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![]() Kildare at the Black Country Museum | |
History | |
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Name | Kildare |
Owner | Fellows Morton & Clayton |
Operator | Fellows Morton & Clayton |
Builder | Braitwaite & Kirk |
Cost | £190 (equivalent to £23,600in 2023) [1] |
Launched | 1913 |
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Name | Snipe |
Owner | Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company |
Acquired | 1957 |
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Name | Kildare |
Owner | Warwickshire Fly Boats |
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Name | Kildare |
Owner | Black Country Living Museum |
Acquired | 1991 |
Homeport | Lord Ward's Arm Dudley Canal |
General characteristics | |
Type | Narrowboat [2] |
Length | 71.60 ft (21.82 m) [2] |
Beam | 6.11 ft (1.86 m) |
Draught | 3.4 ft (1.0 m) [2] |
Installed power | Towed |
Kildare is an un-powered butty boat constructed with wrought iron sides and an elm bottom. She was built for Fellows Morton & Clayton around 1913 by Braithwaite & Kirk of West Bromwich to be towed behind a powered craft like President. She is complete with a fully fitted boatman's living cabin and traditional covering cloths over the main hold area.
She continued to trade for Fellows Morton & Clayton until she was sold in 1948 to Ernie Thomas. [2] Later she entered service in 1957 with Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company as Snipe. There were two more changes of ownership as Snipe, when she reverted to her original name on joining Warwickshire Fly Boat's fleet. [2]
In 1991 she was obtained by the Black Country Living Museum, where it is based and can be seen dockside in the Lord Ward's Canal Arm at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley when she is not out on the canal system with President .
The boat is maintained and operated by Friends of President on behalf of the Black Country Living Museum. [3]
Kildare is on the National Historic Ships register. [2]
In 1992 she paired with President on a 257-mile journey through Cheshire and Staffordshire to raise money for orphaned children in Romania. [4]
A narrowboat is a particular type of canal boat, built to fit the narrow locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, but with the advent of the railways, commercial canal traffic gradually diminished and the last regular long-distance transportation of goods by canal had virtually disappeared by 1970. However, some commercial traffic continued. From the 1970s onward narrowboats were gradually being converted into permanent residences or as holiday lettings. Currently, about 8580 narrowboats are registered as 'permanent homes' on Britain's waterway system and represent a growing alternative community living on semi-permanent moorings or continuously cruising.
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The Black Country Living Museum is an open-air museum of rebuilt historic buildings in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is located in the centre of the Black Country, 10 miles west of Birmingham. The museum occupies 10.5 hectares of former industrial land partly reclaimed from a former railway goods yard, disused lime kilns, canal arm and former coal pits.
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W. J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd were a shipbuilding company based in Northwich, Cheshire from 1896 to 1966.
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President is a historic, steam-powered narrowboat, built in 1909 by Fellows Morton & Clayton (FMC) at their dock at Saltley, Birmingham, England. It is now owned by the Black Country Living Museum, where it is based. President is registered by National Historic Ships as part of the National Historic Fleet.
Bessie is a historic, single ended riveted iron day boat, built in 1895 for the Hartshill Iron Company. It is now owned by the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West Midlands, England, where it is based.
Birchills is a historic, ‘Joey’ boat with a small day cabin, built in 1953 by Ernest Thomas of Walsall. Birchills was one of the last wooden day boats made and was used to carry coal to Birchills Power Station and Wolverhampton Power Station. It is the only surviving 'Joey' with a day cabin.
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