Narrowboats and wide boats rediscovered at Harefield - the facts

[Laurence Hogg]

As the interest in Harefileds remains continues to grow another gem may become recoverable. t is known that six FMC wooden horse / butty boat went into the pit, the one lying next to Yardley (possibly Ena or Dee) is completely intact and sunk level, recovery of this boat would give us full length wooden Josher hull of which to my belief not one survives.

Another reason to push for recording and recovery of these craft.

 

 

The modern picture shows "Ena's" T stud to the left and the rudder pintle socket of "Yardley" just below the water,

Edited September 26, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[Geoff May]

Having just read this entire thread may I offer my sincere thanks to all the contributors.

[onionbargee]

If you follow the path around the back of this area there's a wooden butty on the bank with a couple of trees growing through it, what boat was that ?

 

The stem post iron work used to be lying around there but it's gone now.

 

 

 

 

just my thoughts, but these boats were dumped because they were knackered, 50 years later whats left will be worm eaten swiss cheese, Think Mary Rose, what a monumental let down that was.

Edited October 15, 2011 by onionbargee

[Laurence Hogg]

If you follow the path around the back of this area there's a wooden butty on the bank with a couple of trees growing through it, what boat was that ?

 

The stem post iron work used to be lying around there but it's gone now.

 

 

 

 

just my thoughts, but these boats were dumped because they were knackered, 50 years later whats left will be worm eaten swiss cheese, Think Mary Rose, what a monumental let down that was.

 

If you look at our plan which is around page 8 of this thread boat 28 is the one out of the water and is "Alberta". When dumped many of these boats were in servicable condition, wooden boats totally immersed preserve well, the iron boats which are buried tha same, The stern of Yardley which is visible on occasions is sound, there no reason to think that some of the craft here would be perfectly restorable. No wide boat of the types in here survives so Alberta and its stablemates are worthy of examination if only for archeological purposes.

Edited October 16, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[MarkyP]

After getting as far as I could with BW & Hillingdon Council over the course of 2011, I collated the report made & other information I had regards the boats of Harefield Flash, and sent to English Heritage.

 

I'm pleased to say EH took a real interest in the site and after further comms, requested an on-site meeting with BW, LBH & myself present. This was held yesterday, with three representatives from EH (including a Maritime specialist), two from LBH, one from BW & myself. EH had a geniune interest not only in the boats, but the overall site, local boatbuilding, method of craft operation, traffics & the contribution played by the area to the growth of Victorian London. Thoughts were shared regards scheduling / registering the boats seen and further investigation underwater.

 

Further discussion will now take place before agreement on next steps is made.

 

Mark

[aunty doris]

I can remember seeing these boats as in the photo 42 years ago on coming up the union

[Laurence Hogg]

I can remember seeing these boats as in the photo 42 years ago on coming up the union

Any facts or photos you may have would be really appreciated. the more detail we gather surrounding the craft in the pit, the stronger it make the case for English Heritage. Mark has done a wonderful job in attracting the level of interest now focussed on the site so anything that can be added will be of great value.

[RogerM]

I had the chance to have a quick look around the site at Harefield today. Some fascinating stuff there. I was particularly taken by "Alberta". Despite her ravaged condition with a mature tree growing through her bottom boards, I thought in some ways she was better preserved than what I am used to at Purton. In particular she seems to retain most of her shearing planks.

Some pictures of "Alberta" here:

 

Surprisingly, given the current drought, the water level appeared to be a little higher than was the case when some of the recent pictures on this thread were taken. The previously exposed ironwork of "Yardley" was beneath the surface.

 

Now, if you follow the track past "Alberta", on towards the Uxbridge direction, it swings back toward the canal and then runs parallel to it, at a slightly lower level as far as bridge 182. Alongside this last stretch are the remains of a few boats. They are a bit of a rum old collection and I assume that having become abandoned on the canal above, they were put over the side of the embankment by a grab dredger. Amongst the dross is the remains of a wooden vessel, which despite not looking like any wooden narrowboat I've ever seen, nevertheless looks interesting. Any ideas?

Picture here: http://rpmtest.weebly.com/

 

Roger

http://canalsidecamera.weebly.com/

Edited April 20, 2012 by RogerM

[Chris Pink]

Amongst the dross is the remains of a wooden vessel, which despite not looking like any wooden narrowboat I've ever seen,

 

That's because it's upside down

[RogerM]

That's because it's upside down

 

Indeed, I'd clocked that, but the knees and the thickness of the planks seem a little strange too.

 

Roger

http://canalsidecamera.weebly.com/

[Chris Pink]

I spent a wonderful half hour last night going through your photos, great stuff, especially the pictures in Jem's yard and the Severn Bridgd history.

 

Without seeing it for real it's difficult to have an opinion on the upside down boat, what's strange about the knees?

[RogerM]

I spent a wonderful half hour last night going through your photos, great stuff, especially the pictures in Jem's yard and the Severn Bridgd history.

 

Without seeing it for real it's difficult to have an opinion on the upside down boat, what's strange about the knees?

