Knowl Street Heritage Boatyard

Knowl Street Heritage Boatyard is crucial to the future of wooden boats on the canal system. It's a place where boats can be taken out of the water, stripped down, then carefully put back together again for a new life serving the community. It's a place where the necessary tools and skills can be preserved to keep wooden boats going into the future. Future plans include proper workshops, instead o

f the rusty old containers currently in use, an exhibition area and viewing platform so that the public can look at the work in progress on the boats. The site is leased from Tameside Council who have been very generous. Since being here Wooden Canal Boat Society volunteers have dug out to lower the whole boatyard 2 metres to canal level, removing the foundations of a railway viaduct in the process. During 2011 to 2013 the Runcorn narrow boat "Hazel" was rejuvenated here then during 2014-15 fitted out as a well being boat. Currently volunteers are having a big sort out to clear the place of anything that's not needed, extra help needed to sell it all on Ebay etc. We're also facing threats from bureacrats and possibly developers, so much help is needed.