Castle Quay is a boat yard on the picturesque River Medway at Allington near Maidstone, offering secure friendly moorings as well as a range of boat services. Please have a look round our website checking for new features and feel free to get in contact directly to find out more.
More about CASTLE QUAY
CASTLE QUAY, HOME OF FMC BUTTY VIENNA
Castle Quay is also home to former Fellows Morton & Clayton Butty Boat Vienna. Vienna was renamed Verbena in 1916 as a result of WW1.
Some history:
Vienna was completed in February 1911 by FMC Ltd at Saltley Dock and is an iron composite single cabined horse boat. She has had a fascinating history as a working horse boat and then later as part of a motorised pair. In April 1927, now as Verbena and partnered with motor Swallow, the pair aimed to reach Long Buckley for a stoppage but travelling too fast through the Blisworth Tunnel at night Swallow's wash breeched Verbena's foredeck, and, flooded, she nose dived with 27 and half tons of sugar on board. The tunnel had to be drained to re-float her. She worked for FMC until October 1942 when she was sold to G Mellor & Co Ltd, of Stoke on Trent. She continued to work until haulage by canal was usurped by the railways when, like many other workboats, she was redundant. She has had a number of uses since the working days of the canals; she was used as a classroom at Stone and as part of a loaded pair at Braunston, and in 2010 Sam Noone won an award with her from the Historic Boat Club. See being traditionally moved by horse at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grLYAGlu-PA
As Castle Quay is the narrowboat specialist on the Medway we will be restoring her over the next few years to demonstrate traditional crafts as well as providing a fabrication workshop and store. Revist the site to follow her progress.
We are trying to collate as much of her history as possible, so if you have any pictures or information on her in either her Vienna or Verbena livery please send to ca stlequayboats@gmail.com She is a member of the historic ships register and we will update this with all information we discover.
Castle Quay is also home to former Fellows Morton & Clayton Butty Boat Vienna. Vienna was renamed Verbena in 1916 as a result of WW1.
Some history:
Vienna was completed in February 1911 by FMC Ltd at Saltley Dock and is an iron composite single cabined horse boat. She has had a fascinating history as a working horse boat and then later as part of a motorised pair. In April 1927, now as Verbena and partnered with motor Swallow, the pair aimed to reach Long Buckley for a stoppage but travelling too fast through the Blisworth Tunnel at night Swallow's wash breeched Verbena's foredeck, and, flooded, she nose dived with 27 and half tons of sugar on board. The tunnel had to be drained to re-float her. She worked for FMC until October 1942 when she was sold to G Mellor & Co Ltd, of Stoke on Trent. She continued to work until haulage by canal was usurped by the railways when, like many other workboats, she was redundant. She has had a number of uses since the working days of the canals; she was used as a classroom at Stone and as part of a loaded pair at Braunston, and in 2010 Sam Noone won an award with her from the Historic Boat Club. See being traditionally moved by horse at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grLYAGlu-PA
As Castle Quay is the narrowboat specialist on the Medway we will be restoring her over the next few years to demonstrate traditional crafts as well as providing a fabrication workshop and store. Revist the site to follow her progress.
We are trying to collate as much of her history as possible, so if you have any pictures or information on her in either her Vienna or Verbena livery please send to ca stlequayboats@gmail.com She is a member of the historic ships register and we will update this with all information we discover.