Name Clypeus

History

CLYPEUS is a narrow boat, built by Yarwoods of Northwich for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company (GUCCC) and launched on 24 July 1935.  Registered at Brentford, her number was 498 and her GUCCCo. fleet number was 28 and she was paired with the butty Corvus.

Her hull is made of riveted iron.  She originally had an elm bottom, but this was replaced with steel by British Waterways in the 1970s.  She has iron frames and oak gunnels, a pointed bow with a plumb straight stem and a counter stern. Her current engine is an inboard diesel made by R A Lister in 1945, model JP2, with 2 cylinders and 22 horse power.

CLYPEUS was used as a fire vessel during the war.  In 1948, at the time of nationalisation, CLYPEUS was taken over by Britsh Waterways and she moved to Sharpness circa 1960 as part of the South East division, where she continued trading, until ending up as a dumb barge, named Saltley, in the 1960s and 1970s.

She was fully restored in 1992 and in 1993 she worked on the Kennet & Avon canal and she still carries the colours from that time (not linked to a carrying company).  Her registration number issued in 1993 was 500774. 

CLYPEUS is one of only a dozen Star Class Small Northwich vessels built by Yarwoods for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company (GUCCCo).  A promotional photo for the GUCCCo of the vessel in 1935 can be found on the Canal & River Trust archives here.