Nine Salford men have seen their dream become a floating reality on the Bridgewater Canal in Salford.
Men from communities along the Bridgewater Canal have spent a year building a boat inspired by those once used in the Duke of Bridgewater’s coal mines in 1761 They launched the new boat at Worsley in front of a large crowd of friends, family and well-wishers on Friday September 23.
The project, named Minecrafting, is part of Est.1761, a programme of activities to inspire and engage local communities with the story of the Bridgewater Canal in Salford as it undergoes a £5.5million restoration thanks to £3.6million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and contributions from Salford City Council and Peel Holdings.
The boat was named The Volunteer, a name chosen by the men who built her and the naming ceremony substituted a a bottle of Salford brewed beer from local brewers First Chop Ale for the traditional bottle of champagne.
Five of the nine men who built the boat steered it on its first journey along the canal between Worsley and Boothstown using oars which they’d also crafted themselves.
Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety at Salford City Council, said: “The men all live in communities along the canal and it has taken them over 700 hours to build the boat in twice weekly workshops.
“This new 20 foot boat uses ash, poplar and beech wood from along the canal and traditional craft techniques in the construction and was inspired by the starvationer boats used in the mines – so called because of their protruding ribs. This new boat is not a replica but is about creating a living piece of heritage and writing another chapter in this history of this remarkable canal. The project also aimed to encourage the men to take an active interest in the culture and heritage of their area and make new friendships as part of a shared endeavour. Nationally fewer men than women are involved in arts and cultural activities than women and Minecrafting set out from the start to change that.”
The men were supported by Start Creative, a social and creative enterprise, which helped them learn traditional hand-craft techniques.
Nigel Harris from Eccles, who helped build the boat, said he volunteered after taking early retirement.
“I’m immensely proud to see it launched and at the thought that this will be a lasting legacy for many years to come and may inspire future generations to do something similar,” he said.
Heritage ballard singer Jennifer Reid penned and performed a special song at the launch event to celebrate the builders’ achievement which ended with the words:
“Strangers joined by planks o’wood,
Working hard like good lads should
Put together and fettled neat
Be proud lads, now she’s complete”
People attending the boat launch also had a chance to do some woodcrating themselves with the support of a traditional clog-maker.
Francis Egerton the third Duke of Bridgewater built the Bridgewater Canal to transport coal from his mines at Worsley to markets in Manchester.
Opened in 1761 it was described as one of the wonders of its time and is credited with kick starting the Industrial Revolution. Engineer James Brindley solved major problems with flooding in the mines by creating a network of 47 miles of canal underground to drain the mines and building the Barton Aqueduct to carry the canal over the River Irwell to Manchester and up to one million tons of coal a year.
