Monday April 21, 2025.
As much as I love walking through London, I also enjoy walking along the Grand Union Canal.
So it was that I came across this piece of London maritime history, while walking towards Hillingdon, along the Grand Union Canal.
What caught my eye was the legend 'Harland & Wolff'. As I approached the vessel I could see a man standing beside it. After a quick introduction, his name is Mark, he told me a little about the narrowboat and allowed me to take some photographs of the signage and Harland & Wolff plaque.
He explained that it was one of the last working cargo ships on the Grand Union Canal and that part of the area, beneath the canvas, had now been converted, so that he could live on it. I then bid him farewell and continued on my way.
It is a beautiful craft and looks pretty good at 88 years and 1 day old.
History
London has always had a long history of shipbuilding, with the Port of London being one of the most important strategic maritime locations for over 2,000 years.
Over the centuries many companies moved, or opened, new facilities along the banks of the River Thames.
King Henry VIII created the first permanent dockyards at Woolwich. Then, over the centuries, more shipbuilders began to move to the River Thames, owing to the safety of the river and the Port of London. These companies included Ditchburg & Mare, Russell's, Samuda Brothers, Thames Ironworks, Watson & Company, Wigram's and Yarrow to name just a few.
One of the most famous names to appear, along the River Thames, was Harland & Wolff, of RMS Titanic fame, whose North Woolwich yard was the largest in London. They also had another six Harland & Wolff repair yards spread along the river at London, Millwall, Surrey and West India Docks.
Their North Woolwich yard had workshops for boiler making, French polishing, sail making, upholstery and a large forge.
The yard was also used for repairs to vessels, including warships.