Past Talks

The History of Tooley's Boatyard

Date: 21st June 2021
Speaker: Matt Armitage

Matthew Armitage has been the director of Tooley’s Boatyard for 19 years.  Prior to that, he was a field archaeologist.

Thomas Newcomen’s Atmospheric Engine was a significant development during the industrial revolution.  Initially developed to clear water from coal mines, it was later used to pump water into canals to maintain water levels at times of drought.

During the 1700s, canals were an important means of transporting goods, as roads were poor.  A canal boat pulled by one horse could carry significantly more freight than a horse and cart.

The Grand Cross Canal was built in 1769 and was the first phase of the Oxford Canal.  It connected the River Thames to the River Mersey and the River Severn to the River Humber. 

The Oxford Canal was built cheaply, so is of a narrow construction.  The boats which navigate it are referred to as ‘narrowboats’, whereas later canals accommodated wider boats (40ft+) and are called ‘barges’.

The Oxford Canal was constructed principally to bring coal from the Warwickshire coalfields and reached Banbury in 1778, when Tooley’s Boatyard was built.  Also known as Banbury Dockyard, over the years the site has included a dry dock, a forge and blacksmith’s workshop, a carpenter’s shop, a belt-driven machine shop and stables. 

The machine shop dates from the 1930s and contains second-hand machinery from the 1890s. 

The dry dock is the oldest continuously operated facility of its kind on the inland waterways of Great Britain.  Before the 1920s, the dry dock was a brick-lined hole, which took 10 minutes to fill and an hour and a half to empty into the River Cherwell.

The forge and blacksmith’s workshop, which date from 1778, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Banbury lock was bombed in 1940.  Flooding was avoided in Grimsbury, as one lock gate held and the lock was functioning again in two days.  The only casualty was the lock-keeper’s cockerel, who lost his feathers.  The bird was exhibited at a charge of 6d, which was donated to the Spitfire Fund.

The boatyard featured in Tom Rolt’s popular 1944 book Narrowboat.  The book highlighted the state of the canals and led to the creation of the Inland Waterways Association.  It has an account of converting the wooden narrowboat Cressy into a houseboat.  He paid particular attention to the traditional narrowboat decorations of roses and castles. 

A blue plaque at Tooley’s commemorates Rolt.

The Tooley brothers were farmers from the Lower Heyford area.   Emanuel Tooley owned a pair of boats and was known as ‘number one’ which meant that he was paid per delivery and was commonly transporting pig iron to Coventry and returning with sand. 

His son, George, took over the dry dock around 1900.  He had a ‘change boat’ which people could use if their own boat was out of commission. 

George had two sons, George and Herbert.  Herbert spent seven years repairing his old boat Clara. 

The Dancing Duck is used for Saturday boat trips and as a training boat.  

These activities bring in much-needed revenue, together with ‘Theatre in the Dock’, which has been running for 12 years.  A trust has been set up to ensure the continuation of the lease, to attract further funding and to develop a tourist attraction.  Wooden boats will also be built at Tooley’s and repairs will continue.

Forging Ahead by Matthew Armitage tells the story of the boatyard and further information can be found at www.tooleysboatyardtrust.org.uk & www.tooleysboatyard.co.uk

Sally James