The boat now named George Watson Buck at Llanymynech was built in 1997/98 by the apprentices and staff at JCB Ltd. under the direction of boatbuilder, Simon Piper.
She started offering trips on the Montgomery Canal in Llanymynech in 2006 following the restoration of the short section of canal near the Llanymynech Heritage Area.
Welcome aboard!!
We are extremely proud of our 46-foot-long, 12 seater narrowboat that has been offering trips to the community of Llanymynech, Pant and Carreghofa as well as visitors from farther afield.
The George Watson Buck is one of a kind. She is unique and a heritage boat of the future, which we are honoured to have at the visitor centre for everyone to enjoy.
When first built, the boat was loaned to the ‘North Staffordshire Boat Committee for the Handicapped’. Over the following four years she did sterling service carrying around 8,000 children with special needs on the Caldon Canal in the Churnet Valley.
In 2002, the committee dispanded and the boat passed to another charity, which, kept her as a spare boat because they were already converting a narrowboat for use as a day boat. She was overhauled, her hull and superstructure repainted before being moved to Red Bull Basin, near Kidsgrove.
In 2005, she was donated to the community in Llanymynech to bring alive the newly restored section of canal. Since then, volunteers have taken visitors on a 30 minute trip along the Montgomery Canal. Over those 18 years, we have welcomed visitors from across the world, along with many canal enthusiasts and volunteers as well as school trips and other small groups.
By taking a trip on the George Watson Buck, you are helping us maintain and improve the boat as well as giving more people a glimpse of what a fully restored Montgomery Canal could mean to the local area.
If you could help us maintain the George Watson Buck with a donation, we would be very grateful. Please click here.
