Loading coal from an historic coal wharf to a historic working boat
One dark blustery winter morning this week something new … and also very old happened: Roach returned to her working boat status and has once again become a coal boat.
Roach received her first load of coal in her ‘new/old‘ working coal boat guise at a historic wharf which is believed to have been built at the same time as the canal – Turners Wharf (also known as Rowington Wharf, or Turners Green Wharf).
I talked with Fay, the current occupier and part owner of Turners Wharf, about this auspicious delivery of coal from an historic wharf to a historic working boat!
Fay said “It’s interesting because when I first saw Roach, she pulled up on the moorings opposite me, and I thought what a lovely working boat! And then one day Rich called across to ask if I knew of anywhere he could load coal and he was thrilled to bits when I said he could come and load here. And so was I!
“It’s been absolutely great! We have loved having Rich and Roach to visit”
I asked Fay if she could tell me more about Turners Green Wharf
“The wharf is called Turners Green or Turners End wharf. It was built as a coal wharf and we believe it was built when the canal was built. It was last used as a coal wharf over 50 years ago. My parents moved here in the 1980s and they bought the leasehold from British Waterways, and subsequently the freehold of the wharf when the leasehold ran out. There are some photographs of the old wharf on rowingtonrecords.com”
“It’s really nice to see the wharf being used again”
Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5
More stories about Roach
Where to find Roach
Roach will be available for the purchase of coal, hardwood nets, kindling wood, and a small selection of chandlery sundries from January 2021
Contact Roach Coal Boat
Call or Text – 07778 403657
for location, prices and other enquiries
www.roachcoalboat.co.uk
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Roachcoalboat.co.uk
Please share this page if you know of someone who might be interested in buying coal from Roach!
Thank you to Fay at Turners Wharf for taking such lovely photographs of Roach’s first day back as a working boat! And thank you for giving kind permission for Roach to load at Turners Wharf.
Photos © Fay at Turners Wharf
If you enjoyed reading this story, you may like to read about Dusty the Coal Boat too.
Love it, truly an historic day
It really is isn’t it?! Xx