Forging Ahead – A History of Tooley’s Boatyard
Summary
The story of Tooley’s Boatyard and the people, trades and traditions that shaped Britain’s inland waterways heritage. Blending history, craft traditions and personal experience, the book explores one of the oldest continuously working dry docks on the canal system.
Forging Ahead tells the remarkable story of Tooley’s Boatyard in Banbury, one of Britain’s oldest continuously working inland waterways boatyards. Founded alongside the Oxford Canal in 1778, the boatyard has survived industrial change, war, decline and redevelopment while continuing to preserve traditional canal crafts and skills.
Featuring a foreword by the late actor, broadcaster and waterways campaigner Timothy West, whose own narrowboat was built at Tooley’s, the book explores the history of the Oxford Canal, the development of narrowboats, the Tooley family who gave the yard its name, and the boatyard’s close association with canal pioneer Tom Rolt and his famous narrowboat Cressy.
Drawing on historical research, archive material and personal experience as Managing Director of the boatyard, Matthew Armitage brings together the people, places and stories that have shaped more than two centuries of waterways heritage.
More than a history of a single boatyard, Forging Ahead is a story of craftsmanship, innovation and resilience, celebrating the workers, boat builders and boatmen who helped keep Britain’s canals alive and preserve one of the country’s most important historic waterways sites.
Published: 2018
Publisher: Windlass Publishing
Foreword: Timothy West
Author: Matthew Armitage
“I’m very impressed – its how it was” – John Plester blacksmith’s son
“splendid and beautifully illustrated” – Banbury Guardian
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Forging Ahead – A History of Tooley’s Boatyard by Matthew Armitage.
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