Trent Barge - The Leicester Trader
STOP PRESS:
Winter 2011/2012 Newsletter on the Friends page.
We need your help... (see Friends page)
Updates to News, progress and Friends pages.
all about The Leicester Trader...
Enthusiasts are working towards creating a floating heritage centre dedicated to River Trent history. Why not join them and become a Friend of The Newark Heritage Barge.
The dumb barge "Leicester Trader" was the last of what was once a familiar sight on the River Trent and Humber estuary carrying cargoes serving the many towns along its length. Although completely unglamorous, this type of barge was the ubiquitous workhorse on our river and little changed through horse drawn, steam and then motor towage times. As an unpowered barge she was built in 1953 by Richard Dunston of Thorne near Doncaster. Not one of these Trent size barges survive in their original form. The Leicester Trader is one of the few that has remained in near original condition. She has had a varied life since she stopped carrying cargoes to Nottingham and the many other wharves along the Trent. Barge owner and preservationist Les Reid has always thought that the Trent Navigation and its rich history should be put on record for future generations before it is lost in the passage of time, to this end Les has purchased the "Trader" and is set to embark on his most ambitious project yet. He has taken the Leicester Trader from its long time resting place at the former Harkers shipyard at Knottingley back onto home waters to Newark where she will become a floating museum and heritage archive dedicated to the river Trent. It is intended to show how this important waterway played a vital role in the development of the towns and city which the waterway serves. The collections, being based on the barge hopefully moored in the town centre at Newark whilst remaining capable of being moved to shows and waterway festivals in other places. The first stage of the project was completed in June and July 2008 when the "Leicester Trader" was moved from Knottingley down to Goole on the Aire and Calder Navigation. The move was only made possible through the kind help of "Humber Barges Ltd" and their skipper Geoff Wheat who towed Leicester Trader to Goole behind their gravel barge "Fusedale H" .
The next stage was from Goole to Cromwell again by Fusedale and then from Cromwell to Newark with the help of Paul Ainsworth who loaned the tug Ox from Farndon Marina and skippered by Kevin Mason and crew Tom Mason.
additionally...a little local geography
Imports from all parts of the world and exports from agriculture and industry were transported along the River Trent.
Upstream, it linked to the Midlands via Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
Downstream, it linked Lincolnshire, Hull and the Humber ports for further shipment to Europe and worldwide.
Oil cargoes were a major traffic until the 1980's. Trent sand and gravel has always been carried and some local movement continued until two years ago. Huge tonnages continue to be moved on the tidal section below Cromwell even now.
The many warehouses were used to store and distribute or trans-ship to smaller vessels.