 

Thans Chris, glad you enjoyed the pictures.

 

I just thought the nearest knee looked to be bent at rather an acute angle, but it may just be an illusion caused by the angle of the shot.

[RogerM]

I wonder if Mark or Laurence could clear up a point? On the updated maps of the site the numbering of some of the boats has changed. I'm not clear if this denotes a change to the identification of those vessels or if the new numbering refers to a revised key to the boats on the site that hasn't been posted with the revised map. For example, wide boat "Alberta" is identified as number 26 on the original map, but on the revised one the same vessel is numbered 28 which is identified as "Mavis" on the original key. So is it still "Alberta" or has it subsequently been identified as "Mavis"? If the former, can we have a copy of the revised key?

[happy hooker]

Following a Sunday afternoon walk Mark Pullinger chanced upon a wide boat in a country park, then as the scene unfolded more boats were found.

 

The boats lying sunk and or buried at Harefield are a time capsule awaiting proper exploration, conservation and recording. Some of the craft will be salvageable and may return to the inland waterways. Others will need recording for future reference, as they may not be in a recoverable condition.

 

The site contains the remains of in excess of 50 boats in theory, some aerial evidence could indicate even more, however some may have been removed over the years. The site is not connected to the Grand Union canal, it is landlocked.

 

The waters are fished by the Harrow Angling club and the site is part of Colne Valley country park contained within the borough of Hillingdon.

 

We would ask, you to not interfere with any of the remains as it is our overall intention to alert National public awareness to this site in the hope that professional recovery and examination will be forthcoming. We have done as much research as time has permitted and are very grateful to certain key enthusiasts who have shared information and also to the Waterways Trust for assisting with this effort.

 

To answer the most obvious question on everyones mind - what is there?

 

The following craft are identifiable and their probable / definite locations are known, this is derived from written BTC evidence, photos and examination of the site:

 

Fellows, Morton & Clayton iron horse boats:

Yardley

Upwood

Jersey

Penkridge

Amesbury

Tring (former Turkey)

Pretoria

Natal

Yeading

Keswick

Iver

 

Wooden horse boats:

Ida

Ena

Dee

Fay

Gladys

Dorset

 

Wooden Motor boat:

Erica

 

A H Taylor horse boat:

Daisy

 

L B Faulkner Horse boat:

Maude

 

Warickshore Canal carrying Co motor boat:

Calder

 

Thos Clayton (Paddington) wooden wide boats:

Jill

David

Trixie

Forget me not

Mavis

Edythe

 

The following are known to be on the site but location is not known:

 

Associated Canal Carriers (Royalty class)(GUCCCo) buttys:

Adelaide

Albert

Alexandra

Countess

 

Thos Clayton (Paddington) wide boats

Alberta

Rose of Tyburn

 

Warickshire Canal Carrying Co:

MB The King

 

Henry Boyer wide boats:

4 iron, 1 steel names not known.

 

BCN Joey

BCN !7928 open iron boat

 

Grand Union Canal Co

Composite Mud hopper

 

These photos are from 1961:

This is the site today:

This is FMC Yardley today,

 

Please respect these remains until proper recording and investigation can be orginised.

 

Hi, I am the former fishery manager of the lake shown on your post and former secretary of the harrow angling society and currently a honary life member and i know the area very well and have many contacts in the, if i can be of any help, let me know.

[MarkyP]

I wonder if Mark or Laurence could clear up a point? On the updated maps of the site the numbering of some of the boats has changed. I'm not clear if this denotes a change to the identification of those vessels or if the new numbering refers to a revised key to the boats on the site that hasn't been posted with the revised map. For example, wide boat "Alberta" is identified as number 26 on the original map, but on the revised one the same vessel is numbered 28 which is identified as "Mavis" on the original key. So is it still "Alberta" or has it subsequently been identified as "Mavis"? If the former, can we have a copy of the revised key?

 

Hi Roger, many thanks for your posts and pics - I'm itching to go and have the look at the iron knees you spotted.

 

Details of some of the boats certainly changed as new information came to light. To the best of my understanding at present, looking at what can be seen in 2012, MAVIS is the wideboat out of the water, the wideboat bow that can be seen through the overhanging trees from the stern of MAVIS is ALBERTA. The remains of the wideboat to the inside of ALBERTA is ROSE OF TYBURN. I'll update the map & key shortly.

 

Whilst a huge amount of time has been spent to try to identify all boats in the archive photos & todays remains, the boat list/key may change again. To find the missing Burt Dunkley map would be a massive step forward - lets hope it was uncovered when the BW Archive moved to Ellesmere? Still lots to discover...

 

Hi, I am the former fishery manager of the lake shown on your post and former secretary of the harrow angling society and currently a honary life member and i know the area very well and have many contacts in the, if i can be of any help, let me know.

 

Many thanks for your post. I'll PM you over the weekend.

 

Brgds,

 

Mark

[AMModels]

Fascinating thread, any updates on this?

[MarkyP]

Still with English Heritage. I will chase up & report back any info.

