skylights.

[timahoy]

Hi, I may be wrong (usally am) but I thought that Moore Street Station was the first railway station built in Birmingham and therefore prior to Snow Hill Station. My mother travelled from Solihull each day to her work in Birmingham and alighted at Moore St.This was before she married in 1930. I'm sure that I once saw a picture of Moore St. c1820, but would not dipute this with a real Railway Buff. Cheers Tim

[BuckbyLocks]

Hi, I may be wrong (usally am) but I thought that Moore Street Station was the first railway station built in Birmingham and therefore prior to Snow Hill Station. My mother travelled from Solihull each day to her work in Birmingham and alighted at Moore St.This was before she married in 1930. I'm sure that I once saw a picture of Moore St. c1820, but would not dipute this with a real Railway Buff. Cheers Tim

I think Vauxhall was the first Brum Station, followed by Curzon Street. Moor Street didn't happen until the early 1900s, long after Snow Hill.

[David Mack]

Hi, I may be wrong (usally am) but I thought that Moore Street Station was the first railway station built in Birmingham and therefore prior to Snow Hill Station. My mother travelled from Solihull each day to her work in Birmingham and alighted at Moore St.This was before she married in 1930. I'm sure that I once saw a picture of Moore St. c1820, but would not dipute this with a real Railway Buff. Cheers Tim

No, Moor Street was opened in 1909 (with the main buildings completed in 1914) to provide for more trains terminating at Birmingham, as the two-track tunnel under the city centre to Snow Hill was at full capacity. See the fount of all knowledge.