1953-63 Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company bought motor and butty boats that had originally been built for other canal carrying companies and re-named many of them after birds.
1963-70 Willow Wren Canal Transport Services took on most of the 1953-63 fleet and hired additional boats from British Waterways, generally not re-named.
1964 Willow Wren Hire Cruisers, based at Rugby Wharf, took CRANE, SANDPIPER, TERN and WARBLER and hired them out as campers, GREBE was converted to a hire cruiser and WATER OUZEL became a trip boat.
Photos from the Jim Payler collection (link is external)
Key:
C&C - Cowburn & Cowper
Erewash - Erewash Canal Carrying Co
FMC - Fellows, Morton & Clayton
GUCCC - Grand Union Canal Carrying Co
LMS - London, Midland & Scottish Railway Co
Willow Wren CCC boats 1953-63:
Name | Type | Date Bought | Former Name | Built for |
Warbler | motor | Dec-53 | Libra | GUCCC |
Wagtail | butty | Jan-54 | Freda | FMC |
Shoveller | butty | Jan-54 | Bascote | FMC |
Redshank | motor | Feb-54 | Reading | GUCCC |
Greenshank | butty | Feb-54 | Bawtry | GUCCC |
Mallard | motor | Feb-54 | Elm | Erewash |
Kingfisher | butty | Feb-54 | Florence | FMC |
Quail | motor | Oct-54 | Quail | FMC |
Pullet | motor | Oct-54 | Antelope | H Sabey |
Sandpiper | motor | Oct-54 | Falcon | FMC |
Moorhen | motor | Oct-54 | Briar | FMC |
Bittern | motor | Oct-54 | Lion | FMC |
Crane | motor | Oct-54 | Crane | FMC |
Tern | motor | Oct-54 | Emu | FMC |
Grebe | motor | Oct-54 | Antelope | FMC |
Avocet | motor | Oct-54 | Raven | FMC |
Teal | butty | Jan-55 | Minnie | C&C |
Snipe | butty | Jan-55 | Kildare | FMC |
Heron | butty | Jul-55 | Caleb | LMS |
Kestrel | butty | Jun-56 | Triagulum | GUCCC |
Dabchick | butty | Jul-57 | Norah | LMS |
Swan | motor | Oct-57 | Dunstable | GUCCC |
Cygnet | butty | Aug-58 | Gladys | C&C |
Egret | motor | Jun-59 | Mimas | GUCCC |
Coot | butty | Jun-59 | Ursa | GUCCC |
Bunting | butty | Jan-60 | Dudley | GUCCC |
Godswall | butty | Jan-60 | Denton | GUCCC |
Dunlin | butty | Jan-60 | Hadfield | GUCCC |
Drake | butty | Jan-60 | Taunton | GUCCC |
Smew | butty | Jan-60 | Norton | GUCCC |
Elton | butty | Jan-60 | Elton | GUCCC |
Curlew | motor | Dec-61 | Seaford | GUCCC |
Otley | motor | Dec-61 | Otley | GUCCC |
Dipper | motor | Dec-61 | Bristol | GUCCC |
Rail | motor | Dec-61 | Hadley | GUCCC |
Buckden | motor | Dec-61 | Buckden | GUCCC |
Flamingo | motor | Dec-61 | Letchworth | GUCCC |
Widgeon | motor | Dec-61 | Thaxted | GUCCC |
Gainsborough | motor | Dec-61 | Gainsborough | GUCCC |