SAVE SCULPTOR FROM SINKING!

 

TO MAKE A DONATION: CLICK HERE

 

Appeal to rescue

Stoke Bruerne's historic narrowboat

 

 

£20,000 is needed to carry out essential repairs to ensure the future of the historic ex-working narrowboat Sculptor

 

Presently Sculptor, moored on the Grand Union Canal outside the museum at Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire, is unable to move because of the poor condition of her hull and the fear of sinking.

Sculptor is a 71ft 6ins long composite boat (iron sides and wooden bottom), built on a 7ft 1in beam in 1935 by W.J. Yarwood and Sons Ltd at Northwich in Cheshire for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Co. (GUCCCo.). She is thought to have worked initially carrying general cargoes between London and Birmingham. During World War II, from 1943, she saw service as a fire fighting vessel in the London area, returning to the GUCCCo. two years later.

 

She came into British Waterways ownership in 1948 upon the nationalisation of the canals, continuing in service, possibly as a maintenance boat, until about 1985. Her original Russell Newbery engine was replaced by the present Lister HA2 diesel engine in 1960. Following the restoration by Ian Kemp at Ellesmere Port, she moved to Stoke Bruerne in 1986.

 

The most urgent work required to safeguard Sculptor is complete re-bottoming (or planking) of the hull. Linked with this major task is work involving the repair of replacement of worn rivets in the rubbing strakes on the lower hull and the doubling, or replacement, of hull plating behind the knees.

 

Over the years Sculptor has been a familiar visitor at numerous waterway events over a wide area, usually crewed by volunteers. At Stoke Bruerne many hundreds of people go on board her every year to see at first hand the cramped conditions of the boatman's cabin.

 

 

For more details - click here to download the press release [PDF 29kb]

 

 

TO MAKE A DONATION: CLICK HERE

 

Donations to the Sculptor appeal can be made via Laura Sturrock, Treasurer of The Friends of The National Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne, at 39 Church Street, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire NN7 3LH (cheques made payable to Friends of the Canal Museum) or online by clicking here.