Clyde | National Historic Ships

Registration number 3863

Status Registered

luis.vicente

Previous names

1935 - 1955 Clyde
1955 - 2013 Ford
2013 - 2024 Valkyrie

Details

Function Leisure Craft

Subfunction Narrow Boat

Location Gloucester and Sharpness Canal

Vessel type Narrowboat - Day Boat

Current use Private use

Available to hire No

Available for excursions No

Construction

Builder Yarwood, W J & Sons Ltd, Northwich

Built in 1935

Hull material Iron

Rig None

Number of decks 1

Propulsion Towed

Primary engine type None

Boiler type None

Boilermaker None

Dimensions

Breadth: Beam

7.00 feet (2.13m)

Depth

2.50 feet (0.76m)

Length: Overall

70.00 feet (21.34m)

Tonnage: Gross

45.00

History

CLYDE was built between 1935 and 1937 as one of an order of six rivetted iron ‘Railway Boats’ for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. These were day boats built to operate to and from the railway interchange depots around the Birmingham Canal Navigations. In 1948, she was transferred to the British Transport Commission with nationalisation. In 1955, she was one of 12 former LMS railway boats to be converted into a long-distance butty, forming the Station Boat class. As a part of this conversion, CLYDE was named FORD after the Ford Railway Station in West Sussex.

At some point, she came to be at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum, where a steel top was added to her in 1990. It is thought that during this conversion she fitted with fitted with a Lister FR4 engine. After this, she was sold into private hands, being named VALKYRIE in 2013.

Her current owner renamed her CLYDE in 2024, and she is currently based in the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

Key dates

1937
Built by Yarwood & Sons of Northwich for the London, Midlands and Scottish Railway
1955
Converted to a long-distance 'Station Boat' butty
1990
Steel top added