Name Northwich

Built in 1898 at Saltley, Birmingham for Fellows Morton and Clayton, NORTHWICH is a horse drawn narrowboat. Taken over by the newly formed British Waterways Board in 1949, she was withdrawn from service in 1963 and put on display at the Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne. Having been identified as one of the oldest vessels on Britain’s canal system, she was initially displayed afloat, restored to her original colour scheme. In 1973 she had a refit which included completely replacing her bottom, again with elm boarding. In 1980, she had a rebuild which included rebottoming her with steel plate and much work on her superstructure with the object of reducing maintenance Thereafter she toured the canal system as a roving exhibit, spending time on loan to The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port and the Black Country Museum. She is now based in Gloucester.