The Tom Trevethick Story

[Ayagorawiya? 4]

Trevethicks boats has been mentioned in other areas of the site..

Though Tom has been dead some years, here is an article written about him in 1981...

The Tom Trevethick Story

[Guest a5h4w]

Its interesting to note he was related to Richard Trevethick the locomotive pioneer..

there's a large piece on his history and inventions at the York railway museum.

had a visit there a couple of months back .. recommended!

incidently, how did Tom physically get his boats onto the Trent?

did he use the canal locks or were they transported by road?

I can't ever recall seeing any of his craft on the canal at all..

and in the case of the steamer, was it built on the Trent?

AL.

[admin 21]

In about 1970-71, I used to help out on the boats. Two mates Alan (Haywood?) and Geoff Garner (Big Geoff) used to work for Trevethick on a weekend.

We would run the tour boat to the old pleasure park and back. In the days of the Pleasure park. The tour boat would drop off and pick up there.

The rowing boats were towed down the Nottingham Canal from his yard at Dunkirk using the pleasure launch seen in pictures in another thread here. I remember bringing the boats down in the spring, past what is now Sainsbury's and the Castle. Then along the canal that runs parrallel with London Road. We entered the trent just downstream from Trent Bridge.

The boats would be taken back to the yard to overwinter, and be repaired and repainted. The houseboat and staging would be left at the Trent mooring all over the winter.

[admin 21]

Here's link to an old Map showing the canal route

You will need to download it and view it to magnify it

[ilkolad 9]

How many sessions would it take to get all the craft through the locks?

with the amount of rowboats etc. Tom had, I would imagine there would have been several fill-up sessions ...

this may explain why at times the water level in the cut was very low ?

... had we experienced a 'Drain By' courtesy of old Tom T. ?

yam got a cool dancer there dude !

[admin 21]

I cant remember How many boats in the locks. We are talking 33 years ago. I do remember the big boat towing a long string of rowing boats. and the big boat piled high with various kit.

I don't know how old the big boat was, but I remember th head on the diesel engine cracking on the top. Big Geoff repaired it with araldite.

Old tom had very bad eyes, that ran, and his glasses would steam up.

He would still drive the big boat with all the customers on their boat trip down the Trent. I made up the second member of crew a couple of time. I suppose I must have been the lifeguard? However I would not have been much use if someone fell in. I could not swim.

[ilkolad 9]

This is how it looks nowadays since Tom's left the scene.

apparently its the 'Nottingham Princess' that now stops off here.

available for hire for that special occasion!

corporate events, weddings, college trips.. fully stocked bar, dance floor, etc..

sounds great! - I'll have to start saving up!

[Paul Bexon 0]

I’ve just noticed your discussion on Trevethicks Boatyard. I run the Lenton Times website(mentioned earlier) and you may be interested to know that we have a further set of recent photos of the boatyard - http://www.lentontimes.co.uk/streets/gregory_st.htm

[mick2me 3,029]

Hello Paul

& welcome

Yes Folks LENTON TIMES is an excellent site, and one that is planned to be linked from us in the near future, when our links page is added.

Sadly the Toms story ends in the 80's. When did he pass away?

[BRYCECLARE 0]

I remember when I patrolled down Lenton in the

old boat yard before it became houses, the store ropom

was an old Nottingham Tram wonder what happened to that B)

[mick2me 3,029]

Here a view of the boats taken in 1972, about the time that I worked there

on a Sunday afternoon. Not sure if this is Trevethicks or the other crew?

Certainly the small houseboat is missing from the scene?

[Bip 88]

.

[mick2me 3,029]

Heres an early view (1920) Is this still Tom's boats? Probably.

[rob237 89]

Or alternatively the boats run by relatives, on my maternal side, namely the Brookhouse family.

Annie Brookhouse was my Mother's Aunt....

Apparently they began on the river just prior to WW I, through to the 60's.

Sent a couple of boats to the Dunkirk evacuation of WW II....