[Lis]

I found this forum as I was searching for narrowboat Electra, GUCC little Ricky No. 48.

 

I had Electra in the mid '80s, and understood from the man I got her from that she had previously been sunk, and had been re-floated in the early '80s.

 

Some time ago now, about 3 years I think, I found a photo of her sunk at Charity Dock, which made me very sad as the chap who had her after me was keen to carry on the restoration work.

 

Can anyone tell me where Electra was before I had her, or where she was previously, or anything else at all? I would be grateful.

 

Also most interested in the Harefield boats, any news on that?

 

Lis

[Laurence Hogg]

Harefield still under investigation by various bodies.

[onionbargee]

did you know theres a quarry on the opposite bank just north of Harefeild marina entrance, that has a few big barges ( hoppers) on it's it's a landlocked lake, some are definitely abandoned, some still floating.

 

All welded quite modern looking, not historic.

 

You can see them on Google earth.

Edited September 5, 2013 by onionbargee

[mark99]

I presume you mean Boyers Harefield Lake which is still a working pit `(not Broadwater Lake the big one - although Broadwater has an abandoned dumb barge, albeit modernish).

 

Bowyers was recently closed to anglers as there is a quicksand/silt issue due to gravel washing.

[pete harrison]

I found this forum as I was searching for narrowboat Electra, GUCC little Ricky No. 48.

 

I had Electra in the mid '80s, and understood from the man I got her from that she had previously been sunk, and had been re-floated in the early '80s.

 

Can anyone tell me where Electra was before I had her, or where she was previously, or anything else at all? I would be grateful.

 

Lis

I have a few notes on ELECTRA that may interest you.

 

23/10/1935 - delivered to Grand Union Canal Carrying Co. Ltd. - fleet number 40 (built by W.H. Walker & Bros. Ltd., Rickmansworth)

05/11/1935 - health registered as Rickmansworth 48

25/06/1936 - gauged by Grand Union Canal Co. as 12546

??/08/1941 - sold to Stantons Ironworks Ltd., Ilkeston

02/12/1941 - health registered as Ilkeston 107 - renamed as No. 59

??/??/1947 - sold to Stewarts and Lloyds Ltd., Coombeswood

07/03/1956 - gauged by Birmingham Canal Navigations Co. as 2374 (owned by Alfred Matty & Sons Ltd., Tipton - renamed MAUREEN - later fitted with Bolinder 1052 - renamed ELECTRA when for sale in 1982 - had been sunk for a while at 'Mattys' yard, Coseley)

??/01/1982 - sold to Peter Franklin, lived on boat in south midlands - latterly Banbury

06/1986 - sold to Elisabeth Hallam (seen by me tied below Cowley Lock 06/1988)

??/??/19?? - sold to ? (reputedly the manager of the pop group Blur)

c00/00/1995 - sold to Steve

09/1996 - sold to Mike Nicoll, Uxbridge (1997 - fitted with Lister ST3)

00/06/2001 - sold to (name with held as this may be the current owner - sunk at Charity Dock c2006 but still licenced until at least 2008)

 

I do have a bit more than this but please feel free to fill in the gaps, especially who you sold ELECTRA to and when.

Edited September 5, 2013 by pete harrison

[Lis]

Pete, thank you, that's brilliant! I knew the early bits but had forgotten Peter Franklin's name, I dealt more with his girlfriend when I bought Electra. They were both very proud of her, and were a bit sad to sell.

 

I can't tell you the name of the chap who bought her, as a friend, David Nurse, who was on the Dutch Barge (forgotten her name) at Benbow Bridge, Cowley dealt with it all for me. I must have sold her in 1989. My name was Elisabeth Cornish at the time.

 

I am sorry I don't have more information. I was worried that the person or people who had her after me had never registered, and my name might still be down as owner. If that had been the case I could not have left her sunk at Charity, but as it is I can't do anything about it. Very sad, especially knowing what a pretty boat she was.

 

Thank you again for all the extra info, I used to look out for Electra all the time when by canals, just in case!

Edited September 5, 2013 by Lis

[onionbargee]

I presume you mean Boyers Harefield Lake which is still a working pit `(not Broadwater Lake the big one - although Broadwater has an abandoned dumb barge, albeit modernish).

 

Bowyers was recently closed to anglers as there is a quicksand/silt issue due to gravel washing.

https://www.google.co.uk/mapmaker?ll=51.589198,-0.4882&spn=0.002356,0.00412&t=h&z=18&q=Harefield&utm_source=mapseditbutton_normal&gw=30&lyt=large_map_v3

[mark99]

https://www.google.co.uk/mapmaker?ll=51.589198,-0.4882&spn=0.002356,0.00412&t=h&z=18&q=Harefield&utm_source=mapseditbutton_normal&gw=30&lyt=large_map_v3

 

Yes that's Bowyers Harefield. Complete with quicksand area's. That place is literally heaving with american signal crayfish. The common bank is with the Broadwater Pit - with sailing boats. That pit (B.Water) used to be owned by Lafarge.