I can recall numerous 'freebie' cruises, down to Colwick Sands, in the 50's!

Cheers

Robt P.

[Tutanic 8]

My husbands Uncle used to own the Pleasure Park, his name was Cortrey.

He also owned Bell Fruit at Lenton. This was probsbly why he could afford the first E type Jag in Nottingham, a red one I believe.

A

[mick2me 3,029]

Or alternatively the boats run by relatives, on my maternal side, namely the Brookhouse family.

Annie Brookhouse was my Mother's Aunt....

Apparently they began on the river just prior to WW I, through to the 60's.

Sent a couple of boats to the Dunkirk evacuation of WW II....

I can recall numerous 'freebie' cruises, down to Colwick Sands, in the 50's!

Cheers

Robt P.

Rob

That name is familiar?

I wonder if that was the other company that were hiring boats near to Toms outfit in 1970?

[rob237 89]

Dunno about that.....

I've always thought the Brookhouses boats ceased in the early 60's?

Sure a picture exists, somehere...(possibly at the bottom of one of my old family photo boxes) of the pair of Trevethick and the pair of Brookhouse boats sailing in a convoy of four, on their long journey to the South Coast for the Dunkirk evacuation.

Seem to recall the picture was taken around Gainsborough??, en route to the Humber.

I'll try to get into the attic tomorrow

Cheers

Robt P.

[mick2me 3,029]

Can we post a copy?

I am sure the sign Brookhouse was on the boats next to us?

Big Geoff would know.

Where abouts was their boat yard?

[mick2me 3,029]

Heres a decent shot of the boats 1960's?

[Craig Strongman 13]

My husbands Uncle used to own the Pleasure Park, his name was Cortrey.

He also owned Bell Fruit at Lenton. This was probsbly why he could afford the first E type Jag in Nottingham, a red one I believe.

A

Werent Bell Fruit owned by Bendix Electronics, hence their name?

[mick2me 3,029]

I wonder whatever happened to those old pleasure cruisers?

[Trevor S 2,002]

I do not know about those launches from the 60s but I can tell you where a couple of pleasure cruisers and barges spent their last moorings.

There was a large square pondage right on the bend of the river at the base of the cliffs at RoT. This link shows the pondage in the 1900s: -

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NCCV000122&pos=9&action=zoom&id=82434

It became packed with old wooden craft by the 50s, varying in condition from submerged, half submerged, listing to one side, rotting, blackened and many stripped of anything of value.

Remember at least 2 old pleasure cruisers there, slowly sinking, their varnish and trims fading and peeling away. This PTP photograph shows one on the early pleasure cruisers at her final mooring in the 30s; soon to be joined by more unwanted hulks: -

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NTGM009667&pos=2&action=zoom&id=61112

Pleasure cruisers used to travel between Nottingham and RoT back in the early 1900s but I can never remember any in my time....only the mad bargies. From days gone by: -

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NCCS002449&pos=12&action=zoom&id=48799

Can anybody tell me when the cruises stopped going to RoT, please?

[mick2me 3,029]

Can see the bend in the river but not sure what you mean by 'pondage'?

I never realized that there were cliffs @RoT? not knowing the area that well.

The launches from both companies were running boat trips till early 1970s.

These were just a run to roughly where the old pleasure park was, turning round and coming back.

[Trevor S 2,002]

Talking of old hulks;

I distinctly remember when travelling by bus over Trent Bridge from the City (and I did it a thousand times); looking down on the river banks (on the City side downstream) and always seeing several empty barges moored, half full of water and rotting away.

They would have been under the walls of the leather factory and further downstream but it appeared another graveyard for boats back in the 50s.

[Trevor S 2,002]

Can see the bend in the river but not sure what you mean by 'pondage'?

I never realized that there were cliffs @RoT? not knowing the area that well.

By pondage, I mean a large man made area of fairly deep water open to and adjacent to the river. How does a Holding Basin sound?

You never knew there were cliffs at RoT?????????????????? That is how the place got its name - red cliffs. You would have to be having me on!